ATHLETICS FOR WOMEN IN COLLEGES. 521 



declared that cycling in England had raised the average health 

 of women and this of English women. It preaches more effect- 

 ively the gospel of recreation, fun and fresh air, and of hygienic 

 dressing, than could countless lectures of eminent physicians. 



There is a problem which men have failed to solve and which 

 confronts us the problem of making general the habit and love 

 of outdoor athletic sports. In spite of the interest awakened 

 throughout the country in baseball, football, rowing, and track 

 athletics, in spite of American successes in the international con- 

 tests in Greece, it is yet true that American men are not, as a 

 class, habitually athletic or physically vigorous. 



So with our students : notwithstanding the interest that has 

 been awakened in athletics among them, there are yet many 

 whose outdoor exercise still consists in an hour's walk, which, 

 allowing the mind to dwell on the last subject read, does but 

 meager service as a form of physical recreation. 



In this connection the question has arisen whether we shall 

 endeavor to stimulate general interest in athletic games by inter- 

 collegiate contests. The Western colleges seem inclined to an- 

 swer this question in the affirmative. Chicago has played with 

 Northwestern ; there has recently been a very interesting game 

 between the University of California and Leland Stanford Uni- 

 versity, and other Western colleges are anticipating future com- 

 petitions with neighboring institutions. On the other hand, the 

 Eastern colleges unite in disapproving of intercollegiate contests. 

 Among other reasons it is thought that the strain on the players 

 would be too great ; that the tendency would be to narrow rather 

 than to increase the number of players by raising the standard of 

 excellence of the play and discouraging the less expert players ; 

 also that the interclass contests afford all the advantages of 

 intercollegiate games without the objectionable features of the 

 latter. 



In considering athletics for women we must reckon with the 

 American's national characteristic of immoderation when fired by 

 interest in any new thing. It will be necessary to restrain the 

 enthusiastic few from excess while endeavoring to stimulate the 

 indifferent many to active interest. The end to be desired is, of 

 course, symmetrical development, not the training of athletes. 



For the best solution of the problem to which I have referred 

 I think we must look for help to the secondary schools, in the 

 hope that physical training and instruction in hygiene may begin 

 with them. 



The freshman comes to college utterly ignorant of the funda- 

 mental laws of hygiene. It is exceptional when the physical ex- 

 amination does not reveal marked defects of the nature of weak 

 backs, poor chests, round shoulders, and ansemia. She is un- 



