Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-01
BY JOHN L. GRIFFITH,

~~--''''-~NAN@aNAS
OHICAGO, January l R).-
1 The past year, viewed from
~ the angle of athletics in
the schools and colleges,
has been a highly gratifying one.
The building programs in most of
the educational institutions have
gone on uninterruptedly in spite
of business conditions.
The tendency today is along the lines
OF mass competition. In most Of our
universities students who are subnormal
physically are cared for in the ortho-
pedic departments. The recreative
needs of the student body are con-
served by the intramural departments
and the superior athletes are served
through the medium Of the intercolleg.-
ate athletic departments.
More. Equipment Helps.
Only in the institutions where phys
ical education and athletics are COM
pulsory are all of the students enrolled
in courses of this sort. In the others,
however, an attempt is being made
constantly to arouse the interest of
those who are not athletically inclined.
age student that he should engage in
athletic recreation activities of one sort
or another than was formerly the case,
because now the equipment provided
him Is more adequate than formerly.
The attendance at the foot ball games
throughout the United States possibly
fell on 10 per cent. The receipts, how
ever, for 1880 are in excess Of the re-
ceipts of 1928. The falling of in at
tendance has, for the most part, been
in the general public sections. The
games this year in about the same pro-
portion as formerly.
The general pesSimisrn, which Is a
result of dissatisfaction with the pres
ent financial and political conditions in
the United States, has, to certain ex-
tent, pervaded the colleges. The cynical
writer's for a number Of years have in
sisted that our college sports have beer
unduly commercialized. The politicians
and others have been attracted by the
general popularity of college foot ball,
and consequently have attempted to
muscle in on the control OF the spec
tacle and the athletic institution.
Optimistic Outlook.
The Carnegie Foundation, which has
upheld the British conception OF sport,
has generally tOunQ 1aulC WIN our
American athletic institutions because
the latter are dissimilar to the former.
Groups of alumni who have wanted to
dictate athletic policies have annoyed
college presidents, and because of this
and other factors there is q growing
spirit of dissatisfaction with the whole
thing.
The American people, however, will
not condemn any institution because OF
its absorbing interest. If college ath.
letics disturbed, the scholastic work OF
the colleges, and it has never been
shown that they do, and if it is neces-
sary to abolish or curtail intercollegiate
athletics in order to conserve the health
and recreation interests of the general
student body, and in the writer's judg-
ment it is not necessary to do this, then
intercollegiate athletics should be abol-
ished, curtailed or devitaliZed.
In conclusion, the writer views the
future with a spirit of optimism. He
believes that 1881 will see sports ac-
tivities of all sorts fostered as before by
educational institutions, and he rejoices
in the fact that our sports ideals are
being, and will continue to be, shaped
by amateur organizations that for the
most part are responsible for our play
activities.