The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-10-27
ACT TO SAVE
ATHLETICS IN
CITY SCHOOLS
Faculty Managers Consider
Shorter Basketball and
Football Schedules.
INJURIES SPUR BODY
Superintendent StetSon Sees
Revision Needed to Avoid
Ban on All Sports.

To prevent possible degradation Of
interscholastic athletics in Indian
apolis to point where foes might
cause their elimination, commit
tee of faculty managers may revise
the system in the near future.
The committee, named from g
larger group Of school officials, anc
coaches, principals and manager;
which met with Paul G. Stetson
superintendent of schools, will re-
convene Wednesday afternoon tC
consider several problems that Stet-
son says. are perplexing school au-
thorities.
1t will consider shortening sea-
sons of high school football and
basketball teams in competition;
discuss the ACCESSIBILITY of continu-
ing night football schedules; and
attempt to work out several lesser
tangles that have arisen.
Over Emphasis Feared
Chief fear of authorities for the
athletic system is the old cry OF
over emphasis.
although I commented that
Manuals inability to hold sum-
mer training camp for its football
men seemed not to hold it back from
winning the city championship,
there is a feeling that these sum-
mer camps should be abolished, "
Stetson said.
For one thing, the instructors
should be here in institutes, ano
the boys, themselves, should be
preparing for school A third OBJ
lection to the camps is that only
the schools with heavy athletic
funds can afford them"
May Shorten Grid Season
Stetson said cutting the football
season to eight games probably
would be the recommendation OF
the committee.
1t would mean that the season
would not open until about Oct. /
allowing teams two weeks in which
to get into condition without the
August seasoning camp. Too, ii
would relieve the teams from play
ing in extremely hot weather that
is not uncommon early in Septem-
Der.
The basketball season, now eX-
tending to as many as twenty
games, also may be shortened, with
agreement between city teams that
they will play only seventeen games
Injuries Prompt Meeting
Other problems the committee
must consider are medical attention
for injured athletes, and closer
medical inspection of players before
contests to assure physical condi-
ton equal to the strain.
The meeting Monday was inspired
by injury of two high school STU
dents due to football games. One,
Thomas Taylor, a Tech football
player, suffered a broken neck in
the game with Manual Friday, and
is in a serious condition at city hos
pital.
Another, Robert Lockwood, was
struck in the head by stone after
the Washington Shortridge game
recently, and is in city hospital in
a serious condition.
IntramuraI Games Urged
81 had had this meeting in mind
some time" said Stetson. These
unfortunate incidents served to
bring it about.
There are two or three things
that have cropped out in our high
school athletics that have alarmed
me. I don't want our system, which
is ideal thus far, to get in the con-
dition of some I have seen, with
elimination of athletics as the only
possible cure.
1--WE are going to try to develop
intramural athletics further, and
keep competitive athletics on high
plane"