Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-01-01

Collegiate Athletic Association Convcn-
ton in Chicago, g. w. Savage, athletic
director at Oberln College, declared
that thcrc arc two great aspects OF the
athletic problem in the collegcs--cdu-
cational and professional In the early
years OF college sports in America only
the recreational. hygienic and social as
poets were recognized. There, In a sur
prisingly short time, strong athletic
associations. controlled entirely by stu
dents, fourished. and soon obtained
great power. Young and inexperienced
student managers abused the power,
and made mistakes, causing misunder-
standing and friction. which brought
about the graduate managers. and for
4 time the athletic ship sailed smooth
er seas.
But sports well managed grew In
popularity both with the students and
with the public. The graduate man
agcr was business man. and, with an
eye to business. he saw that greater
gate receipts meant hotter facilities,
more equipment and the means OF at
tanning better results. Better results
to tho students. TO the alumni. TO the
graduate manager. and even to the fac
ulty. ment more athletic victories.
The business mans business grew. The
training table, the training quarters,
the return of star graduates to help
coach. the high -salaricd professional
coach. magnificent athletic fields. and
imposing staGia were all made possible
by good business methods and by the
Skill Of The graduate managers In cx-
plotting the loyalty Of alumni. But tho
Athletic Association was not an cduca-
tional body. Tho graduate manager
WAS not an educator. Ic was closer
to the alumni than &c the faculty Ills
great enterprise assumed such proper
tons. and its cXactions on the time
and thought of the students became so
heavy that scholastic pursuits were
considerably interrupted.
Graduate Control Begun.
Here with characteristic conscrva-
Js,n. college authorities came forward
with harmless prescription FOR fac
ulty control-an advisory athletic
committee. composed OF some members
of the faculty with sporting proclivi-
ties, n proportion Of real sports from
the alumni. and n representation OF un-
dergraduatcs. This committee advised
the graduate manager. and even did
more, but the graduate manager still.
for the most part, had his own way.
The athletic associations have grown
into corporations, and now hold prop
erty worth millions. intercollegiate
sport has gradually become CONNER
ciolized and professionalism. The
good name of the student athlete has
often been smirched by PROSECUTING and
slnu our controversy OF
amatcurism vs. professionalism has
grown ever more insistcnt How can
we expect professionalism sport to turn
out amateur sportsmen? ! believe that
college and university presidents and
thinking people in general who have
the courage to face the situation
squarcIy fccf with President Wilson
that there is real danger OF the side
show becoming moro important than
the main tent.
During the last few years slight in
dications Of attempts ut REIMBURSEMENT
have appeared. The place OF play is
coming TO be recognized. The cduca-
tional world is In travail, ana there
is hope that new athletic era is to
be born, an era with an athletic policy
that shall be the legitimate offspring
of an educational system; n child. sane,
sensible. sturdy and strong, who VIII,
BY the might of his clean ancestry
his bullying, braggart Of bastard
brother until he shall come TO recog-
nZe his rightful place In the cduca-
tional family circle.
But possibly the sturdy younger son
has already been conceived. III almost
any college faculty you will now find
few men of vision who are begin
ming to preach the doctrine that play
has real and distinctive place in edu-
cation, and even in higher education.
What that place should be, 1 would
like to discuss here. but 1t is outside
the province of this paper But what
OF the place of play In education at
the present time?
Conditions Improved.
The facts of the case are that there
is little or no justification of the
present status of intercollegiate sport
as a Legitimate interest in an cdu-
cational system. Thanks to the in
nuencc of the association. and to the
Jealous and interchangeable efforts of the
friends Of good sport working through
local conferences, the conditions SUR
rounding intercollegiate sport have
Improved tremendously In late years,
as far as public performances and eX-
ternal conditions are concerned. But
with the great educational and moral
principles underlying sport, and with
the question of amateurism, little prog
ress Is being made The difficulties in
both OF these respects are largely due
to one and the same cause. Under ex-
listing conditions promising young ath-
lctes in high schools and academies are
rounded up by alumni scouts or other
agencies, they receive inducements of
one sort and another, in many cases
such as to prostitute all moral integ-
athlete Is zealously sought after, and
that because he is an athlete. If pos
sible, he Is placed under obligations
before reaching college; he Is even
stored to the proper fitting school OF
tho particular college.
Ne thus enters college with tho