Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1915-12-10
DIR. BURDICK TALKS
ON SCHOOL ATHLETICS
1t Develops in Boy Devotion to a
Cause, Loyalty, Good Citizen
ship, Courageousness.
PLAY NIECE SSARY TO CHILD LIFE.
Superintendent Of Public Athletic
League Makes Stirring Address
Invited Here by Local
Coriptv


With emphasis on the fact that 'All
work and no play makes Jack a dull
boy. and Mary dull girl. as the case
may be. Dr. William Burdick, Director
of the Athletic League, OF Maryland,
gave a most interesting talk here last
evening in the City Assembly Rooms.
Duke Of Gloucester street.
Dr. Bardick Was invited 10 ccme
here By the local branch OF the Anti
tuberculosis Society to present the
needs of athletics in the public schools
Anne Arundel being one of the eoun-
ties not represented at the meet held
last year.
A small, but representative audience
greeted the Director OF the State Ath-
letic League. President Douw, of the
local Society introduced the speaker,
saying he had previously apologized
for the size of the audience, but tha;
great things often come from small
beginnings.
DR.. Burdick told OF the drift and
trend OF athletics in the last ten years
and the changes that had taken place
he said it is now part of the educa-
tional movement, and he outlined the
history of this movement which had
its inception with Senator Lloyd.
EIe emphasized the social side of
athletics, and told how the State Leg
islature two years ago passed a bill
giving $4,000 year to the promotion
of athletics in Maryland schools. OF
which Anne Arundel county had had
no benefit
"IIally Day" in Anne Arundel, DR.
Burciek said tie had been told was
not a success. because some people
were tired afterward. Yet Rally Day
fostered the social features OF the
schools and explained the necessity of
cost of education.
Some of the counties. notably Anne
Arundel. have not changed in the last
one hundred years. They paid a tetch-
er $500 one hundred years, and they
pay that now, plus actual increase in
living expenses. Some few ideas in
the county have ehanged but not all
have
The State has come to believe that
it is right for child to have health
and the needs of recreation tend to-
ward this The health of school chill
dren in the counties is far below that
of the cities.and in the Eastern Shore
schools there are far more heart cases
and communicable diseases than in al
the schools of Baltimore city.
Recreation is the refreshment of
the spirit after toll" said DR.. Bur
dick Play is a part of existence and
prepares the body for life. Just as
kitten plays with ball of yarn. so
that the old cat may develop methods
of defending herself from attack of the
enemy. so 4 child's play is the rehear-
sal of the after experiences of life
The little girl plays with her doll that
the mother instinct may be developed
when she becomes mother; the lit
/ tie boy builds blocks for his expert
/ ences in building houses, bridges and
I other things when he develops into
4 man.
/ BY way Of illustration, the speaker
( said: Cut off the tail of tadpole and
! it will be a frog, but not the good frog
I Eliminate play from child's life and
i you interfere with The mental, moral
/ and physical development Of the child.
Examinations by physician are nee
4 essary for any child who goes into the
/ League, and oftentimes physical de-
fects are discovered through these
( examinations that the parents of the
child did not know anything about.
In a city where there is a district
| visiting nurse the physical defect or
/ ailment is always cleared up, as the
nurse follows up the case and makes
reports on it. The child weakened
| physically cannot absorb what is
| given it. and it is harder for the
teacher as well as the child in school.
Recreation counts for much. Peo-
! pIe's characters, said DR.. Burdick are
| framed during their leisure hours, not
while they are at work. There is the
Big Injun Age" with the boy, time
when the boy must have this sort of
play. essential for his growth and de-
! velopment. He must have opportuni-
ties for play Nature takes a new
viewpoint Of life later on. A hoy Of
ten or eleven must play the way his
| nature dictates. the sort of Indian
play. out of doors. Someone, the
speaker said, had defined athletics as
the moral. vigorous. social lighting
plays of youth.
In the Greek athletics. as recorded
in the Bible. it was $50 run that ye
may obtain" The new idea, and GER
tainly the better one. is that We may
ATTAIN. Athletics stands for healthy
mindedness, a combination of mind
and body. of individual temperament
of courageousness
a standard is fixed according to age
of the boy. by the State League. mad a
boy of ten or eleven years is expect
ed TO jump feet 3 inches, and run so
yards in nine seconds. Team spirit
must represent the school