Evening star., 1923-02-12
2yEAR ATHLETIC
BAN MAY Be VOTED
BY SCHOOL HEADS
Board Meeting Today viii
Take Action on Proposal
by Principals.
BALLOU INDORSES PLAN
TO STOP ALL CONTESTS
Authorities Say Change Will Bene-
fit Students Not Active
in Athletics.

Action on the proposed plan to
abandon all inter-high school athletic
competitions for a period Of two
years probably will be taken by the
board of high school principals at a
conference with Supt. Ballou this
afternoon in the Franklin School. DR..
Ballou is strongly in favor of the
plan, which was originally formulated
by the high school principals, and ii
undoubtedly will be approved by him
The desire of school authorities to
give the mass of high school students.
instead Of a selected minority of
athletes. the benefit of the physical
training course is the primary pur-
pose of the contemplated program,
DR.. Ballou explained today.
Two-Year Athletic Ban.
Under the present system, the
superintendent pointed out, almost
the entire time of the limited num-
Der of physical training teachers is
taken up with the various high
school athletics. and consequently
the physical training program is be-
ing woefully neglected
The proposed two-year ban on
lnter-hfgh school athletic contests, il
was emphasized by DIR. BalIou, Is but
a step toward the development of the
recently organized physical training
course which has been made compu!-
sory through tne four-year high
made clear, are intent
upon the development of this pro-
gram il it results in the complete
abolition of athletics of any kind
in the high schools
There Is another underlying rea-
son Tor the apparent drastic action
planned by the authorities and bit
ter rivalry which has been fostered
py the championship athletic contests
duce the rivalry in athletic contests
between the high schools. Superin-
tendent Ballou said, they probably will
oe allowed TO continue in the modified
form.
Additional Instructors.
AS conducted now, the sole object
OF the inter-high' school competitions
is to give one school a championship
in base ball, basket ball, foot ball.
etc, 1t is explained by DIR. Ballou.
The teams, he said, are composed OF
the cream of the athletes in the high
schools, who really do not need the
physical training derived from their
activities rs do the vast majority OF
those students who do not parttci-
pate in athletics
when definite action is taken on the
plan to halt the interhigh school com
petitions for two years, the authori-
tles' IL Is understood, will begin at
once to carry out the physical train
ing program on a large scale. AL
READY arrangements are being made
70 appoint two or three additional
pnysical training teachers, and more
Will be employed Is soon as funds
are available.
Many of the high school students. as
well as the alumni organizations
which are supporting athletics in the
high schools. it is said, are bitter over
the proposed program. When the an
nouncement was made more than
month ago that the high school prin
cipals were working out such a plan.
the students were stunned, but at that
time placed little credence in the re-
ports.
Big Loss I'm Revenue.
1t is the opinion of the Central High
School students. however. that the move
to stamp out the athletic contests will
work to their advantage in the end, in
that they already have the best equipped
athletic plant in the city and can in
vite contests with out-of-town contest
ants. 1t is the belief of some of the
alumni, however, that the plan will re-
suit in loss of revenues that has been
derived By the other four high schools
from the competitions with Central, to
the point that they will not be able to
support athletics to any great extent.