The Cordova daily times., 1918-02-19
Eastern College Athletics (By Associated Press)

NEW YORK, Feb. 19.-Opinions
 among followers of Eastern college ,,
 athletics appear to indicate radical
 after the war Up to the present time there has been no concrete suggestion
 or plan offered incorporating the ideas ,
 under discussion, but it is considered
 likely that there will be rapid prog
 ress in this direction once the agita-
 tion reaches a plane above idealistic I1
 propaganda. Notwithstanding the at titude of certain faction to the con-
 trary, it is generally conceded that
 inter-varsity competition is the stimu-
 Jus necessary to lift participation in
 exercise and sport above the level of
 daily routine,
 Just how to accomplish this. while giving opportunity for participation in these games to hundreds of students instead of to a chosen few specialists or experts, is the problem which must
 be mastered by those who are adyo- l eating the change. That much of the l unnecessary and unscholastic glamor will be stripped from such intercol- } legiate contests appears inevitable, but beyond the point suggested action 3 merges into discussion. But one sug- l l gestion looking toward readjustment |. in prominent Eastern intercollegiate | !. sport has been advanced to date. y This is the proposal to supersede the |. intercollegiate championship regatta n with a series of short dual boat races r in which each college crew would meet Il each rival in turn during the spring e rowing season. Just how this would 1t increase, to any extent, the number of |, oarsmen how competing is not made I'd clear. Providing that a given college r. crew was to row even one-mile race
 against a rival eight each Saturday le during May and June, as football eleY- ct ems play contests in the auCumn, it is ey likely that the coach, once he had en seated satisfactory and winning com K binatiOn in the shell, would send about he the same eight to the line each week Ie end.
 at That there is need of greater par Ter ing by the average student is pointed rst out by no less an authority than Dr up Dudley A. Sargent, director of Hemen dy way gymnasium, Harvard university hn Fv, ri Tn lit, Harvard Alumni Bulletin, states il
 is part:
 nd Presumably the students who ente 'ct Harvard come to prepare themselve
 physically as we'll as mentally and mor ITS ally for lifes great game. Recent ex nd aminatiOns have shown that from 2! lal per cent to 50 per cent of our young it's men are physically unprepared fol
 military service. History shows us 'n. that gymnastics and athletics were es- originally practiced for the purpose oi nd preparing men for war Gymnastics UT furnished the preliminary training; To- athletics afforded the opportunity for Of- competition.
 - "In view of the conditions confront.
 ing us as a people, would it not be a Dn wiser plan so to conduct our athletics Is as not only to select the fit and elimi-
 nate the unfit from the major contests st which are the basis of the present he system, of which l approve as far as ch it goes, but so to modify, supplement lg and conduct those or other athletic D. contests as to encourage the unfit to
 continue their practice and try and IS make themselves more fit for the du- at ties of a citizen and a possible sol tn dier?
 ry "The one great difficulty that is con- as tinually operating against such modi- tn ffcation of our present-day method is 9n the high standard demanded by the d. candidates of our major athletic 70 sports. In my opinion, any game or IT. sport that has become so highly or
 ganized as to require special apti- 'h tude or ability on the part of every nt player who would engage in it has st ceased to be of practical service in a to democratic community, except as a It. source of occasional entertainment and IS amusement.
 y- Tt is almost impossible to keep up Id any interest in highly specialized ar game after leaving college, for the sim to ple reason that not enough skilled
 players can be found to form a team. D. If is largely on account of the sim