The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 1914. ATHLETICS AND THE NATION.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1998, 4 March 1914, Page 6

The Dominion. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 1914. ATHLETICS AND THE NATION.

The visit of the Ameddart .athletes to New Zealand, combined with the lectures of MR."l > Eixqrte,'has drawn attention to the national value af athletic sports, and the fie.eessity_ for laying the foundations ol this fo.i:m of physical culture in early tifo and on scientific lines. A great deal is already being done in this direction in the secondary schools both in tlin United Kingdom and in the Overseas Dominions by the orgaui&atiim of the outdoor games of the pmitls, and even in the elementary t sclmiila th<: teachers exercise a"certain .amount* uf supervision over the piaygfounil activities of the young people foi , whose education they arc respunsible, The American system outlined by Mis. Peixotto seems to go further ih,an this. The playgrounds are mosv elaborately fitted up with the latest modern athletic appliances, and in some cases experts are employed to direct the boys and girk how io make the best use of these things. la Kcw Zealand the physical development ol the school children is not beiag

rtKglGcted, and the new system of physical culture which has recently licen iiitrwhicstl info our schools proans.os to give quite a,s guotl results as the more elaborate schemes of athletic training iji vogue in tho United States. The American methods may bo more effective in producing trained athletes, but the Mew Znnlaisd system should be quite as successful in building up Uiq bodily hvnlth of the children, and fittisg tberii for the serious business of life.

'■ Thi: curricttlutn of <iur schools is I already overloaded, and it would bo ■ unfair and, imdesirnbkto plaec upon the -teachers [.he additional task of making their papils pro&sicat in various branches of athletic sports, though the .sj'stoni of physical cul* ttij'e should lay a foundation upon which the expert trainer cottld-build. Moreover, every , teacher who is really interested in the well-being of his children * r ili naturally encourage tfjoni to take an active part in all healthy games afldi -sjsorts. fho f unctieti of. the school has been largely tsxteridetl in Mdont. yca*s, and tirf physical fitiiess of the j'onng people is now considered- to be quite as imjjortanfe as-their mental developinetjt, A modem educational autJiorlty retßarks that "physical powei' is tlvc basis of all power. It- unlocks- the. feodgfttes 'of -ancestral strength; it ■builds together sinew and fibre, and' ■makes hi' a Irmncss o{ physical texturC' which' is one of Nature's ways to moral strcagtlis and.almost its Counterpart," There are, however,: linrits to. the work of the school-. master in- this matter, and it is hardly fair to me^sere. his sacco6s by the jimnlxjr of his pupils, wlio are chose-n io represent the country in athletic contests, cricket, or football, : or afe the Olympic Gaaca. Wkat our educa-tio-n systeiß should aim at] from the physical point of vie* is to raise the average standard of the' nation. This is far More important than the production of a few outstanding athletes ■ capable of breaking world records. The possession. of men wp to the Oly-tnpie standard would, of eiM-U'sCj be flattc-i'iftg to out : iiatioß-al pride, but oiiv national wellbeing depends upon the fitness of the bulk' of the .population. Bat tlieugfi .there is no ropw for spfieiaijsed athletic twining in oiir; actiisil school systein, there is no rea- - son why Mew' • boys s-howjd not leii-B to run and jump, and pliiy : cvickibt and foptbftll on tile, most approved lines during ttaii , school' cairooi , , so thftfi when they grow oldci , ■ they will Bftfcurally take their place' iij. tho ranks <jf the. adult players,' arid perhaps-even gain ropreseatative: honours. The Americans are nofloubt_ right ia their contention that scientific; Iraiiiirij* should eoMinen.Eei dnring sdhoGi life. Me. PBiXOtto '. h-a-s told us that the seel'ot -o! Aaeri' i can;success in athleticism is hard, work, stttdy, and training, and there; is no efoubt that the disciplinary effect of- all this is cxoe-lfcnt. Our national character Would certainly be all the'tetter for. a little more of the spirit; of discipline. This ajr-; pears to bs the opinion of the Bri--tish.Prime Ministo (Mn. As-QtiJTH), w.bo, in his repl.v to the deputation: of. the NatUi-jvM Stjvvke League, saitt: that lie would welcome- .ft I'tfvision of the Britislj cdxicational system, in order tfott- nipre attefttion might ho paid to physk-nl im-pi'ovewofiti and; also moraJ disciitlinc and self-eon-i tr'ol. The sueces-sful athlete triust .be, under tlisciii'liiie, {nul live a steadyj and] TOli-ordercd life. AH this {a g:ood f iiirt there is a real danger lest. our -yoiiiig. peppln stionM exalt ath-1 ktics ffito the highest.'plaee, and re-' garel physical fitness as the end and! ftira of life, instead of a uicans to j enable thsin to rcquifc Mie.msclvcs as serious liieii ought in their family. Jntsin.cs.s-, titi-cl sueial careers,-' and as dti.iscns. If sport aßcl rccreA-, tion arc tnade the iittip Work of life ■they entirely miss their mark, an-ct this seeine to bo ths ttanger of the ■ American system which Mr. fEisOWO lias sketpheci _in sueh an .interesting niaimei' in his lecture? hi Kew Zca-. land. One is left with the impression l-hsti uthlcticiim is taken too seri- ■ ously, and is a>it to become aa end j in itself, instead of a means to some greater end. A nation cannot live■by sport alone, but- sport is of great value on account of the physical fitness whidi it 'promotes, and.pbysieal. fitness has a good r]e-al to do with rjearly every other tlud of fitness. Our Ajjaoraean visitors deserve ■tbn.nks for rcmiftdtEij us of tkis'facfct They] liew ftl.fo left ether valuable idea's I behind ttetti.,' and have given their frjends in New Zealand much to think abeut. They have won hiirh praise both on aed off the- field whfrci'oj they have gone, and they wil) ta,ke with frJiera o»ir very best wishes.