Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-05-19
MISS JANET q. WALTER
On Athletics for Girls

A TILETlCS for girls of various ages is
"A playing an important part in the up
building of the women of the next gener-
alton, in the opinion Of Miss Janet Is.
Walter. supervisor of athletics for girls in
the Philadelphia public schools.
''Thc enthusiasm with which the girls
take to athletics and which !: vsihy in
''nugurS we'll for stronger race or Amerl-
can women in the future. The schools have
done n good deal in this respect since ath-
lclic training was first introduced AS part
OF the regular curriculum. and the schools
Of this city are we'll to the front in their
physical development of the pupils. AS 1t
now stands. the pupils are obliged to take
certain amount of athletic work. but they
practically all of which Is purely volun-
tary,, is done by almost all Of them
The Regular Athletic Work
"In the youngest grades, that is the cle-
mcntary grades from one to six, the athletic
work required consists of three events the
jump, the throw and running tfty-yard
dash. In grades seven and eight another
event. knee raising. Is added, and in the
high school more difficult work. IN addition
to these four events. is required, some of 1t
being with apparatus.
''Ths teaches tn" athletic habit early in
life to all Of the girls, and few of them
ever depart from it, The result is that they
else throughout life and will become stronger
and more healthy women thereby.
each class is divided by n color scheme
such as reds and blues, ETC.. there being two
classes of girls and two Of boys. All the
girls are required to take these exercises
unless they are excused from them by n
ccrtitication by II physician that they would
prove detrimental to the health of the child.
Each Of these subdivisions Of the class.
designated by its respective "o!orS. has II
captain appointed from its own ranks, who
records what each student accomplishcs in
athletics. and this record is entered on the
back Of an age aim sheet. These age aims
tell what should be- normally expected Of
children of various ages. The boys Of the
school are likewise divided into two classes,
indicated like those of the girls by color
designations,
.On the back of these sheets tho captains
check up the work of tn" members of their
companies. and from tho results of this
checking up it is determined whether or not
the student has passed in athletic work.
"In addition to this regular work there
are many school games. and so great has
become the interest in athletics that leagues
for inter school contests have been organ
izcd. These games and membership in tho
leagues are entirely optional, and the girls of
each school decide whether they will enter
the leagues or not. The favoritos of these
games among the girls are cnptuinbull,
dodgcball and cndball.
80 nucn eHtluSidSll IluS Deen shown nv
the girl students for these games that we
now have twenty nine cnptainbal, eight
Slodgebnll and six cndbal teams In The
schools. Captainball has proved so popular
that We have been obliged to make five sub
divisions in the league devoted to that snort
These contests are so arranged thnt thcy
narrow down to the two best teams, which
then play for the school championship of the
city.
The Winning Schools
''The dOdgeball contest for, the season has
been played and tho winner was the team
from the Hallwcll School with that from
the Nicholas School second. In cndball the
championship lies between the Reynolds and
the Rurnpy schools.
I'm the junior high schools tho girls are
playing league schedule of games in ran.
tainball and volleyball and in the senior
high schools this year for the first time tho
girls have organized o baseball jrapmn
There are four schools represented in Fiji.
lcaguc--Willinm Penn, Frankford, Kjnn.
ston and the southern
las whole the girls arc greatly inter.
cstcd in these sports and in all forms of
athletics nS well and put much vim in,n
their playing Of them. The American womcn
are very much more athletic than tbcv fnr'
merly were, and believe that at lcast n mart
of this is due to the training which mnmy
of those now arrived at the estate of Young
wOmanhood received in their youth, And
again 1t may be that the naturally more
athletic trend OF the women has created In
III fnrn Il more keen interest in sports and