The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1920-05-08
NEGRO ATHLETICS.
BY Charles p. Howard.

Championship Tuskegee Baseball teams
Der OF the Football, Baseball and Track
Teams, Drake University, Des Moines,
Ia; is a close friend and Terminate of
athlete: and while serving in France,
was brought in contact with many of
our boys who made athletic history :
Of which he win speak in the future)
Our people are so widely scattered
over this country that n section
probably knows very little of the
achievements of the other. Their ac-
tivities are as many and as varied as
any other class of citizens. 1t is the
aim of the writer to bring before the
country and our people in particular,
the achievements OF Colored athletes
during the last decade.
Since we are going to deal primar-
lily with amateur athletics, we will
confine ourselves almost wholly to
those members of our race who have
attended Universities and Colleges
throughout the country, and who, from
their constant association with other
races, are creating a feeling of COM
radeship and better understanding.
The boys who are making these rec
ords are confined to no particular Sec
ton Of the country. Many of them
come from Southern schools and o
only make enviable records for them
selves in competition, but return to
their Alma Mater and are equally sue
cessful in the development Of other
athletes. A recitation of the results
attained, sound more like fiction than
real life. The old adage, that you get
out of the game what you put in it, is
as true in athletics as in any other
line of endeavor.
Permit me to cite a few of the out
standing features of the Negro athletes
achievement in the last few years:
An eminent sportswriter, in 1918
said, that if the Colored track athletes
competing at that time, could be
brought together and a team chosen
from them, it would be strong enough
to defeat any College team or Athletic
Club in the United States, and would
have taken at least two-thirds of the
First Places. In 1915, a Half Mile Re-
a OhL NAACoSh AASAAA AHS
sprinters competing at that time, could
have defeated any relay team in the
country and have set a new worlds
Record, as each man could do better
than % seconds in the 220.
There is one class of events in
which the Negro seems particularly
adapted and that is the sprints. There
are many reasons for this, chief among
which are the facts, that the Negro
is of a rvo and eXcitable temper
ament, requisites which are primarily
essential in a sprinter; also a less
rigorous and eXacting course of train
ing is necessary in this class of events
than in others, and finally, it was in
this class of events that Negroes first
made a success, and this inspired 9th
ers to try the same. In fact all the
records in running races held by our
people are confined to races not great
er than a quarter mile.
There has been no time in the past
ten years but what a Colored athlete
has been a member of some College
Team in the United States, and a Point
Winner. They have secured points
in every Inter-C Collegiate or National
Meet in the country, and they hold not
less than thirty collegiate National
A. A. u. and Worlds Records. There
is one goal, however which they have
not attained, and this is an Olympic
Championship. This is the ambition
of every track athlete. We have had
members of Olympic teams but we
have never had a winner, although we
have had men who have beaten Olym-
pic winners. However, in the Broad
Jump, and in winning it he came with
in two inches of the Worlds Record.
Heretofore we have dealt largely
with track athletes, but there are 9th
er branches of athletics in which the
Negro has proven his ability beyond a
doubt and has gained the highest
honors.
There is no branch of athletics that
commands the admiration of the pub
lie more than football. The highest
award possible is, to be placed on
Waite Camps All-American Football
Team. Two Negroes have achieved
this distinction and at least a half
dozen others have been second and
third choices, and indication is, that
this number viii constantly increase.
Then there is basketball which also
has a strong appeal for our people. AS
yet there is no recognized authority
rating Colored basketball players with
those of the white. However, we have
had many representatives on the Col
lege and University teams of the coun-
try who have been recognized as stars
on their respective teams. In addi-
ton to this we are represented by en-
tire teams in our Southern schools
by Athletic Clubs around New York,
Atlantic City, Philadelphia, Washing
ton, Pittsburg, Kansas City and De
Moines, Iowa.
Another sport of which we do not
hear so much but in which many Of
our people are finding much pleasure
and enjoyment, is tennis. This year,
for the first time, Colored tennis play
ers OF the country have been official
ly rated. Washington, ID. c., seems to
lead in the number Of people engaged
in this sport and in the amount OF
enthusiasm shown, however, there are
other cities having tennis clubs rank
ing very high, among which are Los
Angeles. Kansas City, st. Louis. Chi
cago, Boston, Springfield, Mass, and
Nav Haven Conn