Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1913-06-07
ENTER ATHLETIC
EXIT DE GANG"
ORGAIZED ATHLETICS ARE RAPID
LY WIPING OUT THE STREET
GANGS IN NEW YORK BIG DEM
ONSTRATION TODAY.
TEN THOUSAND NEW YOR KBOYS
GATHER TODAY IN CENTRAL
PARK AND COMPETE IN ATH
LETIC GAMES.

New York June THE triumph o
organized boyhood" over street gang,
was celebrated today when 10.00t
New York school boys gathered in Cen
! tral Park and competed in athleti,
games held under the auspices Of the
Public SchoO OILS Athletic League and tho
! Amateur Athletic Union. The Athleir,
League games are held annually but to-
days was staged as Il celebration of tho
tory over the lawless juvenile gangs
which ilOurished in the Greater City ten
years ago. and from which were gradu-
ted many of New YOrk's notorious gang
SterS and gunmen. Ten years ago, or
even four year ago. the bringing to-
gether of 10000 of New York's boys prob
ably would have resulted in broken win
dow panes and street lamps: tor up
Shrubbery throughout Central Park. and
anarchy in a small way for mile about
the rendezvous. Throughout the pro
gram of hOtly contested events today
there was no unaward happenings. Less
than score Of extra police we're as
signed 10 cover" the games. and That
number was sent to keep the older ones
who went to see the games Oh the iicld
and not TO keep order among the 10000
young dynamos Of energy who went
through their PAGES with as much zcst
and form as any band of mature ath-
lctes ever displayed at Olympic games
or less notable affairs.
In the great demonstration of today
was found an outlet for that energy
which. prior To the organization If the
league. went into rock battles i'm the
streets. the chasing of stray cats and
dogs and the planning of innumcraElc
forays on gardens and the pestcring Of
q cart merchants and small good gro
GERS who had the tcmerity to display
too OstentaciOuSly their fruits AMI raw
ediblcs.
The same muscles which formerly were
used in Snowballing haplcSS Cinnamon
or Ovcrturning ash and garbage cans
today were Skillfully brought into dis
play in healthy competitions in running
jumping ball playing and other con
tests One of the members of the commit
tee in charge of the games, speaking Of
the organization Of the league. and the
vast amount Of work and patience cx-
pended i'll achieving the success which
has crowned the work today said:
II waS.a boy myself in New York. and
attended school here am not confeSsing
my age but | will admit that il was some
years ago. There was no such thing as
organized sport for the bows when
went to school and naturally the BOYS
drifted into lawlcSS habits to eXpcnd
their surplus energies. The worst part
Of il was the anaemic boy who had no
chance for physical development.
"A bay in the old days was either a
member of de gang or he Wasn't. The
Public Schools Athletic League has
changed al this. While the healthy boy
is generally the one who wins the med
ais at the schools mcet<. the boy who
really needs physical development gets
it and is bcttered by it, The bows are
studied closely and if they are fit phv-
sically to take part in the more siren
nous athletic contests they are trained
for them. If not. they are trained for the
contests which will do them the most
good The plan has worked out well and
boys who started i'm school weak phvsi-
cally are today competing with the boys
who have always been robust and
strong. 1t is the system of athletic train
ing-not the old fashioned dumb bell
exercises or wand drills that were so
irksome- has fitted these formerly
physically weak lads to compete with
the boys who were more fortunate i'm
having been started with better ply
siques.
Naturally we are very proud Of the
work we hace accomplished. The street
corner and corner lot gangs of old are
practically unknown through ut New
York today. And the beauty Of il all is
that the system Of athletics we give the
boys is not compulsory. On the other
hand it is up to the athletic instructor
to keep the recalcitrant boy in line in
the matter of his studies for if he il
behind the average of scholarship fixed
he cannot take part in the athletic con
tests which have worked such wonders
for the 10000 who are competing here
/ in Central Park today.
\ G. Cunningham of Corpus Christi. r
Y +. Roberts of KingSville. W. Walter.