The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1916-02-25
mon SCHOOL ATHLErIcs.

Nowadays We hear quite 2 little
discussion regarding athletics. there
fore il may not be on9 OF place 10
mention few OF the good and bad
points or athletics IN high school. The
ideal kind OF physical education for
high school is one which gives exer-
else for all pupils and one which
gives these pupils all OF the valuable
Experiences to be had by the players
on the respective teams Can these
things lie brought aboutby physical
Il training In the strict sense OF the
! word or is II necessary TO have ath-
letsc contests 10 accomplish this end
First OF all the environment and
the size Of the school must be taken
Into consideration Ia the small high
school athletics serve the purpose OF
lcenterlng the interest or the pupils
4 Ia activities under the jurisdiction Of
! the school rather than letting them
become interested IN things OF q
4 questionable nature elsewhere. II Is
an undispnted fact that one can elm
/ mate evil more effectively by proyld-
Ting wholesome alternatives than by
direct prohibition. This is the role
/ that should lie played by athletics in
thigh school The school should be
Il
care OF the students recreafions as
nearly as possible as well as their
aeh0l work However no one denies
that athletics should be kept subordi-
nate To school work al all times
In athletic contests the boy enters
into actual competition with his fell
lows and In doing so he gets a touch
Of real life What ls success In life
| II II Is not overcoming obstacles in
which competition plays a very vital
part The boy may as we'll get ac-
lcustomad to these ups and downs
through the media OF athletics as to
have his inequalities shown mp at a
later stage in life with a less chance
open for him to make amends. The
human contact OF players with each
other and their meeting and over
coming obstacles make them re-
lsourcefil and make them master OF
The situation under most any circum-
stances. Making the team In school
has been the means Of bringing out
many a backward youth.
Could we accomplish these ends
with athletics confined to the SCHOOL,
| This question Is partially solved by
interclaas games, which are quite a
good thing 60 give all Of the boys a
chance to measure up their abilities
with each other In actual competi~
ton However these do not last but
about three weeks at most and have
a slight tendency 10 arouse strife be-
tween the classes. without the team
| TO act ae q pivot around which these
| actiylties revolve II Is hard to keep
| mp the interest In these class games.
| Another advantage OF having the
school team Ii giving q large number
OF students the opportunity TO prac-
| tice with the boys on the team. One
must consider also that the team Is
/ composed OF number of new mem
lbers each year SO that during the
| four years OF high school there is
about three times the team number
who get the chance to represent the
school. The fact that quite often
they do not make the team until
their senior year is factor for keep
ing them In school.
One sometimes hears complaint
about the bad scholarship OF athlet-
les owing 10 athletics taking too
much time from their studies. This
IL true 20 certain extent but for
most boys II makes good use OF time
that would ordinarily be wasted No
ono would deny that we do often find
athletes who are somewhat delin-
lquent In their studies, but the per
cent ~ no greater than that OF the
latudent body as whole. The explain
alton OF the fact lies in that the bad
grades OF the athletes are cried from
the housetops while the real offend
| ers ia the case when low grades are
lundor consideration. are those whC
do not have ambition enough to try
TO make a team OF any sort, but are
quite content 10 spend their spare
time loafing on street corner puff
ing cigarette Moreover II should
be borne IN mind that the individual
characteristics OF the members make
up the reputation OF the team and all
teams can not be put in the same
class Again II Is sometimes In
tlmated that too much is spent IL
these activities. We must meet youth
no It's own grounds and In order &c
engender interest in our field of ac.
ltiyity and secure their hearty COOP.
Grafton we must guide their inter
esta by becoming one of them
Although there may be some III
effects from athletics there Is un.
doubtedly more good derived than
evil when II "a conducted In the right
way. Interseholastic games develoI
school spirit or an interest I'm al
things pertaining to the school. They
develop correct attitude TOWARD
victory and defeat as well as broader
the sympathies. Besides making
school life more wholesome. athletic;
teach courage. self control. decision
and best OF all, self sacrifice.
w. s. MORGENTHALER.