Evening star., 1943-05-18
Draft Draining
CoachesFronl
Capital Corps
New Grid Plan Druwr
Although Physical
Education Is Hit

Is threatening to bring about a Sc
rious curtailment of both high
school sports and the stepped-up
physical education program here
soon. With college sports programs
falling by the wayside and with the
caliber of professional activities
lowered because of the number of
men in the services, high schools
have been among the few main-
tanning sports on a preWar basis.
Locally scholastic sports and
physical education will be able to
finish out the year, but thereafter
continuation of the programs is
questionable. OF the IS men in the
physical education department of
the public high school system, at
least Is have received draft calls for
the end of June or expect them by
that time And if the drafting of
fathers goes through there hardly
will be man left by next fall. All
of these instructors and coaches are
in good trim physically. Several al
ready have appeared before their
draft boards and been deferred only
until the end of the school year.
Blanket Deferment Sought.
Hardy Pearce, head of the depart
ment of health and physical educa-
tion, and DR.. Chester Holmes, as
sistant superintendent, have asked
for blanket deferment for high
school athletic teachers and coaches,
pointing out the need of putting
high school boys in good physical
shape before they enter the Army
Only this year the number of in
structors was more than doubled
because of survey that found boys
entering the Army from high
schools weren't in the physical
shape they should be in. This
stepped-up program has worked
well; in fact, results in many in
stances have been better than ex-
pected, but it may be impossible to
continue next year.
Pearce made tentative suggestion
that naval officers be assigned to
the physical education program for
high schools, but there hardly are
enough officers to take care of the
Nays own demands. And faced
with the threatened shortage of
qualifled man teachers, Pearce stated
that unless we can get enough men
there will be no use operating any
sort of physical education program
next season"
New Grid Program Arranged.
The program already has been
threatened once with many in
structors and coaches taking COM
missions in various branches of the
service. This was stopped when the
Board of Education reversed its
former policy and refused to grant
any more military leaves except to
those actually drafted. Were it not
Tor that, many men still in the
schools would have gone before this.
Pearce still is hoping the problem
Will be solved somehow and has
gone ahead with planning an even
stlt1er physical education program
next season.
Also included is good football
program that will add color to the
interhigh series which school officials
believe will be reflected in heightened
interest all down the line among
high school students in physical
htness. The plan is to schedule three
games each week, with a committee
selecting one game as outstanding
TO be played on Saturday as the
weeks feature while the other two
games go on Friday. This schedule
was approved last week.
The schedule:
September 24-Wilson VS.. Cooldee
Anacostla VS.. Central. Western vs.. Tech
eastern VS.. Roosevelt
Week end of october 1-2-Wilson VS..
Roosevelt: SO. Western vs.. Eastern viii
son vs. Tech, Central VS.. Roosevelt; 1915,
Coolidge VS.. Eastern, Anacostia VS.. West,
ern, Wilson VS. Roosevelt; 32-.3, Tech VS.
Eastern, Central VS.. Western, Coolidge VS..
Anacostia; $3.50, Wilson vs. Eastern
Roosevelt VS.. Western, Tech vs. Anacostia
week END OF November 5-6, Central VS.
Anacostia; j 1-12-l3, Roosevelt VS.. Cool
ldse, Tech VS.. Central Wilson VS.. Ana
costa; 1920. Western VS.. Coolidge, East
ern vs.. Central Roosevelt VS. Tech:
THANKSGIVING Day NOV. 25), champion
ship game.