DEPARTMENT REPORTS. 53 



REPORT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICAL CULTURE. 



President J. L. Snyder-: 



The facilities for athletic work at the beginning of the collegiate year 

 were inadequate both in respect to time and place. The use of the parade 

 ground as an athletic field allowed but three afternoons a week and the 

 continuation of recitations for some classes until live o'clock left but 

 little time for actual practice. Especially was this true as the season 

 advanced and the days became so much shorter. Considering these two 

 great disadvantages and the fact that the last two years little had been 

 done in football and baseball, the results attained by the football team 

 were most encouraging and brought the College from the last place in the 

 M. 1. A. A. to that of second. 



There was a dearth of base ball material, particularly pitchers. An 

 entire new team had to be developed and was almost entirely composed 

 of freshmen and sophomores. While the season was not so successful as 

 had been expected, many of the games were well played, and give 

 promise of a very good team the coming year. 



The track team won the inter-collegiate meet held at Albion in June 

 by a score of 80 points, the next nearest being Albion with 72 points. 

 At this meet the relay team won the relay banner, which has not occurred 

 in many years. Two dual meets were held earlier in the spring, one with 

 Alma and the other with Albion, both of which M. A. C. won by a large 

 majority of points. The basket ball team did not lose a game and was 

 the fastest team in the State. In wrestling the team in three different 

 meets never lost a bout in any weight except the heavy. 



The gymnasium in the women's department has been well patronized, 

 and the classes given three times a week under the instructor, Miss Avery, 

 have been most successful. The young women had basket ball teams 

 which were most excellent and showed faithful training. 



The State Board kindly appropriated money to fix the new athletic field 

 across the river so that now the college has a separate field for athletic 

 work, which, when completed, will be as fine a field as any in the country. 

 During the fall term in order to give more time electric lights should be 

 placed on the field. Arrangement should also be made in some way so 

 that during the winter term the use of the armory might be allowed the 

 department more than once a week as during the year just ended. 



The department would advise the payment of a dollar a term by every 

 student to the support of athletics and physical culture. This small fee 

 would run the department and association easily and would be a strain 

 upon nobody. 



Respectfnllv submitted, 



GEORGE E. DENMAN. 

 Agricultural College; Mini.. 

 June 30, 1902. 



