High Ground in Athletics 



BY A. B. WEGENER 



One sign that the world is growing better is 

 that we no longer lie complacently and let low 

 standards of life's activities use us for a high- 

 way. The agitation about "Frenzied Finance, " 

 " Cooperate Corruption," "Misuse of Wealth" 

 does not show that conditions are worse than 

 formerly, but that we see more plainly their 

 corrupting influence and have girded ourselves 

 to battle. 



What is true of economic and social condi- 

 tions is equally true of competitive athletics. 

 We have allowed the principles of other activi- 

 ties to dominate us and become slaves to un- 

 worthy practices. 



There is a voice calling in this wilderness — 

 repent! For three years has this voice called, 

 and all but in vain. Those who have heard 

 have replied that the call is too high, too ideal, 

 too far ahead of the times. As though any high 

 ground were too high and any time too prema- 

 ture for the best. 



But let us descend from the firmament and 

 come to plain earthly facts: athletics as at pres- 

 ent conducted are rotten. Their stench has risen 

 and rilled our nostrils. Like the fruit in the cel- 

 lar, it has decayed. It was not placed in the cel- 

 lar to rot, but rather to preserve. But that did 

 not keep it from rotting, because the germs of 

 corruption were in the fruit. It is time to reach 

 upward to the fruit-bearing tree and pluck ripe, 

 luscious specimens. 



The world needs a new standard of competi- 

 tive athletics. It is here. The men who con- 

 trol the destinies of school and college athletics 

 are studying the problem on the following basis : 



Competitive athletics should be purely recrea- 

 tive. If conducted on any other basis than for 

 the pleasure of exercise or the pleasure of sur- 

 passing an opponent in a friendly competition 

 they become perverted. 



Our work is to promote physical recreation, 

 but not necessarily physical competition. 



The following practices now in vogue place 

 competitive athletics on the wrong basis: 



i. Offering material prizes of more than 

 trifling value. This induces athletes to com- 

 pete for material gain. It has become a ques- 



tion prevalent among athletes when a meet is 

 proposed, "What is there in it?" "What is up 

 on it?" If told that there is plenty of pleasure 

 they will reply: "If you will put up some junk 

 (prizes) I'll go in." And yet men call this 

 sport! It is rank commercialism. The ab- 

 surdity of saying that a $35 watch is allowed 

 as a prize in amateur sports, but $35 in money 

 is awful. Who has made the difference in com- 

 mercial value between the two ? 



If it is necessary to give prizes of any kind 

 the only recognition should be by certificates 

 or something equally inexpensive. But is it 

 necessary to give prizes of any kind ? Why not 

 give prizes in baseball games, or tennis tourna- 

 ments? Athletes do not expect anything but 

 pleasure from these games. Why otherwise in 

 athletics? The fact that present day athletic 

 contests require prizes proves that they are not 

 recreation, but labor for the contestants. Is 

 that legitimate ? 



2. The requiring of entry fees in athletic 

 meets further stamps athletics as commercial. 

 Not only so, but it is gambling. An athlete 

 puts in a certain fee for entry, and if he wins 

 he gets a valuable prize ; but if he loses he gets 

 nothing. Is that sport or gambling? 



Furthermore, the fact that an athlete is re- 

 quired to pay for entering keeps many begin- 

 ners from participating, and thus prevents 

 rather than encourages sport. 



3. The practice of encouraging severe con- 

 tests of strength and endurance is positively 

 brutal. No advocate of physical development 

 is consistent who will preach care of health, 

 and then get men to compete and fall prostrate 

 from fatigue and exhaustion after a long run. 

 Marathon races prove the descent of man. 



The sound principle is to be temperate in all 

 things. Exercises to promote endurance are 

 all right, but trials and contests of endurance 

 are all wrong. 



4. The attempt to control athletics by self- 

 styled governing bodies is ludicrous. It says: 

 "Go to, you must play as we want you to play, 

 or you will not be allowed to play at all. So 

 there." . " 



The governing body fosters Phariseeism. 

 Those same rules are irrational and illogical 

 in placing all professionals in one class. There 



