The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-08-18
NATIONAL
PLAYGROUND
MEET
Capital ls Natural Center for
Such Activity, Say Au-
thorities Here.

produce the champion playground
tennis artist Of Washington, direc-
tors Of playground activities In the
city today declared the local play.
grounds will be able to enter a
strong competing team In the Ma
tional Playground Field Day meet
It is planned to hold here this fall.
On EACH OF the sixty-three play.
grounds Of the city, from two to
six teams have been organized.
They are now in daily competition
working out the best athletic mate.
rial the centers can produce. When
the time comes to select an all-city
playground track team directors de-
clare no difficulty will be expert.
enced in picking the boys on whom
the city may depend to capture the
national honors.
Girls i'm Contests.
Participation Of girl teams in the
national meet. it was learned today,
Is being planned. No difficulty, it
was predicted, will arise in proyid-
ing proper quarters for visiting girl
teams.
While not officially stated, Il is
understood that the idea Of holding
National Playground Field Day
meet in Washington is being favor.
ably considered by several Of theain.
fluential business organizations, in
GLIDING the Rotarians and KiwaniS
clubs in q number of the eastern
cities. The plan will be taken up
in Baltimore on Saturday and ar
rangements made, II possible, for q
conference Of playground directors
to be held here In the immediate
future.
Interest in the development Of
Fairgrounds and recreational centerS
has become widespread throughout
the country. In each Of the larger
cities a field day meet IL held each
fall. Winners in various athletic
competitions are announced and
awarded local championships.
The national playground field meet
il planned to bring these champions
into competition for national play.
ground championship honors.
..,, ID. C. National Location.
Washington is conceded the proper
location for such field meet as it is
the National Capital and offers en-
ceptional facilities for holding such
q competition.
One of the advantages OF holding
a national playground athletic meet,
it is pointed out, will be to crystalize
interest in Fairgrounds and what
they are accomplishing throughout
the country. In a sense, 1t is said,
they have become a chief American
izing agency, while statistics prove
that where the Fairgrounds are
factors in child life the percentage
Of delinquency is lower than in
communities unprovided with play
grounds, or where the latter have
not been properly developed.
THE idea Of holding a national
playground field day meet in Wash
ington is growing" said Richard
Tennyson, director of boys activities,
"and the prospect Of organizing such
a competition here is such as to
make 1t seem certain 1t will become
an annual feature at the Capital. So
far not a single objection has been
made to the proposal. while practi.
calIy every one consulted has Of
fered every assistance in their power
in making 1t q success. The plan
has been taken up with playground
directors in other cities and a con-
ference attended by as many Of them
as possible will be held here in the
near future, unless plans now under
way miscarry."
Miss Elizabeth M. Fisher, direc-
tor Of girls activities on the Wash
ington Fairgrounds, enthusiastically
favors the national playground meet
and that, so far as possible, 1t In.
clude competitions for girl teams.
Easily Arranged.
"A program for girl competitions
can be arranged easily" said Miss
Fisher today. IT think satisfac.
tory arrangements can be made for
taking care Of girl teams visiting
the city. The whole movement Is
broadly educational.
Mrs. Susie Root Rhoades, direc-
tor OF Fairgrounds, whose splen-
did work Is reflected in the activi-
ties daily observed on the sixty.
three recreation centerS of the city,
favors the national playground
meet here.
Those interested in the plan ad-
NIT that the time Is short in which
to arrange for a national play
ground field day this fall, but that
it is not too late to carry it through
successfully, to include practically
all Of the larger playground cen
ters Of the country, II proper CO.
operation is shown and this is be.
ing sought by them in playground
circles OF the country. In 1924,
it is predicted, one Of the greatest
field day meets in athletic history
will result, centering national at.
tention on Fairgrounds and the ad-
vantages Of these centers as a
physical and moral training factor.
Among the features Of the Wash
ington Fairgrounds is the presence
of a. corps Of assistant directors
drawn from the ranks of univer.
sity and college men on vacation.
Harvard, University Of Pennsyl.
vania, Penn State, Columbia, Will.
liam and Mary, Georgetown and a
number Of other leading universities
are represented. Among the girls
directors are q number of women
attending normal schools. Included
in the former are numerous uni.
Versity athletes. The influence OF
such instructors on playground fire..
quenters, 1t is said, is markedly
Shown. Another year, it is under.