The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-02
COMPULSORY SPORT
IS EXETER KEYNOTE
Every Student Must Indulge
in Some Form Of Physical
Exercise.
SYSTEM YIELDS RESULTS
School Has Furnished Moro
Than 80 College Foot
ball Captains.
SYSTEM YIELDS RESULTS

ExrryR, ~ H., March 1.--Democracy
in athletics has made possible the en-
cellent showing Phillips Exeter Academy
has been making In the realm OF track
and field. In large measure suocess 10
due to the inclusive and consistent sys-
tenn OF physical training given the whole
school,
Every boy, no matter how puny or IN
expert he may be. will find pleasure and
profit In some form of athletics II an
opportunity Ia offered. To present this
opportunity, a large and inviting equip
ment 10 necessary. and In this respect
Exeter IL well endowed by nature, fol-
lowed closely by the alumni
The Plimpton playing fields, q level
and we'll drained stretch Of about
twenty-five acres on the school shore Of
the Exeter River. furnish baseball and
football fields, board and cinder running
tracks. besides seventeen tennis courts.
on which In winter hockey Kinks are
constructed. On the river are two boat
houses. one OF them a storage house for
canoes. On the other side of the river
lie the Pfimpton fields beyond. an Inn
mense stretch of $50 acres with ninety
acres suitable for general athletic pur-
poses. such as golf. football practice,
soccer. and the remainder OF standing
timber. for the pursuit Of woodcraft and
cross country running.
Besides this extensive outdoor range
there 10 the Thompson gymnasium. the
gift OF William d. Thompson Of New
York. class OF 1899, costing about
$3.50, 900 and situated on the west side
Of the playing fields. This gymnasium
IL a magnificent limestone structure, con-
sisting OF a main section, 120 feet by SO,
and two wings, containing the swimming
pool and rooms for squash. boxing and
fencing. The academy's six rowing
shells are housed in the Marshall Newell
boathouse. a two storied brick building
on the Salt River.
Boy Makes Choice.
Each boy chooses at the beginning
OF tho school year a certain recreation.
which he must then pursue at fixed
hours at least four days in the week at
tendance Is taken are absences, excused
only for cause. The sports go elected
are football, baseball, track. tennis. row.
ing or golf. In the winter these yield 10
ice hockey. basketball. indoor track.
wrestling. &c, or to regular apparatus
work to the amount Of four hours n
week. Besides all these, however. Exc
ter's hills and river furnish skating,
coasting. skiing and snow shoeing.
At tho head of the whole system Is the
director OF athletics, who is a member
of the faculty. assisted by four paid sx-
perts in the different branches Of sport
Six members of the faculty also servo ~
coaches of the football. tennis, golf and
shooting teams and OF the school crew.
The entire school Is organized as a bat
TALON for military training and instruc-
ton given by an army officer.
EXeter's insistence that every boy take
part. even a minor one, in some form OF
academy athletics long ago justified the
system. That the bodies and manly
qualities Of the boys developed is shown
by the phyeical examinations made at
the beginning and at the end OF each
school year, while IL is no less certain
that habits Of responsibility are fostered
| by the insistence on precision in attend
ance and training.
Again and again the system brings TO
light unsupported proves In some
branch of athletics which neither the
boy himself nor any one else had real
ICED. The fact that the majority of the
pla yers on the various teams have been
developed In the academy Is sufficient
proof, while Il IL also characteristic OF
the Success OF the whole movement thst
IN the last twenty years more than 400
men VNo have been at Exeter have had
places on the football, baseball and track
teams Of twenty-five or thirty different
colleges. and over thirty OF these have
been captains,