Omaha daily bee., 1919-07-27
D0ANE COLLEGE
SANCTIONS MASS
ATHLETICS idea
Faculty Decides Central Con.
troll System, Combining
Athletics Of College
and High School.
By KARL LEE.

First official sanction of the
"mass athletics" idea as laid out by
the army during the war, is re-
ported at Crete, Neb., where R. S.
Nickel, athletic director at Crete
High school, last week made the an
nouncement that the school board
had decided on a system combin-
ing athletic activities of Crete High
school and the City of Crete.
Under the proposed system the
athletic department at Crete High
school and the recreation grounds
of the city will operate under a
single control, an athletic director,
in the person of Mr.. Mickle, who
has had experience in mass control
as physical director in the United
States army, to supervise the ath-
letics of both school and city. In
this way greater cooperation be-
tween children and the city and the
High school is obtained.
OF the plan, Mr.. Mickels says:
oWkle \OIltLOI OlSCus
Though q bit unusual, it is our
belief that adoption of this plan will
mean greater cooperation and is
bound to develop a healthy interest
in clean sports. Aside from this the
savings obtained in adopting a CEN
trail control will be great. One field,
one coach, one system, cannot but
mean greater success to individual
teams. The interest at large will be
greater also"
All of which is true.
In the east no less noteworthy
institution than Cornell university
has come out for the mass" sys-
tenn in its boldest form. The ath-
letic department at the Ithaca
school has been completely revolu-
tionized and graduate manager,
Romeyn Berry, former football star
at Cornell, placed in charge. Berry
was elected by unanimous vote OF
faculty, undergraduates and alumni.
What Times Says.
OF Berry the New York Times
says:
"The newly appointed graduate
manager will assume his duties with
the fixed idea that every man in the
university who is sound physically
should be encouraged and given an
opportunity to indulge in some form
of organized sport; that the stimulus
Of properly directed play with ones
fellows is an essential of we'll round
ed education and preparation for
the most useful citizenship"
That is the exact idea.
Heretofore colleges and schools,
desirous of publicity, student fell
lowship, or for other minor reasons,
have yielded to the temptation to
concentrate on Spartan few who
assume the athletic limelight. The
entire fabric of amateur athletics in
America today is built on this selfish
program to the expense of thou
sands of less fortunate young men
and women.
Mass Development Essential.
Development of physique is an es-
sential. Then why not for all? That
there are not adequate facilities is
unreasonable for if athletics are es-
sent'al. all expenditure for additional
equipment is necessary. The argu
ment that if, at Nebraska university
for example, such a system were
adopted, it would kill the schools
chances of continuing its fame i'll the
foot ball arena is not sound.
Specially coaches can be retained.
The mass" problem can be eff
GENTLY handled in the student body
itself as Cornell has demonstrated.
The proposition requires a "direc-
tor" rather than coach" and
should be dealt with as such. Ten
years hence when the average stu
dent has his muscles and lungs
tuned to the proper pitch the extent
of Spartan material" would be
amazing.
Cornell has truly seen the light"