The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-01-11
TELLS Of
OXFORD ATHLETICS
Dean Of School, a Former
Rhodes Scholar, Draws
Some Comparisons

u uTSt c0nN0catlon OF the new
year was held in the university gym.
and Dean Robert l. Henry of the law
school was the speaker and he gave q
very interesting talk on athletics at
')xford.' Dean Henry was q Rhodes
scholar at oxford university and he is
well qualified to speak of athletic con
ditions at that institution.
Ihere are twenty-five colleges at
oxiora n each college has its own
atnletlc teams n fields and over one
thousand students take part in more
lthan forty different games every day
or the school year. Some of the lead
Ing games that are INDUCED in daily
are Rugby, association football, crick-
et. tennis. COLT. hockey, lacrosse, polo.
Isteeple chases. cross country running,
track and field meets and rowing as
vel as a large number Of others.
Dean Henry said that cricket Is the
same to the English as baseball is to
the Americans and 1t IL played all over
the country during the spring and
summer months.
In continuing his address the speak.
er gave a comparison Of English and
american athletics from the point OF
view OF the purposes for which they
are INDUCED in and of the benefits
which result from them to the ath.
lletes themselves. Athletics in Amer.
Iican universities and that which cor.
responds to them in England. are SO
different that they should not be call.
60 by the same name" said Dean
Henry; Sports and games r the
considerable difference in the snirit
In which sports are carried on in the
two countries and the motives for
their existence must be looked at from,
two standpoints. that OF the partici.
pant and thai Of the spectator. An
american goes into athletics because
he wants to see his alma mater win
and then again he likes the popular.
he may. get out of 1t personally. In
England, the sportsman does not 60
into games primarily for the glory OF
his university O generally for his
own. At Oxford. said the speaker. U
man must be something besides an
athlete. If he is both a student and
an athlete he is always highly hon.
the pleasure OF sports and for the
physical and moral benefits derived
from them.
After giving a sketch of athletic.
at Oxford. considering the difference
In the motives for partis ltion. and
tho difference in spirit an England
and America, Dean Henry concluded
MS duuEeSS ny summarizing the Oene.
fits which should be derived from ath.
Iletics and the reasons why we have
failed to get the full benefits out OF
athletics that we should. These bene.
fits the speaker grouped under three
heads. first, enjoyment. second, ply
steal development and health. and
thirdly, development of mind and
character. The desire to win as the
chief motive for athletics or in ath-
Iletes. has had the effect of putting
most students out Of the game entire
~. said the speaker. and it has de-
lprived the most of us Of the benefits
we should otherwise derive from ath-
l~letics. 1t has brought specialization
and intensity to the. chosen few to
such an extent that it is extremely
doubtful whether the benefits they
derive are equal to the loss they suf-
fer. 1t has taken the control of ath.
Iletics out Of the hands Of the students
and deprived them Of that much -
dependent action and the experience
Of management. This spirit ha de-
prived US all Of the great mental and
moral benefits which should be the
chief eason for athletics. Dean Henry
believes that it is time to look upon
athletics in q different light.