The Wilmington morning star., 1940-02-25
Now Program Seeks To
Provide Play, Training
For All Students

r,s biz swing along the sports
the New Hanover High
Ds w., these days is toward varie-
,oen wears ago, football a n d
''stball constituted the athletic
Nsn 4 decade ago, aside from
p''4 no dominating stand-bys, base
rI and track were trlfled wl'n' as
a hobby
r.sov . program SO far-reaching
,ofty in its aim has been in
aAu +oa that the institutions calen-
% ~ competitive sports is as full
u'' varied as that of the larg.
st university
r.rris. boxing, swimming, base
MI and track have at last achieved
PARAMOUNT place in the athlete
q. M. GOLF is being added. And
hove is more to come.
No Magic Formula
Out achieving winning comblna-
..,ions is a p%o1derous thing. First
Ill there is no magic formula,
y. bie, schools at least, for the dis
avery of brilliant stars.
,+bletes must be taught, develop
II encouraged and constantly eN-
r,sei over d period of years, to
s,nnetitive sports. There must be
,rorsb types of games offered to
r..ge a youth say, I'll try boxing.
~ swimming. Or tennis" And the
rsmA must be competitive enough,
4 ba achieves distinction with it, .
merit honor.
And if that youth is normal, he
r1I Iook around for new worlds -
,onorer and he finds himself
challenged by football, baseball .
u
Tha, is the way the high school
Stars are made. And that is why the
,tv Hanover High school authori-
-es have turned the floodlights on
Tie athletic program. They want 20
reach as many boys as possible.
But the whole set up today is
scarcely out of the embryonic stage.
T.. L. Bob Black, director of coun-
~ school athletics, recently point
ed out that only 10 per cent of tie
800 high school boys go out for the
teams, I'VE want at least so per
cent Black said.
As q means of attending that
goal he has gone to the grammar
grades. 1t is there, especially in the
junior high schools, that he will
find his players of tomorrow.
By helping those youngsters gain
direction. by grounding them in the
fundamentals of games, team work
and team play, he is setting the
stage.
Enthusiasm is built up. Competi-
live spirit is enfiamed. The doors to
a new threshold is flung wide, in
riting all boys. BY the time they
reach nigh school they are ready
10 compete for varsity vacancies,
and the field will abound with train
ed talent.
Plenty Of Material
Ina is why such teams, Black
pointed out, as Rocky Mount, Der
nam, and Raleigh can show a squad
Of three teams of championship
calibre. They have a hundred and
more boys out for football each
YEAR"
The high school athletic program
received a severe setback during
me depression. Grammar school
BUDGETS, for one, were slashed with
III thought of the consequence
upoh The mind and body of the
growing youth.
lAe physical education teachers
Ill %IlIeston, Hemenway and other
iHSIllutlons We're forced out. 1t was
u Inc school budget, a savings, but
W. hundreds of boys and girls it
was high crime because
oAe OF the marked characteristics
VI such a drastic action is today
IDiid N the junior a n d senior
"asses at the high school.
Gu many of the boys are not in
MssVed IN athletics" Black said
aIV their fault. The urge Il
%4lpete' dormant in all growing
''gs' was never awakened"
.uLlhermore, with the secondar,
4Ool oil the AL education
,is rIuSrd during those narrowing
D.. mere was no eighth grade
't.' Enally, the school came back
F' pul against almost hopeless odds
i- ,sn 50 today there is no rea.
n ,,.,0f class, They will be the senior:
,r anal year, the few that there are
csla Will mean that the sports
.s4uaf can only appeal to fresh.
~ Sophomores and juniors.
er,.;~ at physical education and SUD
m,n Ssu team play among the gram.
I'm s. s[aoes is the foundation TO,
r rnsht teams cannot lie doubted
nsn sl'"ard Bloome and his phenc
anna tennis teams is a living ex
ouis. for years, Bloome, in hi.
way, has been tutoring youn
n <ARRT