Milford chronicle., 1959-01-02
ARE WE OyER-EMPHASIZING
ATHL LETICS?


ampleI of course, is football which draws the
huge crowds and the equally huge sums of
money. No-hold-barred efforts to recruit
winning teams have produced some national
scandals.
But the problem is not confined to the
colleges. 1t is reflected in a heavy and dan
gerous pressure on the high schools This,
in any event, is the theme of an article in
the October issue of The Atlantic, written
by Eugene Youngert who was high school
superintendent for 16 years, and is now as
sociated with DR.. James Bryant Conant in
making the Study Of the American High
School.
The pressure of course, comes from the
effort of college coaches and other interested
parties to get their hands Or promising high
school athletes. DR.. Youngert cites various
examples. One, related to him by an Eastern
high school principal tells of lad called
Sonny, who was low in the l. @. department,
was never considered of college calibre-but
was marvellous natural athlete. So college
people came from all over the country with
inducements from their respective institu-
tions. The winning university gave Sonny
a full free ride" scholarship, the services of
a tutor, campus job for his father, low
rent apartment for the family, and spending
money AS it happened, even then Sonny
couldn't keep up and left college for the
Army However, as DR.. Youngerts infor-
mant put it: "The sad part of this tale is that
we had to work like the dickens to get high
ly qualified, intelligent boys into the very
colleges and universities that were vylng
with one another for our Sonny"
These and kindred cases, DR.. YoungertI
emphasizes, are not exceptional. Such ag
gressive recruitment of athletes is common
place. And the hurt is done not only to the
athletes, but to the high school student body.
To quote him: -. | want here to include
a word about the cynicism that infects the
students as whole when they see favorl-
tism and free ride scholarships bestowed on
boys whose classroom work has been medic
ere. Under such circumstances, high school
students cannot be blamed if they think that
we are shedding crocodile tears today in our
wailing about the lack of intellectual vigor
in our secondary schools"
That is not all the damage College ath-
letics are becoming more and more profess
ionalized The result is "the infusion of the
pro attitude and spirit into high school ath-
letics, and the shady practices that such in
fusion carries in its wake-practices that are
shady from the point of view of the anna
teur's sportsmanship code"
What can be done about the problem?
Dr. Youngert feels that college faculties
should take the lead ir adopting and enforc-
ing concrete resolution. Under this reso-
luton among other things, there would be no
sub-standard admissions; scholarships would
be awarded on the basis of scholarship abil-
ity, with the amount determined by need;
job opportunities would be genuine jobs, not
athletic sinecures, and there would be 20
snap courses for favored groups.
o4+ 10 IT,,
athletes in general are an intelligent group
of boys. They would not and they should not
be Disseminated against under the recon-
mended resolution. On their merit as stu
dents, they would win theil fair share of
scholarships and other financial help.
know that college athletics, if they were fair
ly and firmly handled, would become highly
respected as student activity. They would
no longer be an enterprise run for financial
profit, public relations, protection of vested
interests, and as sop for the alumni"
~~&0@&
THE DEFICIT AND THE BUDGET
1t is now estimated that the deficit for the
fiscal year 1859 (the present year, will
amount to about $12,200,000,0 900. The gov
ernment is expected to spend almost $8O,000,-
100000 and collect only about $e8,000,-
100000 from taxes.
In the last fiscal year, the government
spent about $4,000, 100000 and collected
about $7O,0O0,0OO,0OO. in various revenue
FORMS Thus the prospect for the current
fiscal year is less money collected and great
ly-increased spending.
One of the reasons for the increased
spending is the huge amount of money which
has been required to make unemployment
compensation payments. Increasing the gen
eral total is imitation, and increased spending
in various government agencies. The cost of
defense has also been little higher than
had been expected
The business recession, which will reduce
the collection of taxes in the current fiscal
year some one or two billion dollars, adds
to the woes of the federal government. Thus,
President Eisenhower is facing the most
serious financial situation since that he faced
when he first took Office in early 1858, facing
a budget deficit of Sc, 400 0O0, ,OO0 (This could
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