The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1922-02-10
TsI. COMMERCIALISM OF
THE SPORTS OF YOUTH


Bishop Warren A. Gambler in Sou
lhern Christian Advocate.
Ore of ri>- worst results C inter
collegiate athletics is thai Tac games
,~e become matter Of business,
d, thereby have ceased 10 have, if
they ever h.d. any value as a recrea-
;ionaI O.. phys:cal education. For
this ,yHs1a r:en Tie directors CT ply
syal cda.ation IL many CT the lead
ing colleges and universities ere pro
sestn@ against the whole wretched
business.
somo aavS ago a less dispatch
from N-a torl, brought out this fact
most clearly and forci5ly. 1t read as
follows:
Unless happy. rational medium
is found very soon, we shall see the
complete abolition of intercollegiate
athletics, according TO warning
sounded here Wednesday night by the
annual convention of Society Of Dl-
irectors of Physical Education N Col
leges.
The real value of athletic exercise
has been lest. the directors pointed
cut. in the commercia!ized frenzy of
big intercollegiate contests. Whole
some in.ramura? sports are of far
more benefit to the mass OF students,
they added.
This warning, sounded by DR..
Ceoge r. Merriam Of Columbia, is all
the more potent since he is known to
be an enthusiastic supporter of inter
collegiate athletics.
'Dr. Edgar Fauver Of Wesleyan, q
former athlete Of note. coach OF many
winning college teams, and now a
faculty member, advocated the I'M
mediate abolition of al intercollegiate
athletic events and substitution
Therefor Of intramural activities with
universal participation
i These gentlemen are right. The
commercialfzation of intercollegiate
athletics means the corruption Of the
sports of youth.
This was pointed out by President
William T. Foste~ of Reed college IN
an unanswerable article which he
published in the Atlantic Monthly
several years ago, wne0 the corrupt
ing evil of commercialization had not
reached the extremes TO which il now
has attained. He said;
Intercollegiate athletics provide a
EcoStly, injurious, and excessive re-
igime of physical training for few
students, especially those who need it
least. instead Of inexpensive, health
ful and moderate exercise for al stu
Gents. especially those who need it
most.
i Athletics are conducted either
for education or for business. The
old distinction between amateur and
professional athletics is Of little use.
The real prcoIen,s CT college athletics
loom large beside the considerations
that define our use of the terms ''pro-
! fess:ona' aid "arateur.' The aims
iuf athletics reveal the fact that the
Important distinctions are between
abilities conducted for educational
purposes aad athletics conducted for
cq,sircss purposes.
! when athletics are conducted for
education the aims are % TO develop
IaH .ne students and faculty and to
lna;ntain health; 90 20 promote mod
iera.2 Ie>Tca-i -ion. III the spirit Of JOY,
ias g preparation for study rather than
las q substitute for study; and 80 10
form habits and inculcate ideals Of
fright living When athletics are cor
8, Quoted for business, the aims are Q)
ito win games-to defeat another pe:-
son or group being the chief end; (2)
Ito make money-as it IS impossible
otherwise> to carry on athletics as a
business; i3) to attain individual or
lnroup fame and notoriety. These
1hree-which are the controlling aims
/ Of intercollegiate athletics-are also
i+hc AIMS of horse-racing. prize
fighting and professional baseball"
/ Intercollegiate athletics, notwith-
standing al that is said to the con-
trary, are nothing but professional
games. Eigh-priced coaches are paid
ito make teams that can win games
gaze receipts become so indispensable
that insurance of them against mis-
jchances of weather is taken out; paid
players are drawn into colleges by de-
vicus methods and scholastic grades
are given that the players may not be
! idiSGualified by any rules upon the