Evening star., 1921-09-04
EVERY CADET AT WEST POINT NOW
GETS THOROUGH ATHLETIC TRAINING

our present methods are Inadequate.
that they have failed. and that they
will continue to fail to perpetuate a
sound race unless some drastic step is
taken to stem this trend toward the
physical inpo;ency of our people
With the exception of the two serv-
ice schools, West Point and Annapolis
10 institution in the country has
made an effort yet to place the de-
velopment OF the physical attributes
Of Its student body upon the same
high plane as the development of the
intellectual. The balance, or rather
the lack of it at all other institutions.
has always been Overwhelmingly in
favor of the intellectual to the detri-
ment and often at the expense of the
physical In the light of all the prog
ress that has been made in educa-
tional methods. and with the expert
enco OF the war before US, il is diff
cult to conceive how such conditions
can persist. unless X be that our edu-
Gators do not possess sufficient cour-
age to advance the obviously sound
doctrine that because of its priority
in the order OF development of the
human species. and by reason of theS
fact that it is the physical that deter
mines the destiny of the Intellectual,
the former should at least be treated
as the co-eQual of the latter in any
system of education founded upon a
sound basis.
Athletics having been given such
promise in the training of enlisted
men of the Army, the necessity of pre-
pairing graduates of the academy in
the theory and practice of at least the
elements OF the various prominent
athletic activities was recognized by
the introduction at West Point Of
what is, no doubt. the most thorough
and elaborate scheme of supervised.
ever attempted anywhere. The term
mass athletic training" is applicable
to this course of instruction only so
far as it refers to the number engag-
ed; as the greatest number of cadets
assigned to any coach in any one
particular activity never exceeds
twenty-five. the instruction is really
individual.
At present the instruction in mass
athletics is placed on a par with the
military drills: two periods per week
being given to each during the entire
academic yeAr-one-half corps being
engaged in physical training while
the other half is engaged in military
drill. Athletic instruction is divided
into the following periods: From July
September 1 to Decemper 8, for all
cadets from December to March 80
and from April ] to June IS. for all
cadets. During the initial year 1920
81, the number Of cadets who received
instruction in mass athletics is an
follows: Foot ball. 641: soccer, 641;
lacrosse. $50; tennis, 337; basket ball,
263 /: base ball. 240; track and field, 100:
golf. Is. and polo. 16. This does not
include the instruction of the 500 new
cadets during the summer period. each
one of whom received the preparatory
course in base ball. foot ball. lacrosse.
tennis. track and field and games. Al
though mass formation is compulsory.
there are various voluntary indoor
athletics. such az swimming. boxing,
wrestling. fencing, gymnastics, indoor
meet and hockey. Besides these activ-
tiles cadets may of their own accord
engage in some form OF recreation
Wednesday. Saturday and Sunday aft
ernoons. During the fall and spring
periods q staff of approximately sixty
struction. Only one professional coach
is employed. the other coaches being
officers or civilian instructors reeu-
larly attached to the academy. The
playing fields required consist OF three
foot ball fields. three soccer fields,
courts, twelve tennis courts, six base
ball fields, and the regular academic
field, which Is located on the old cadet
site. These facts are In addition to those
used by the varsity team.
Profttng by war experience, tho
United States Military Academy has
adopted q course of supervised. COM
pulsory mass athletics. In the future
the Army will not have to depend
upon those outside the military es-
tablishment to come to its assistance
in conducting this phase Of the SOL
dier's training. as 1t did during the re-
cent war. Graduates of the academy
pared to coach the men under their
command As efiiciently In athletic
training, as they are to coach them
In other military autteA