The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1912-09-05
SOCIAL LESSONS ARE
INSTILLED BY SPORTS
So Says DR.. Henry S. Curtis
Former Secretary Of Play
ground Association.
TEACHES A BOY LOYALTY
Famous Organizer Of Play Advocates
the Promotion OF the National
Pastime Among Youths
OF Today.

Chicago, Aug. 24.-"Playing baseball
.ith a regular team teaches a boy 10y
atty and instills social lessons that will
affect his whole life. Competition with
the ordinary back-lot nine will not do
this. Therefore, get the boys to work
on permanent team n reap the bene-
fits Of organized recreation"
h was the pronouncement on the
national game made by Dr.. Henry s.
Curtis, former secretary Of the Play
ground Association of America, in q
lecture on play at the University of
Chicago. The athletic authority de-
clared the game as played by pickup
teams on vacant lots to be a much
oyerrated institution because of its
emphasis on individual performances.
DR.. Curtis handed the educators
something like a shock when he de-
clared that geography and mathema-
tics were by no means SO large a part
Of a boys education as they are gen.
orally regarded in schools. The i'm
portance of athletics as a beneficial
agent in bringing up the young is not
realized, he declared.
Encourages Clean Living.
Nothing in the world takes hold OF
a young man like athletics" he said.
Sports encourage clean living. The
boy n the our man know that it is
bad craftsmanship toward those who
are depending on their success to go
out of training in season. Consequent
ly they have good health and good
thoughts at the same time.
Games, such as baseball, give the
boy a fine conception of the Jaw. The
ception Of the aw today largely from
the games he plays. We always nave
to teach baseball to the boys. We have
when we organize a branch of ath-
let1cs in any community. The rules Of
the game are a part Of the moral law
nf q hnu To no L~a, Ire tIooo 49, -
is likely later to break the laws of
the community in which he lives.
When we go into a large city and
talk to the common council concerning
the establishment of Fairgrounds, some
one always asks if we think we have
to teach baseball tothe boys. We an
swer that we do, for the great majority
of our boys do not know the real game.
If you think the ordinary baseball OF
the back lot is the real thing YOU are
mistaken.
When Is or 20 fellows choose up for
a game, the individual always plays
merely for himself and does not care
for the team. He never learns loyalty
or baseball In this way. On the other
hand, If he belongs to a permanent
team he learns to subordinate himself
to the team. One of the things that
modern civilization stands for most Is
the ability Of large masses Of people to
work for a common good. Baseball
teaches this.
Teaches Loyalty.
I'm the playground, for instance, the
boy finds that the judgment on his play
Is not an individual, but a social iudg.
ment. He Is judged solely on the eff.
feet of his play on the team as a whole
Our best organized games are teaching
loyalty just as much as the schoo
teachers are teaching mathematics.
This thing which the boy learns IL
baseball is the same thing that is called
good citizenship as applied to a city
and patriotism as applied to the ma.
ton.
Every city owes it to it's chilren te
provide Fairgrounds. Hundreds of chill.
dren were recently arrested in New
York for playing on the streets. TIL.
city that says the children may moi
play on the streets and yet Furnished
them with no other place is running 8
school Of crime. In a case of this kind
we are not dealing with delinquent chill.
dren, but with delinquent cities"