Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-12-12

iA5hA 3EoAG oSOE nAN|A az 1-
C. A. first opened it's doors to she
men of this city. Perth Amboy was
given its first glimpse OF volley ball,
a game then but little heard of and
played only by a few of the older
business men because it was less in
tensiye than most of the other sports.
Physical Director Schuyler c. Pew
continued to make volley ball a part
of the regular gymnasium exercises
Of the older business men and they
took to it as a fish does to water.
In fact, the older men became so
enthused over the game that it soon
was the principal attraction Of every
gym class, setting up exercises and
calisthenics being a secondary con-
sideration with them. Mere men
ton of the possibility of no vollsy
ball games being played during class
was the signal for g. genera out
burst of objection on the part OF the
men and, consequently, volley ball
became a much a part of their daily
Tor rather semi-weekly) routine as
was their arising in the morning,
eating meals and retiring at night.
In fact many of the men often did
(and still DOB sacrifice meals by stay
ing Overtime in gym class merely to
play an additional volley ball game.
Volley ball, although popular with
the older business men, remained in
what might be termed an adolescent
stage for two or three years. but
when the question of furnishing mass
games for the United State troops in
the training camps arose during the
world war. volley ball was made
known to thousands of young men
who never before had heard Of the
game. The few who had heard Of it
thought of it only as an "old mans
game, incapable Of interesting a
young MAI because of the lack of
sufficient action.
The innovation of volley ball in
the training camps marked the first
big transition of the game from a
class of "old mems sports" to one of
| younger men. The younger men
who learned the game in the army
upon their discharge from the serv-
ice, were anxious to continue and
others who watched the game be-
came interested with the result that
not only in the local Y. NJ. c. A. but
in cities in all parts of the United
States this game is beginning to at
tract considerable attention.
A large number of young men
| Joined the business mems classes
in the local z. NJ. G. A. and with
these younger fellows taking up the
game, the method of playing chang
| ed completely. Instead of lobing
the ball back and forth over the net,
as had been done by the business
men when the game was first inaugu-
rated here. there vas a new system
of killing or "spiking'' the ball
put into effect which revelutionixed
the old game.
Today there will be found playing
volley ball athletes who have made
names for themselves in other fields
of sport and who at the first ap-
peaIance of vol1ey ball laughingly
ferred to it as an "old wonran's
game" They have learned that the
game is what the players make it,
the younger element playing a brand
of ball which will tax the physical
prowess CT the most skillad athlete
to the Utmost With six men on a
team. whose work it is to cover +he
entire court on their side it means
constant moving, quick thinking
and a coordination on the part of
| the 'spikers'' and ~'tsetters-up" so
that the ball might be driven into
the e.lemy's territory with eurh
| force as to make it impossible to
return it. The net over which the
ball must pass is eight feet in
height, which means that the
"suikers' must attain that height
with every jump if they are to sue
coed in killing the ball.
Volley ball, like every other game
played by teams, can only be won
by team work and cooperation
among the players and coordination
on the part Of the individual play
or. "Spikers' cannot win games if
the: do not receive perfect passes
from the men who set up the balls
for them to hit: perfect passes by
setters-up would, on the other hand,
be useless II the "spikers" were un-
able to so time their jumps and
place their drives that a point
might result.
Seventeen years aga volley ball
was given its premiere at the Ger
nrantown (Pa.) Y. M. c. A, and it
is this same "Y" which today boasts
of the greatest team in the country.
Although defeated in the national
championship tournament at Brook
Ign last spring by Pittsburgh tae
| Germantown combination has since
proven itself superior to all sex
tettes in the volley ball field. The