Evening star., 1916-01-09
Soccer and Basket Ball Taken Up by Public Schoo

each division first compete among them
selves for the division championship.
The division champions are divided into
an eastern and western section. and
they, in turn, compete for the eastern
and western championship. The win
ming teams in each section then COM
pete in series of three games for the
city championship. Plaques are awarded
to the champions of each division. and \
handsome bronze medal is given to each
member OF the team winning the city
championship.
I'm addition to the other benefits from
soccer under the rules of the play
ground department. it encourages the
boys to excel in their studies in school.
because before boy is permitted to
play on a team the principal of the
school must certify to his good class
standing. Eleven hundred and thirty
five boys. representing fifty schools.
participated in soccer games this fall.
Girls gain the same benefit from
playing organized games of basket
ball. etc. that boys do from soccer. 1t
teaches them sef-reliance. self-re
stra:nt. TO act with decision and alert
ness. besides promoting good health.
which naturally comes from outdoor
exercise. Girls who desire are permit
ted. but not required, to wear athletic
suits while engaged in these games.
ana many OF lnen prefer lne alnIeih
suits to the ordinary street costumes
because they are more sanitary, more
comfortable and allow greater freedom
of action.
During this fall 5e1 girls from 20
schools engaged in playing organized
basket bali on the Fairgrounds. A
large plaque will be awarded to the
winning basket hall team in each d.
vision for the first time this year.
Il am very much pleased at the en-
tod taN-t ir-1c
of Washington in basket ball and other
outdoor sports this fall and | believe
the number engaged in them viii be
doubled next fall.
Many games especially adapted to
small children are also provided. and
every possible effort is made to en-
courage the little fellows to come to
the Fairgrounds rather than play Oh
the streets. This keeps them out of
danger and allows them the freedom Of
play every child Graves under careful
supervision, where the best side OF
childish nature is cultivated and cor
rect principles are Justified during the
formative period of the childs character.
The aim is to make the Fairgrounds so
attractive that children will prefer them
to the streets, and when this is done one
great purpose of Fairgrounds has been
accomplished. A playground director
should be the personal friend of every
child in the playground community.
1T is my opinion, based on knowledge
obtained by personal observation and
otherwise that three-fourths of the de-
linuuency of youth in the cities would be
obviated if all the children were permit
ted to spend their time under the super
vision obtained on well regulated play
ground. / do not know of a more pitiful
condition than for child to have no
place but the street in which TO play. 1t
seems that the city builders almost every
where eft them out of consideration. and
this creates a condition which challenges
cfrrIa <Nf nIs,trs
affairs.
"The directors on the Washington play
grounds have now reached state of pro-
ficiency in playing the various games
which. re~Sarried on Several months
.age the directors and assistants were
organized into classes for the purpose OF
receiving instructions in all these games
and the result has been most gratifying.
1t is true that they understood the rules
of the games before, but the purpose OF
these classes was to have the teachers
play the games among themselves just
as the children do on the Fairgrounds.
In this way theory has been put into
practice and the teachers are much bet
ter equipped for their work than they
were prior to the time these classes were
organized.
"Washington should have the best play
ground system in the world. 1t should
be organized along definite lines, and az
cording to a systematic and thoroughly
worked out plan, so that a properly super
vsed playground may be accessible to
every child in the National Capital. I
am now considering plan looking to
this end which | believe can be worked
out in such a way as to be in operation
within a comparatively short time. With
Ont going into details. l will state that
am heartily in favor of the District
acquiring plots of ground IN the densely
populated sections of the city. which shall
be set aside for purely playground pur-
poses This will enable the District 10
make permanent improvements and estab-
lish permanent recreation centers. which
are so badly needed. and which may he
kept open twelve months in the year.
II do not know of anything which
serves better to promote broad spirit
Of democracy than intercourse among
children on the Fairgrounds. The cultiva-
ton of this spirit is alone of inestimable
value in true character building.