Imperial Valley press., 1938-02-13
Bench
BY b Kinne
Post Press
Sports Editor
Warming

Death to three high school foot
ball players during the 1887 sea-
son has stirred state education Of
ilclals TO action.
Mounting numbers of injuries
have permanently crippled many
nigh school youths in California
alone and as result officials are
contemplating moves to avert
further accidents on the gridiron.
Rules must be revised. Walter
Dexter, state superintendent of
public instruction. informed prin-
cipals, or the department will in
woke its broad discretionary DOW
ers and eliminate the game from
school activities.
Death of the three players
caused many principals and su-
perintendents to believe that in
terscholastic football should be
entirely eliminated, Dexter said.
The department approved a
move by the powerful California
InterScholaStic Federation's state
council to effect sweeping changes
in the high school football situa-
ton and added a few of its own
ideas.
May Set Age Limits
Outstanding federation recon-
mendation suggested a change in
age limits, making l9 or 20 years
the maximum and Is the mini
mum.
I'VE desire to cooperate in every
possible way with the school au-
thOrities in an effort to remove
death and injuries from California
high school football" Dexter said.
so long as football is accepted
as a part of the total school pro-
gram it is our sincere belief that
superintendents, principals and
physical education instructors must
never lose sight of the fact that
their first responsibility is for the
safety and general welfare of the
individual participants
In Dexter's opinion the death
toll serious as It is, does not be-
gin to tell the whole story of foot
ball accidents.
While the department of edu-
cation has made no detailed study
during the last few years, figures
for 1888 are still available. In a
report for that year it was indi-
Gated there were 3,l7l injuries
LOLA of which were serious enough
to force the player to be an in
active member OF the squad for
several days.
The problem is one which must
hn hTv
tive
Nine-Point Program
Outlined IN joint statement,
the suggestions for curbing acci-
dents included a nine-point pro-
gram. The educators suggested, in
addition TO the age limit:
/. Preseason or early season
activities should be limited during
the first three or four weeks. with
the major emphasis on condition
ing and fundamentals.
2. Eliminate inter-school scrim-
images and permit no interschool
practice games before the third
week of the season.
3. Instruction and methods of
instruction should be reorganized
and added emphasis given TO fun
damentals which will tend to re-
duce the hazards involved in
scrimmage, practice and sched-
uled games.
4 Schools with limited enroll
ments should not attempt TO par
ticipate in the interscholaStlc
football program.
S. Schools finding it impossible
10 furnish adequate and proper
protective equipment for the safe
ty of its football players should
not attempt to participate in this
game.
6. Adequate health examination
should be provided before partici-
patton throughout the season-no
pupil should be allowed TO play
without the approval of the school
medical officer and parents.
Z. A school physician should be
in attendance at all games.
8. Playing fields and facilities
should be thoroughly checked by
the proper authorities in order
that hazards may be eliminated.
9. Every attempt should be
made TO equalize the powers OF
opponents in individual and group