CULT OF SPORT

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 42, 19 February 1930, Page 10

CULT OF SPORT

ELIMINATING ABUSES

MORAL AND SOCIAL POWER

A BUEEAU'S ACTION

■ It is not surprising that abuses have been revealed, deep down in the heart of a movement so universal and so powerful as the cult of sport and all that it brings with it. But these abuses, around' which there has been much discussion, are by no means incurable. According to the official bulletin of the International Olympic Committee, a copy of which is to hand; the International Bureau of Pedagogic Sportive, recently initiated by the town of Lausanne, has given its serious consideration to this question, with a view to concentrating on those points in which it seemed possible to effect some reform. The principals of the bureau aro of the opinion that various defects .of a general character arc outstanding at the present moment; namely:—

- "1. Children, schoolboys, are the prey of premature sporting organisations. This is a consequence oi! the general' tendency' to produce precocity in every direction. It is to be feared, however, that the shortening of the springtime of life does not prolong the summer, but rather hastens the autumn; the harmony of the seasons of life cannot be altered. If the child starts sport too young, with the necessary work attached to it (such as training, competitions, crowds, and applause), he j rapidly becomes nervy or bored. The real moral and social power of sport on a boy becomes exhausted just >at the time when his teachers should expect most of it. UNHEALTHY HORIZON. "2. The very young man is led to endure, through constant . competition, great mental and physical fatigue. Instead of being a wise counter-balance to mental activity, -sport becomes the principal object of his life, relegating to a secondary position his work as ,a stude nt or scholar and leading to hasty and imperfect literary or scientific training. . !

"3. Very soon bad influences come to the surface, viz., bravado, self-adver-tisement, and material gain. The very bad example which they receive from their elders leads the youth very early to an unhealthy horizon, and it must be admitted that up. to the present nothing has been done to alter this attitude. The sporting Press, principally devoted to business and nioney-inaking, does .little or nothing to improve matters. This, maybe, is only a temporary phase. But whilst waiting for some change to be. effected, it.might be as well, if the Press is unable to change its line of thought, if we adopted a lino of policy that would neutralise the effect of this action. OUTCOME OF THE CULT. "4. The mentality so called 'Olympic,' which is actually the outcome of the cult and the ultimate gaining of a world's record, affects unfortunately a crowd of youths, who can never attain this objective but yet remain constantly impressed by it. The 'intensive rivalry which- is manifested in the Games held every four years and also in other periodical great national and international championships which are held from time- to time is necessary- for the propaganda of sport. generally. It would be idle to expect to dispense with it. But side by side with the striving after 'international records-' and also after 'national records,' which, are in the same category, thoro is 1 the 'record individual.' The latter is within the reach of a great number. It acts as an incentive to a virile training of the mind.and body, but unfortunately we are apt to ignore tho importance of it.' The badge of tho sportsman, which can be won and worn by the young Swede with its three categories, the excellent system of Lieutenant Hebert, of tho French Navy, with its graded system beginning . under 'zero' and mounting upwards, are ex-^ celleut examples. There are .others, and it would be wise to ascertain what their nature is and then to put them to practice. , ; ,THE ISOLATED ADULT. "5. If an excess in the matter of sport affects.childhood and adolescence, there is another individual—viz., the isolated adult, for whom nothing or very little has been done in order to. enable him to indulge in the practice of various sports at any time according to his taste and means and without having to join for a period any society or group. . This negligence is one of the most important problems of to-day. If it is considered wise.to delay'1 tho-com-mencement! of the period of sporting activity, it should on the other hand be prolonged as- much as possible. The adult is one. Avhose power of resistance is of the greatest importance, not only on account of his technical value, but of his value from the point of view of the-moral and social progress of the nation. -Only the conditions in which he may indulge in sport' are different to those of. his youth. . The ancients knew this; we havo forgotten it. Nothing as yet has happened to replace in this respect the gymnasium of the Greek City. But the call, instituted in 1912, that a municipal institution should bo started, has been heard. In Germany a recent movement has been initiated, which is.exciting the interest of the municipalities, and raising the hopes of the people. Fresh and enlightened schemes emanating from America are also worthy of attention, for they serve as good examples of what can be done. A new era seems to dawn. ,

PHYSIOLOGISTS TO'ASSIST. "G. The 'Pedagogic Sportive' must bring its policy into line with the necessities of the period, which is about to commence. One can say that this new science, whose forerunner was that great Englishman, Thomas Arnold, had its birthplace here in Lausanne. The first congress on sport and its bearing on. the mentality of the human .being (Psycftolopie Sportive) assembled at Lausanne on the Sth, 9th, and 10th of May, 1913, and- was jointly 'convened by the International Olympic Committee and the public bodies of Switzerland, and of .Lausanne. The opening speech was made by an eminent Italian, Gugliclmo ITerrero, and President Roosevelt gave it his support by sending a 'memoire,' in which.he gave his personal experience on this" subject in clear and convincing manner. We are anxious to resume, under such, auspices, our work which was interrupted under the tragic circumstances of the Great War. i This is obviously the moment. But, in order to achieve the best results, it will, be necessary to ask the physiologists, who have obtained, as a result of their study of sport in all its bearings, much valuable information, to admit and welcome the collaboration of the- psychologists, who up to present time have been kept aside. CO-OPERATION URGED. "These are the chief points, which it appears expedient for us to examine. Tho International Bureau of 'Pedagogic Sportive' hopes to organise along these lines first of all a discussion among the personalities and groups most interested, then to study tho defects and find a.remedy; parents, masters, public bodies—without forgetting youth itself, trie best elements of which .realise f.he peril and show themselves desirous of fighting it no matter at what cost or sacrifice —must all

assist. Without prophesying anything as to tho result- of these labours, tho International, Bureau of ,'Pedagogic .Sportive' considers as most efficacious, the methods of the scientist Solvay. The great industrial and philanthropic Belgian has been able to gain the best results by bringing together periodically a limited .number of. competent people to discuss a limited number of problems, which confronted them. The heads of the Bureau, independent of any school and. without any preconceived theory, ..ppcal to all, irrespective of class, rank, or distinction, to come, forward to co-operate with them for the public good."