The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-19
AMATEUR SPORT
BOOM CONTINUES
Growth Evident in Every
Branch Of Ac-
tivity.
ARMY HAS AIDED POLO
Now Part Of Cavalry Training
Trap ShOOting's Adj
vance Surprising.
ARMY HAS AIDED POLO
BY JAMES S. mitchell.

as a banner one in the way of INTERNAL
also be chronicled as one of extraor-
binary activity generally in every
branch of outdoor exercise. The Olym-
pic Games, the Davis Cup tourney and
the America Cup contest were three
events of great Importance during the
year. and in two of these, already dis
posed of, America has shown her SUI
premacy in the most convincing style.
1t is To be hoped that when the lawn
tennis experts go to New Zealand for
the final of the Davis Cup event they
will duplicate the good work of the ath-
letes and the amateur shippers. But
what is most satisfactory above all is
the wonderful increase of amateur sport
and what is stll more astonishing is
that it extends to every branch. Polo,
trap shooting, track and field. lawn ten
mis-, swimming, rowing, skating, fencing,
boxing and wrestling have all gained
considerably in enthusiastic devotees.
AS far as internationals go polo will
command the biggest share of attention
during 1921, for Americans are to meet
the British in two events. One tourney
Will be for the International polo cup.
which the Englishmen carried off in
1914, and the other between American
and English army players. Both are
to take place in England.
Polo Coming Back.
For years polo has been at low ebb
numerically, and confined mostly to a
few wealthy clubmen, who had the time
to spare and the money at their COM
mand to indulge in this rather expensive
pastime To cut a figure worth record
ing at the game a man had to have a
string of expensive ponies, which had
to be supported in style, so it was little
wonder that the man with the limited
purse was frightened away from what
was regarded as the millionaire's sport
Now this is all changed and the trans
formation has come about partly by the
entrance of the United States Army into
the galloping sport. Those at the head
Of military affairs In this country have
seen the advantages of polo playing to
the cavalry of the Old World. so in fu-
ture the army man will be asked to pay
attention TO polo. At the present time
not a military station in the United
States but has some sort of polo activ-
ity. and in a few years the nucleus OF
International polo will be supplied from
the army.
The entrance and keen play of West
Point in this years Junior championship
did wonders toward establishing the
game among the soldiers. The Ameri-
can Army of Occupation on the Rhine
organized a team, and, although they
secured only a third in the Olympic
Games, with the experience achieved
there they crossed TO England and won
a number Of first class matches against
some of the foremost British teams.
Civilian polo has come in for n boom,
four new clubs having been added to
the roster during the year. These are
the Eatontown Polo Club of New Jer-
sey, the Sandhill Polo Club OF Pine
hurst. n. c., and two clubs at Indianap-
oils, Ind.
Great Boom I'm Trap Shooting.
or all the sports patronized by anna
teurs trap shooting shows the greatest
growth, and from now on the shattering
OF the clays must be regarded as the
greatest winter pastime. Its practice is
possible in all sorts of weather-rain.
snow or shine-and the only drawback
In the direction OF a still greater popu-
larity is it's expense. IL is no piker's
sport, for II a shooter must be hitting at
the top rung of fame he must have a
good gun and be provided with a liberal
supply of shells and bluerocks. The sta
tistics for the present season are not yet
complete. but from the figures available
IL In evident that there were 53S regis
tered tournaments in the American Trap
shooting Association list. and these to-
tailed an entry list OF 25.6s1 shooters.
This does not include n long string OF
smaller shoots which never were heard
of or mentioned by the governing body
The total number of clay birds
trapped was 77i9 $50. making an average
OF 15,sSi at each tournament. or the
number or tournaments held the aver
age was 52.62 shooters per tournament
The steady Increase of the sport Is
demonstrated by a glance backward at
the records, which show that I'm 1914 the
number OF shooters was 1919 and the
number OF targets trapped was 4,7s0, 600.
A result of this devotion TO what Is
accepted as a healthful fad came when
the American Olympic team at Antwerp
brought home the westbury Challenge
Cup. emblematic OF the worlds cham
pionship.
A. A. u. Thoroughly Established.
No association connected with amateur
sport Is more thoroughly established
than the Amateur Athletic Union. who's"
ramihcations extend from the Gulf Of
Mexico 20 Alaska and from the Pacific
TO the Atlantic. The national body is
composed OF eighteen district associa-
tons which exercises jurisdiction over
track and field sport, boxing. wrestling,
swimming. gymnastics and basketball.
This year three new bodies have been
added and they are the Adirondack AS
ISOLATION. the Connecticut Association
end the Niagara Association.
Despite the drawback of the late war
there has been an increase Of nearly zoo
clubs during the laet twelvemouth. and
~ Is expected that this number will be
doubled before the close OF next season
The effectiveness OF this closely banded
body was displayed wildly In the last
Olympic games, when the American
athletes scored as many points as the
performers from all the contending
countries put together. The swimmers
too came IA for the rshare OF the glory
especially the girls, who captured IN,
fancy diving and the only two swims on
the programme.
With the exception OF the New Yorl
district rowing showed an increase IN
almost every quarter OF the United
States last year, and no doubt the great
victory OF the Navy eight and zach
Kelly and his partner In the singles and
doubles az the olympic regatta viii have
good effect on American boating in the
future Why the New Workers. have
sldetracked the aquatics Is largely due
Go tire failure Of the local clubs to en-.
courage the Juniors
Worcester. Mass, which In Other