MASSED SPORT.

Taihape Daily Times, 7 August 1919, Page 8

MASSED SP ORT.

: V2OO-ASIDE FOOTBALL. The great I'.','pl'.CaCh that opponents of sport—Jt‘llcre are puch €peolx‘]c——nlaklei against sporting exhibitions is that only a few pl‘ofessiomlils actually play, while thousands of spectators, who are not in the least bencfifod by their enthusiasm for Vica.:'ious sport, ;'was’de their time in shouiin-g. Now the idea «CT games on massee has come and it will stay. The old reproach of playing by proxy was partly “.1110, but fhc Army has taught men to '.*.al‘tiCipafc actively in all sorts of pastimes, while the new notion, which comes froni IXmol‘ica. will enable them to puf their desire for recreation into practice.

I The other day no fewer than 6000 ‘soldiers took part in a. single race. with 1500 of them in one heat. Of course it needed real vxnmzs to arrange al‘l'(T sfiit and fvvlge t’-is crowd of runners But it was dne. It was done under the s»;:yv:visiozl o'. all Amor‘can plryslcal di:.~.¢-rm‘ attached to the arm? in F3‘). ('9, who Is anxious that this method sport en masse, sport without spectators, sport in which everybody: tzukes part, shall 0.: developed_

A football nn.’cc:‘. in ."'rz'.a':e in Which‘ there yvere. 400 players was played‘ last month. Naturally it was not quite‘ the scientific ai‘f3.3r. to which the Hrl—l tish Public is accust -u~:~.9 There was! no room foiudelicate dribbling or for; any fancy aero’ca*ie's. not it was‘ healthy going. It was a game which» was full of zest. Every one of the: 400 enjoyed himself more than if he‘ had looked on at an encounter between Ashton Villa and Newcastle. to say it is so much healthier to kick a ball than to watch a. ball_ There were indeed four footballs on the field, so that everybody .should have a ‘chance. Goals were scored Whenever the ball went over the line. ‘These two examples are not excep‘tional; they are typical of the efforts [which are being madeto induce the men ofmthe‘AlneriCan'.al3lny to get down into the arena and not stay on‘ the grandstand_ This system is going to have Wonderful results on the physique of the Yankees. Why should it not be introduced amongst us? , Do not be satisfied with cheering the champions in every branch of sport i—-be the nearest thing you can to a ‘ champion yourself. .

Now that the soldiers are coming honie, I seriously suggest that greater facilities for communal games should be given_ Why stick to the sfereotyped ways? Every town should not only have its football team, but also its great piece of ground where anybody can burst in upon the jolly crowd of players and take a hand——or rather a foot—in the sport. _ Let us keep the games in which cracks take ‘ffifrt but let us also develop the go as you please games, the games for all, the games which will really reinvigorate the jaded soldier back in civilian life again. The,orthfodo): will shudder at this sacrilegious disregard for rules, but games are made for man and not man for a cast iron code.