Norwich bulletin., 1917-06-12


 | splendidiy worked -out scheme of in tercollegiate games, kept its boat house open this spring with rowing in structors on hand. Rowing at Cornell was dead issue. Darmouth given | over almost entirely to military af- fairs and with many of it's undergrad - uates in France doing heroic duty, worked out a plan of inter military company baseball games. But interest waned and competitors did not appear. Andover Academy. which has an Am bulance Unit at the front in charge of Fred Daly, Yale's 1910 football cap tain, has had like experience to Dart mouth And so on one could give in stances with interest always gradually dyirg out.
 There has been another factor in this matter which. is a most vital one. It brings clearly before us the indirect moral value of intercollegiate ath- letcs. It is unfortunate that the writer, out of deference to the col leses concerned, cannot give instances. trend of college life in these quarters since intercollegiate sport was aban- doned and intramural sport adopted in its stead tell me that the moral tone of the undergraduate body has not been as high in previous years or dur ing the past fall and winter. Boys are doing more drinking and this in i'm stitutions where nothing but praise
 
 sponse of the students to various patriotic services. Intramural sport has not done the work, the very good work, of intercollegiate sport in hold Ing the student to the campus. The stimulus of intercollegiate com petition with it's goal to be striVen for Is lack ing. Intramurai sport advocates with their wond[ful theory of athletics for allan end that we desire above all others now that the importance of physical fitness is a vital factor in the very life of the nation-have failed us at most critical period in our his tory. Perhaps this may be due to the fact that patriotic interests have SUD- erseded all other matters and per hapS not.
 It appears to be a fact that at those colleges where intercollegiate sport has continued the moral life of tho student body has varied but little if any from the past.
 Yet there Is great need for intra- mural sport in our schools and col leges. All students, now that we are beginning to recognize the value of physical fitness for everyone, should recreation via the outdoor game route. But the very word compulsion is a rub. Compulsory physical education in the form of setting up drills and exercises has been dubbed physical torture by college undergraduates and it has not answered the purpose. Games, competitive outdoor games, with victory as a stimulus are neces- sary, but neither are they alone suffi- cient. The varsity team with it's in tercollegiate games is the goal and likewise the means to the end. Other wise intramural sport would die a fl- nancial death without the receipts from intercollegiate games to carry it on- As yet the educational institu- tion has neither been able to finance it nor has anyone seen fit to endow 1t. So it seems that intercollegiate sport, where it shovT profit, is the sole measure of support
 This war will do much for athletics in our colleges. It will teach us to conduct them more economically, it will prove to us the need of physical fitness and it will bring about a more widespread practice of athletics in the future. The reforms to come with peace will be slight in far as eligi- bflity and so-called professionalism for the so-called gentleman's sake along "exclusive'' amateur lines, the kind of thing that barred Francis Ointment from some amateur golf cir cleS and held back the athletic devel- opment of Harvard until Haugf1ton put sport on a democratic basis there seem doomed to go down with the Kaiser and Prussianism. look for more Americanism and democracy and a widespread recognition of the value
 
 letics in fitting boys for a life of use fitness. This will mean intramural sport, hand in hand with intercollegi- ate sport in each school college and 
 Already the signs point this way. The Senior Service Corps now in its beginning, has met with government approval. This is nothing more than keeping the men from 45 to e4 years of age-the men who possess the con- trolling minds of the country-physi- cally f1t for the gigantic task ahead of us. These men are of the age which con stftUtes the home guard or last line of defense. All of them seem will ing to sign a paper signifying their to serve. But proof is al- ready had that the automobile has made their legs useless and that fact | is crOwding the functions of their l hearts. We are beginning, slowly to | be sure. to crack the kinks in their | joints and melt the fat from their | waists by graduated exercise: A for mer college athlete conceived the | whole plan had it approved by the | government and has it we'll under l way.
 The present war. although it may | temporarily check sport, is going to | prove its best friend The military | of our young men means a | better race. It has already proven so | in Europe. Physical fitness in the | future will go hand in hand with men tai ability and preparedness. As the | of the educational institution is to fit one for the days work the | college of the immediate future may | lend it's aid more than in the past to the furtherance of athletics.
 Copyrighted, 1917, by Sol Metzger)
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