The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1942-05-07
Athletics Beneficial In Later Life
Toledo Coach States At Lions Meet
University Mentor Addresses
Club: High School Basket
ball Squad Guests
Qualities of Leadership and
Cooperation Developed by
Basketball

Education must provide a variety
of situations SO that the student will
meet relatively few new situations
later in life, it was stated by Coach
Andy Anderson of the University of
Toledo at Lions club meeting in
which the Bluffton High school bas-
ketball lettermen were the clubs
guests at the Walnut Grill Tuesday
night
Anderson is basketball coach of
the Toledo university Rockets which
were rated by the sports writer's as
one of the nations best teams dur
ing the past season. He has resign
ed his Toledo post to accept the
position of athletic director at Bowl
ing Green university next year.
In providing the variety of stu
alton to make later adjustment easy,
school athletics plays a very major
role, the speaker pointed out.
ATHLETICS NEEDED
Instead of curtailing the athletic
program as some have urged, the
war and defense effort would be
improved by an expansion of the
school sports program.
Athletics teaches the desire to win,
the will to win and physical coordi-
nation, all important qualities for
the good soldier, the coach said.
Athletics increase physical fit
ness by making it necessary to fol-
low the training rules and regular
physical exercise. In the earlier
days there were many features in
the school sports program that were
detrimental to the health.
PROMOTE HEALTH
Today, however, most coaches
have an understanding of the physi-
cal makeup of boys and know what
is good to promote vigor. Training
rules should never be regarded as a
sacrifice because anything that is
beneficial to the boy should not be
regarded as sacrifice but rather
a wholesome necessity.
Leadership and initiative are de.
veloped in the sports program. Dur
ing an athletic contest there is little
or no time to make decisions on
strategy. One must think very rap
idly and put those ideas into imme-
diate execution, the speaker stated.
Athletics develops qualities of
citizenship. To be successful MEM
Der of team it is necessary to de-
velop the ability to get along with
people. The welfare of the team
must be put ahead of the welfare
of the individual.
SPoRTSMANSHIP
AS a general observation the To
ledo mentor stated that there is
whole lot better craftsmanship dis
played on the floor than in the
stands. This is because the boys
have learned the lessons of coopera-
ton.
Athletics should never be accepted
as an end in itself but rather as a
means to an end. The coach ad-
vised the young men to devote them
selves to considerably more than ath-
letics. If limited to sports the boy
will develop one sided interests.
At the conclusion of his talk the
Toledo mentor showed motion pic
lures of the championship intersec-
tional game between Rhode Island
State university and Toledo played
at Madison Square Garden before a
crowd of $4,000 people in New York
City.
Preceding the address letters were
presented to members of the high
school basketball squad by faculty
manager Sidney Stettler. Letters
were given to: Honorary Captain
Russell Gratz, Richard Gratz, Fred
and John Hermann, Roger Howe
Paul Klassen, Peter Schmidt, Nor
man Beidler, Robert Cooney, Robert
Burkholder and Byron Fritchie.