Evening star., 1943-01-16
Tennis Held Essential
Conditioning Sport
By Air Cadets
Leader Of USLTA Urges
Net Come Promotion
By More Schools
BY HOLCOMBE WARD,
President. United States Lawn Tennis
Association

By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, Jan. l6 (P,-The
value OF tennis in athletics was rec
ognized more generally after Pearl
Harbor than ever before.
The Army built tennis courts for
officers and enlisted men at various
training camps and even shipped
tennis balls overseas to our armed
forces. The Army Aviation Train
ing Command included tennis in
the sports they recommended for
young men learning to fly because,
they said. playing the game con-
tributes greatly to endurance, speed,
agility and coordination"
In a recent poll to determine
which sport is of greatest benefit
to aviators, cadets at several train
ing centers voted first place to ten
mis-, ahead of basket ball and foot
ball. The Navy aviation authorities
approved tennis in the program they
suggested for high school athletics.
School Tennis Important.
A game which develops qualities
essential to aviators is one which
boys should be encouraged to play
at an early age, and the USLTA is
fully alive to the Importance of
school tennis. So rapidly has school
tennis grown in popularity in recent
years that 4,500 high schools are re-
ported to play the game. We look
forward to the time when these
schools will be able to provide ade-
quate coaching not only for their
tennis teams, but also for all other
pupils who prefer tennis to other
sports
The amount of tennis which will
be played this year depends, of
course, on Government policies. Our
Government has but to express the
wish and we will gladly abandon
tournaments. But the Federal
authorities evidently expect tennis
to be played, because they have been
releasing moderate amounts of re-
claimed rubber for the manufacture
of tennis balls. Balls which are
being made for use next summer
should be reasonably satisfactory in
quality. We may have to use fewer
OF them in our matches and play
with them longer, but we are fortu-
nate to have any at all
Clubs Urged to Continue.
AS long as the Government con-
tinues to authorize the manufacture
of tennis balls for civilian use the
USLTA plans to carry on. We urge
clubs to keep their courts in COM
mission and we urge members to
support their clubs in keeping tennis
alive.
Fortunately, the defeatist attitude
towards all sports, which increased
after Pearl Harbor, did not prevail
President Roosevelt stated that In
his opinion the war effort would not
be hampered, but actually improved
by sensible participation in healthy
recreational pursuits, and the United
States division Of physical fitness
urged the USLTA and other sports
bodies to carry on in the interest
of the national health program
Those beliefs continue to guide the
USLTA.
Tournaments provide the means
to raise substantial funds for the
Red Cross, USO and other war relief
agencies. Thousands of dollars were
raised last year for war relief at our
national championships and at local
tournaments.
Junior Players Available.
There is plentiful supply OF
promising Juniors under military
age to provide interesting competi-
ton in the summer tournaments and
to replace those who have gone into
service.
We are justly proud of all tennis
players now serving the country at
home and abroad, whatever. their
rank or station. from Admiral