Evening star., 1934-11-13

United States it is doubtful If
Y J any Is taking a more sane
view of intercollegiate ath-
letics than the University Of Virginia,
especially as this view relates to foot
ball. To win at any cost is the atti-
tude Of some, to care nothing for VIC
tory is the thought Of others, but at
Virginia the policy is to try to find
middle ground, where victory is valued,
but at not too great price.
Recently when the University OF
Virginia foot ball team played here
Jimmie Driver, director of athletics,
was asked the point-blank question,
What is your attitude in regard to
foot ball and what is going to be your
policy in intercollegiate athletics gen.
orally" Driver responded in a way
that perhaps is unique in college ath-
letics. but which places him and Vir-
ginia on a plane just little bit above
the average of even the best Of univer-
sites. 1t was his opinion that victories
have a very real value, but that too
great a price should not be paid for
victories. But let Driver tell something
OF Virginias policy in his own words:
An Unusual Policy.
DOWN at Virginia We, perhaps.
have developed a different
policy in regard to intercol-
legiate sports from that in vogue at
the great majority of universities.
Please don't misunderstood me when
I say that victories in intercollegiate
competition are not the greatest
achievement for our teams We place
q very real value on victory, we feel
that to win Is to develop among our
students the fundamental idea that it
Is worth while to succeed in any under
taking. but we do not feel that it is
worthwhile to succeed at too great a
cost. In other words, We do not think
that we should pay too great a price
Tor victory. The thought make money
honestly, but make money simply
does not find a place in our way of
doing things.
Virginia wants to win. Nothing
pleases us more than to gain a victory
over rival in foot ball, boxing, base
ball or one of the other sports, but
we do not desire victory at the ex-
pense Of our self-respect. BY that I
mean that we do not want to win by
doing some things that we feel we
might have to conceal. 1t is far
better to play the game open and
above board and lose than to win by
reason Of something that we do not
want our friends to know.
Doesn't Lack Ambition.
TT IS not secret that many
colleges help athletes to a far
greater extent than is legitimate
or Justified. Such tactics sometimes
result in far better foot ball teams
than we could ever hope to have under
our system. but we prefer to 60 our
way than to adopt such methods. This
is stating the case pretty plainly. but
1t Is truth. and on truth we expect
to stand.
I'VE are ambitious to turn out win
ming teams, but we are not ambitious
to turn out winning teams unless we
can do it legitimately. with all the
cards face up on the table. We are
even more ambitious to develop a
system Of intramural sports, a system
OF athletics for all students, wherein
all students will get the fine values
that come from competitive sports.
We are trying to find a happy me-
dium, where we shall be able to
develop system of athletics for all,
in which all students will get an
opportunity to compete. and at the
same time build up our intercollegiate
sports on basis where we shall be
able to compete reasonably well with
our sister institutions
For me personally, it is simply i'm
possible to understand some Of the
things that go on in intercollegiate
athletics. Education hardly is worth
while II 1t is to teach deception and
by example, set false standards of
competition. BY this mean that no
university should put itself in a posi-
ton OF doing things that would not
bear the light Of day in order to enable
itself to win games. Virginia values
its traditions, its culture, its standards
Of honesty and clean living, its hopes
for the future, too much to do this
We desire to win whenever we can win
honestly and on a basis of equality
with our fellows and without taking
an unfair advantage of an opponent
Under any other conditions we would
feel that the price Of victory would
come too high.