Norwich bulletin., 1917-01-03
DOES NOT DEGARD
FOOTBALL AS A GAME
DR.. w. G. Anderson Points to DAN
gers in Way Gridiron Sport ia
Taught and Practised.

Physical training directors in Amer
ica's largest universities, nettled over
| recent condemnation by high army Of
ficials of the average college gradu-
ate's unfitness for tasks involving
physical endurance, devoted much of
the twentieth annual meeting of their
association, the Society Of Directors
of Physical Education in Colleges, at
Columbia University Saturday, to self
consolation and self-exculpation. The
fsessions were behind closed doors, but
enough of the discussion found theri
tway out to make it apparent that the
directors believe that any one rather
than themselves is chargeable with
the confessed physical ineficiency of
the average college man.
Aside from the college mans fitness,
or lack of it, in it's relation to the
general problem \of American prepar-
edness football was the most inte-
resting subject of discussion. 1t was
mentioned rather unexpectedly in the
address of DR.. w. G. Anderson, of
Yale University, who said:-
The danger of footballs position in
American universities does not come
from criticisms of it as a gone. The
danger comes from the evident truth
that American universities are grad
ually ceasing to regard it as game
The fault is not with football, but in
the way OF is taught and practised
Undergraduates look upon it as vo-
cation, not as an avocation. So much
expenditure of strength and thought
on football is demanded of players by
their coaches and. by college opinion
that very few of them have enough
energy left for their college studies.
The curriculum necessarily becomes a
side issue as football becomes prim-
airy, because it is not human endur-
ance to toll all day long. The curri-
culum has got to supply the body and
mind of the players with the needed
rest and relief from mental and phys
ical strain which football imposes
Football has ceased to be recreation;
it has become labor. This overem-
phasis of football probably rises from
a desire to win games, but it doesn't
win them. It simIy fatigues teams
and saps their strength.
1T is safe to say that If intercoI@
legiate football continues to take q
larger and more important place In
college mems time and thoughts it will
be doomed because no institution that
is primarily interested in turning out
intelligent citizens is going to stand
for having a large group of men year
after year effectually hindered in their
proper college work by the demands
put upon their energy by an extra
cuTTiculad activity"
DR.. Anderson pronounced his belief
in strict medical censorship Of the
prehensive scheme for such supervi-
sion in Yale University.
Professor Chas. V. F. Young, Of
Cornell University, president of the
society, called upon the directors &C
systematic their work and to adopt =
stable, progressive programme OF
education was far behind
other departments Of the colleges in
organize ton and standa rization of its
methods. He Quilted what should be
the course, and called for graded,
courst Of physical educa@
ton from the kindergarten to the fin?
al year of the college.
Other speakers were Dr. Paul Uhil-
pps of Amherst; DIR. Joseph +. Ray
croft of Princeton; DR.. George L.
ATay'an, of Columbia University and
DR.. Thomas A. Storey of the City
College. Harvard Kan.'s University
Of Wisconsin and Oberlin were among
the other institutions represented.