ATHLETICS 



careful training. Athletic organizations coin- \ 

 monly hire trainers and coaches as will 



.cal directors to help the athletes to get 

 into condition and to give them special train- 

 ing for the gamrs in which they will compete. 

 ier and coach show the novice how to use 

 his effort in the most economical and telling 

 . and perfect him in what is called "form." 

 To acquire skill in pole vaulting, for example, 

 requires long and patient practice; and the 

 time in which a sprinter can cover a short 

 distance, like twenty-five yards, is determined 

 largely by the spring-like swiftness of his start. 



During the training season, proper food and 

 plenty of sleep are of the first importance. 

 l>ers of athletic teams in the colleges eat, 

 usually, at a common table, the dishes of 

 which are carefully selected and supervised. 

 Simple, wholesome food is the rule; rich and 

 exciting sweets are banished. Tobacco and 

 liquor are forbidden, since their harmful effects 

 are well established. The athlete goes to bod, 

 not precisely like the little boy in Stevenson's 

 poem, "by day," but early enough to get eight 

 or nine hours of sleep each night. His muscles 

 are regularly rubbed and kneaded by a trainer 

 to take out the stiffness and render them sup- 

 ple. A "rub-down" with alcohol supplements 

 regular and frequent bathing. A bath after 

 violent exercise on a dusty or muddy field is, 

 of course, indispensable, and the shower-bath 

 is preferred by most physical directors. 



Athletics an Aid to Health. There is no 

 road to the goal of perfect health than 

 n-gular exercise in the open air, and every boy 

 and girl should have a thorough knowledge 

 of at least one sport or recreation, such as 

 baseball, hockey, tennis, golf, swimming or 

 horseback riding. For stirring up the blood, 

 developing the muscles, clearing the head and 

 stimulating the appetite in fact, for building 

 up a strong, healthy body nothing is better 

 than athletic games. Moreover, engaging with 

 others in wholesome sports helps one to over- 

 come many undesirable traits of character 

 laziness, timidity, conceit, lack of consideration, 

 etc. It should always be kept in mind, how- 

 ever, that over-indulgence in sports is as harm- 

 ful as intemperance in eating and drinking. 

 The player should temper his enthusiasm ac- 

 cording to the limits of his bodily endurance, 

 and never subject any part of the physical 

 machine to undue strain. One of the common 

 errors to avoid is sitting in a breeze "to cool 

 off" while the body and clothing are wet with 

 perspiration, s& 



ATHLETICS 



Outline and Questions on 

 Athletics 



I. History 



(1) The Olympian Games 



(2) Athlrtic games of the Romans 



(3) KniKlitlv jousts and tournaments 



(4) Later athletic sports among the 



Anglo-Saxon peoples 



(5) Revival of the Olympian Games 



II. Modern AthlcttcN 



( 1 ) Professional 



(a) Baseball in the United States 



(b) Lacrosse in Canada 



(c) Cricket in England 



( 2 ) Amateur 



(a) As a source of amusement 



(b) As a physical benefit 



(c) Standard rules 



(d) International contests 



(e) College athletics 



(3) Training 



(a) Under directors and coaches 



(b) Regulation of sleep and diet 



(c) Care of the body 



III. Benefit of Athletics 



(1) An aid to health 



(2) An aid in character-development 



(3) Harm in over-indulgence 



Questions 



Is there such a thing possible as 

 over-indulgence in athletic sports? 



Distinguish between athletic games, 

 gymnastics, track games and field 

 games. 



Which nation has kept up the ath- 

 letic traditions most consistently 

 through the centuries? 



Describe the rigorous training which 

 members of college teams have to 

 undergo. 



What is the Yale "Bowl"? 



Is a player who sulks or protests 

 when he loses considered a fair type 

 of athlete? 



How do we know that no country 

 has ever surpassed Greece in the per- 

 fection of its physical manhood? 



What did the Olympian Games mean 

 in ancient times? What do they mean 

 to-day? 



What is regarded as the national 

 game of Canada? Of the United 

 States? Of England? 



What advantage could come to a 

 selfish boy from playing baseball? 



What danger to college athletics 

 arises from the keen desire to win 

 championships? 



