Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-06-26
50ATHLETES
PER MONTH ARE
NEEDED BY ''Y''
Athletic Directors Needed al
Once; so Per Month is
Quota From West.

FIFTY athletic directors a month are
now required by the T. M. c. A. from
the Central Western states alone for
its work among the troops in France.
according to an announcement re-
in recruiting it will be necessary to
ecure at least 200 trained directors
during the months of June and July.
To stimulate interest among men
who have beer inclined toward ath-
letic work in college or out, a definite
campaign has now been organized,
with Geo. M. Martin. physical direc-
or Of the Chicago Central Y. N. C. A.,
as executive secretary. One Of the
prominent middle western members
of the new committee is A. Alonzo
Stage. the athletic wizard Of the Uni
versity of Chicago. Other members
are George A. Meylan, director Of afh-
letics at Columbia University; DR..
Luther H. Gulick Of New York, and
". p. Bowen, director of athletics at
the Michigan state normal school at
Ypdlanti, Mich.
Recruits in the new campaign to
enlist men with athletic and organic
ing ability for service with General
Pershings men now in France will
be given a months intensive training
at the physical training school at
Lake Geneva, Wis. This school will
start next Wednesday, June 26. It is
expected that it will have an enroll
ment Of at least rs men.
The raj is becoming a bayonet war
more and more" aid MI. Martin to
means that men need skill and
endurance more than anything else.
But the recreational aspect of their
training is just as important as the
other. The Y. NJ. C. A.. r~ecreational
program actually makes their leisure
an asset rather than a liability. The
off hours of the men in France are
now profitable to all concerned wrer-
ever we have athletic directors to in
stall our work. Many men on the
verge Of shell shock have been restor-
ed to normal by participation in an
athletic game or contest.
"A single instance of a captain and
81 men from mi company on the
western front will illustrate the vital
need for this kind of work. The men
were in the dumps; more than half
An athletic director saw them mopine
along h roadside and pitched a foot
ball into their midst. The ball struck
one mans knee, but he paid no at
tention to it. A little later a soldier
kicked the ball out of his way and
In a rev minutes every man In what
was left of the company was playing
football-and having the time Of his
life.
The physical director who can
substitute football or other athletic
games for alcohol, vice or gambling,
Is performing q service greater than
any one in peace time has an oppor-
tunity to perform. 1t is for this SER
vice that more men are need d in
France. We need men above the
draft age who know or can learn the
special work Of promoting outdoo,
recreational games. With many OF
them their work will be in conjunc.
tion with the foyer du soldat Of the
French Y. M. c. A."
Secretary Martin states that Geo
w. Braden, physical director Of the
Philadelphia Y. M. C. A., has beer
appointed az the head Of the entire
physical and recreational work in the
Italian army. Those who are recruit.
ed for this work will be given thei,
choice Of work with the Americans
French or Italians, as Tar as that i.
possible.
Among the recruits recently &C.
cepted for overseas service are Chas
r. Howe. former captain Of the Uni.
versity of Chicago base ball team
and DR.. E. j. Stewart, director o.
athletics at the University Of Ne
braaka.