Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-07-06
Percentage Is Shown
of Student Athletics.


who participate in any form Of systemat-
ic and organized athletics as less than
30 per cent. They expressed the opinion
that the percentage probably is consid-
erably lower than that This means that
a great deal over half of the young men
and young women who are given expen-
sive college courses by fond parents are
doing absolutely nothing, consciously at
| least, to develop a proper bodily founda-
| ton for the use of their costly mental
| equipment.
! 1t seems that of 143 universities and
| colleges. fifty-three, or 81 per cent, are
| not raising a hand to encourage the kind
| of physical exercise that the students
| can use after they leave college. A lit
! tie over one-half. y; per cent make use
| of games such as base ball, foot ball.
/ hand ball, volley ball. golf and tennis
| Corrective exercises are given by II per
! cent. HYGIENE lectures are given IA per
| cent. Only ) per cent demand swimming
| only j per cent utilize hikes and in
all the United States there are but two
| colleges that teach dancing. Even in
| such an inexpensive sport as tennis only
Is per cent of our institutions of learn
ing provide courts for the students.
There are any number of sports in
which all students can participate, and
most of which can be followed after they
go out into the world. Tennis and base
| ball. for instance. do not need much
| money for equipment A swimming pool
| ought to be attached to every gymnasium
| Most gymnasiums do have this conven-
| fence. but the students are not forced to
| learn to swim. Boxing, wrestling. fenc-
| ing bowling, dancing, club swinging. set
| ting-up exercises. walking and hiking do
| not cost much. Most of these forms of
| exercise can be followed all through the
| life of the students. whereas a majority
| of our college graduates go into business
vtnd professional activities with. fixed
| habits of a non-athletic nature.
| Another point brought out by the in
vestigation concerned the petted athlete
| himself. For four or five years he is
| trained down to very fine point, not
| primarily for his own benefit. but In order
| to make a spectacular display which
| shall rebound to the sporting honors of
| his alma mater. When he leaves college
| he goes into lines of endeavors that make
no provision for his athletic proves. Per-
mission to cut work is a rarity in
business. No shower baths and rubbing
| tables decorate the counting houses of the
nation. Accustomed to several years OF
special athletic activity. the ex-college
boy cannot fall back upon it in his new
life, and such data as there is on the
subject shows he seldom takes up a spe
cial routine of milder exercise. He lives
on his past glory and grows fat.
The athlete also suffers from overtrain-
ing While the great number of his fell
low = students
Student Athlete Also are being
Suffers entertaining NEGLECTED he
with his own enthusiastic consent. is
permitting the present system to put
very heavy strain on his heart lungs,
Iii "a
| those who overreach athletically in col
| lege is grevously impaired in after life.
! Unfortunately there seem to be no sta
tistics to show what percentage of the
men who died at premature age had
been gold medal athletes in their college
days. What statistics do show. however,
| is that as a rule it is the average stu
dent. whose major purpose was study.
with athletics as a minor course, who
makes the greatest success in life.
| 1t has been suggested that our univer-
sites and colleges should have physicians
on the staff. for the special purpose OF
guarding the health of their athletes
| AS 1t is now. the care of the men de-
wolves upon lusty trainers and hustling
young students. called managers.
Whenever member of the team or the
| crew falls from undue strain a physician
/ is called in. but not until then The
American medical journals are quite Sc
seve when discussing this phase Of the
problem a recent issue OF one of the
most influential journals saying:
/ obviously, appropriate training furnish
es another safeguard against the dan
gers of athletic OVERRIDING. Much of what
is called training in this country is.
however. a combination of unscientific
and sometimes irrational dietetics with
psychic quackery.'
| Who is to blame for the neglect of the
great student body on the one hand
and the unhealthy exaltation of the ia
vored few athletes on the other hand?
| Some say it is the general public, that
demands gladiatorial contests that must
have the intensely exciting contests.
Others blame the faculties of our uni
versities and colleges. charging them
with neglecting the physical wellbeing
| Of the UNDERGRADUATE body. Again. there
| are others who point to the dominance OF
the competitive spirit. dominance that
develops naturally unless kept within
bounds.
Perhaps all three factors are to blame
| 1t is not likely, however. that the aver
age faculty can Justly be censured on the
charge Of neglect. They have ever heen
slow to acquiesce in giving undue prom-
hence to organized athletics in contra
distinction to the real purpose of an in
stitutlon OF learning. Rather it would
appear that the combination of the first
| and third factors has overwhelmed. or
ut least silenced for the moment. the
saner spirits in our university councils.