Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-02-11
BY BISHOP W. A. GAMBLER
. HERE are evidences of return to
sanity concerning athletic exercises
in our educational institutions.

IN our educaL Onal institutions.
For some years past there has been a
mania for intercollegiate athletics and the
fruits of the mania have not been good
At a recent session of the three leading
societies of physical education; namely,
1.-THE Athletic Research society,"" "The Ma
tional Collegiate Athletic association and
the ''Society of Directors of Physical Edu-
cation in Colleges" the consensus of opinion
seemed to be that more comprehensive
scheme of physical training should be work
ed out of the schools of the country.
In line with this view suggestions have
been made by the authorities at Washing
ton concerning physical training institutions
of learning at which are reserve officers
training corps, as follows:
1. That approximately 80 per cent of our
young men within the draft age failed to
qualify for full military duty in time of ma
tional emergency because disqualified ply
sically. This brings home to us that we are
far from being as physically we'll trained
nation as we have thought.
2. That educational institutions as
whole, from the primary to the university,
should give emphasis to physical education
and by means of proper methods of physical
training and proper allotment of time
seek, in so far as they are able, to do their
part in remedying the conditions mentioned
above.
3. That highly-specialized athletics have
been too much stressed in our colleges and
forward to the development of every individ
ual to a reasonable plane of physical eff
cheney rather than to the over-developmen
of a few.
4. That in time of national emergency
physical fitness of the individual is the first
essential and with that as foundation, mill
tary efficiency may be very rapidly developed.
After all our bcasted athletics we are
found wanting \ nation in the matter of
good physical condition. Many of the "star
rC1o hoIro nh
ice some suffering from "athletic hearts,"
and others showing other disabilities.
The authorities ri Washington point out
that "highly specialized athletics have been
too much stressed in our colleges and uni
versities," and, in view of this fact, it is
suggested that Elm future we should look
forward to the development of every in
dividual to a reasonable plane of physical
efficiency rather tnan to the over-develoD-
ment of the few
Before the war the surgeon general of
the army and sureeon general of the navy
expressed adverse judgments on inter-
collegiate games, and events have justified
their opinions.
Physical training is important, but it is
now demonstrated that intercollegiate ath-
letcs do not supply the best physical train
ing.
Every institution of learning should have
a we'll equipped gymnasium, and the physi-
cal training of each student should be pre-
ical deficiencies and needs.
In one of the leading daily papers Of the
south the matter was put clearly and vigor-
ously in an editorial as follows:
The conditions of college life and the
development of college athletic organi-
cations frequently bury from view the
true trend that college athletics and
physical training ought to take. A
comparatively few youngsters, naturally
big, strong, active and courageous
precisely the ones who least need phys
ical culture, and also the ones who will
take it in spite OF all efforts to de-
prive them of it., because they are fit
ted for it, accustomed to it, and delight
in it-these few primitive savages
make" the places in the baseball foot
ball. track and field squads, and range
the gymnasium from end to end. There
after and always they mOnOpolize all
the so-called athletic" interest of the en-
tire institution. and all it's devOtees.
The chap wh) really needs physical
culture is very often the only one who
does not get it. He is the pale. fiat
chested, tired-eyed pundit, with skinny
arms, thin shanks and soft muscles,
that would merely make the audience
laugh if lined III with the real lords of
the field and the gym. No pundit likes
to ' the object Of laughter. especially no
young one. A good deal of moral cour-
age is sometimes required, under COM