Repository: UIHistories Project: Sophograph - 1889 [PAGE 25]

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ATHLETICS IN COLLEGE.

ROM the earliest times, much interest has been taken in athletic sports especially by young men. The youth from ten to twenty-one years of age, who takes no interest in any sort of muscular development, is hard to find. The ancient Greeks and Romans had special schools for the training of young athletes, and no pains were spared to develop the youths as well as possible From these gymnasia came the splendid gladiators and warriors of olden times Now, this kind of work, or training, or exercise, whichever we may choose to call it, always has a great influence upon the future man. Until a boy is fifteen or sixteen years old, he has generally sufficient out-door work to keep him healthy, and he is probably fairly well developed. Then he goes away to college. There it is often the case that he takes no physical exercise, except that made necessary in going to and from recitations H e thinks that, as he isn't compelled to exercise any, he wont tire himself out for fun. It is right here that a great many boys are checked and stunted in their physical development, and from this four or five years set-back become small, unhealthy men In most colleges, however, associations have been formed for the promotion of athletics Take, for example, the universities of Oxford and Cambridge There were the boat crews, the foot-ball teams, and the swimming clubs, all composed of students, and actively participated in by them. In these old col leges they had regular series of sporting events^ and some of those who took part gave so much time to their favorite pursuits that their studies were neglected It is here that the great objection arises to athletics in college. For this reason, namely, that of neglect, a great hue and cry has been r;ii and so there have always been many bitter enemies to college field sport The op posers are not, as a rule, college-bred men. They are generally men who be lieve that young pti >ns ought to go to school to do nothing but studj tudy, study, and it never occurs to them thai the i >re exercise taken, the bet! r the boy botl It present and in the future. 1 t there is another enemy to •< sports.and perhaps the most dan( .• OUS of all. That r the student's own indolence l\>o many boys w! been doin^ hard work • tn allege and then suddenly stop « thing like tin :m*r <>cctip;i "'• T h e first time thereafter that they mp\ thi that alls their mi es into active pi th remade • ; ti

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