The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1944-09-28
Evaluation Of Athletic
Sports
Station Hospital
Camp Roberts, Calf.
15 Sept. 1914

To the Editor:
As Bluffton is a prosperous and
progressive community with good
school systems as we'll as the home
of my Alma Mater, Bluffton College,
| felt that the readers might be in
terested in this article.
1t certainly should be of import
ance to parents who have children
in school, to coaches, and those who
participate in athletic events. The
information presented is based on
histories taken from men who came
from practically every state in the
Union.
Education standards and supervis-
ion did not seem to play as import
ant a role as | thought they might
California which ranks high if not
first for its educational standards
has just as many of the casualties
which / will describe as any other
state.
Here at Camp Roberts, California,
/ am in charge of dispensary that
takes care of three thousand men
who are taking basic training. Our
average daily sick call runs about
seventy-ive men with two hundred
being one of the higher figures.
Every morning | see internal knee
arrangements, back injuries, and
other old disabilities that were the
direct result of men playing foot
ball, basketball, etc.
1t probably costs the Government
$1,000 weekly for x-rays and treat
ment of these injuries on this post
alone. A good many of the men
have to be placed on limited service
and are unfit for overseas duty.
Some who have had no special
training or aptitude for office work
have to be discharged from the serv-
ice as they are thought to be a
liability rather than an asset to the
army. This has been particularly
true in the past months when we
attempted to make LAS" out of
"4-Fs".
The above named cost is not the
only one which we will have to con-
slider. These men are not only being
paid, clothed, housed, and fed for
work they are unable to do but many
of them will bring claims against the
Government because of aggravation
of old injuries.
This will run into millions of dol
lars as many of these disability
claims are paid for life. Many of
these men admit that their earning
capacity was decreased in civilian
life. Therefore, the placing of
claims offers them some security for
the future and many are quick to
take advantage of this.
The question then arises, are ath-
letic sports as conducted in the past
as beneficial as we once thought
they were?
Several years ago the president of
the University of Chicago published
an article in which ne said those
who needed to participate in such
activities most were least encour-
aged to do so and those who needed
least of this type of activity were
obtaining the supposed benefit.
In addition to emphasis placed
wrongly are we making more Grip
pies than we are building up among
our "1-A" group?
| realize that there has probably
been no yard stick to determine over
long period of time just how much
physical improvement is permanent
ly obtained. Also, body building is
not the only thing to be gotten in
competitive sports. 1t is not my
aim to "knock" competitive athletic
sports.
too participated in them and
nave always been interested in this
form of activity. Even overseas |
acted as our division surgeon for
such activities and frequently off
ciated at them.
1t does seem, though, that it is
high time that those in charge of
these activities take inventory and
see to it that the true purpose for
competitive sports is not defeated.
More than this, spectators need to
be re-educated as they are all too
frequently unjust in their demands
for performance. Remember "What
Price Glory"
Weldon E. Diller, Capt. NJ. c,