Evening star., 1923-02-11

flOn OF a pOlCE banning d. iiitclH IL
might possibly have bearing on a
they could find no better way OF I
dreary routine for the boys than INK
The authorities - really the high
school pr;ncipals-offer as an excuse
fer their contemplated policy the in
ability o. the small staff of physical
training teachers to properly TAX"
care OF more than q limited number
of students in sports which are
greatly trcssed in the high schools
The principals assert that in develop
ing teams for championship strueg
too few boys are benefited, and that
d gre ter amount of good would be
ACCOMPLISHED were these champion
ships tione away with and more at
tentioa given to mass athletlcS.
The! would replace the interhigh
school contests with interclass COM
petition, never attractive. within
school and limit the field Of repre-
institutions without the hiEn school
circle. Some of the principals nave
stated that the boys would be at
tracted to the athletic squads by the
scheduling of out-of-town games
with prominent preparatory schools
but al the same time they admit that
it would not pay to bring many of
these teams here for matches. That
would mean that about the only place
the general mass of high school STU
sports would be in the newspapers.
The contention of the principals. so
far as the inability OF the present
staff OF physical training teachers to
cover thoroughly the leld Is con-
cerned. is quite true. but in replac-
ing IT, interhigh school champion
ships during the next two years with
intrar. .ural athletics and competition
with schools other than NaShl1g
ton public institutions il would seem
that The physical training teachers
would be as overworked Is ever.
How this would be dealt with has not
been explained
AS Il matter of fact. those in charge
of high school athletics really have
been Influenced by other eXtrat ous
conditions. Certain happenings in
athletics in the high schools within
the past few years have created much
ill feeling among several Of the in
stitutions, first straining relations
between those high in authority. who
should know better. and later leaving
Its mark upon the student bodies.
Petty Actions Cause Trouble.
Much of this i'll feeling was the re-
suit of petty chickering's among high
school officials conc erning the con
duct OF various athletic contests. For
while affairs were SO hectic that
athletic coaches would not speak to
one another and members of faculties
of rival schools treated one another
not help but notice this. and soon
there crept into their athletics a
most undesirable spirit of bitterness.
This even went into the homes of
the students. with the result that
parents naturally took sides with
their children. Then things began
to happen.
If one school began to get a bit
ahead in a certain sport the others
Immediately began numerous investi-
n he
high" standard 70 athletics in the
schools but really to find some
mean by which the successful school
might be- weakened. Students would
report that so-and-so had played un-
der questionable circumstances. and
such-and- d-Such a boy was not eligible
under a particular rule of the ath-
lsuo code. Coaches would berare
tics employed by the teams. and other
faculty members would show an ut
ter lack of tolerance. Finally the
parents associations indirectly con-
nected with the schools and alumni
bodies thrust themselves into the
turmoil. and that just about broke
the camelS back.
Conditions became such that drastic
action was necessary. But instead of
calling their coaches and faculty mem
bers u account for their foolish argu-
ments and harboring of grudges. I'm
pressing upon the students the neces-
sity OF avoiding bitterness in athletic
relations II they were to be continued
and gently confiding TO the parents as
sociations and alumni organizations
that the conduct of the high school
sports was a matter to be dealt with
by the school authorities, the board of
principals apparently has kowtowed to
ell these undue influences.
Where the Fault Lies.
It would seem that the desire to sus-
pend interhgh school athletic coInpe-
tltion for a period of two years is moth
ing more than a confession by the prin-
cipals of their ina bility to. get out of a
Inuddle created solely by themselves.
And to satisfy themselves, If no one
else. they would have the public believe
that the boys, by taking sports too
ent state of affairs. In other words.
they would punish the boys by depriv-
ing them Of the interhigh school cham
pionships so that the principals mis-
takes might pass unnoticed.
Eastern and Western are scheduled
to meet Tuesday in most important
game of the basket ball championship
school athletics is evident In the
preparations for the clash. Deprived Of
their regular playing floor at Central
Coliseum. the schools must find other
accommodations this week. Instead Of
some one in authority designating
floor for the match. the question of
court is left to the coaches Of the COM
peting schools. and so far they have been
unable to settle upon any particular
place. Tech and Central. who are to be
opponents in the first tilt of Tuesdays
scheduled double le-header. have chosen
the Arcade court for their meeting This
may he used for the Eastern western
90 The coaches eXDect to take lock
at the floor this afternoon. and IL it
passes insnection they may consider
using it, In case of a disagreement,
the Senate or President Harding capl-
net may be called in to arbitrate.
This Eaxtern-Western contest is
likely to decide the race FOR the
basket ball championship. Eastern:
which sailed through the first round
disaster when it encountered Cen
trail in the second round, and must
Then the Capitol Hill boys would
5ust about have the title clinched.
Should the Westerners win. they
would be on even terms with East
ern, and in all likelihood would be
deadlocked with it at the end OF the
regular schedule.
Central will have a team to com
plete it's schedule in tho high school
court series but it may not be the
same that has horne the burden for
the Blue and White so far. Some
of the Centralites were real naughty
last week. engaging in wet towel
q matter of discipline. several of the
squad may be suspended for the re-
hnatnder of the season.
Track and field squads of Central.
Western and Tech are training
strsnuousIy for the Georgetown and
1ohns Hopkins indoor meets to be
held next week. Each Of the schools