12
T II E P II N
Ictes obtain tlieir degrees than did
non-athletes. (2) Athletes spent, on
the .‘iverage, one semester longer
than non-athletes in college. (3) Tlie
])roj)ortion of non-athletes and ath
letes on ))robation at sometime or
otiier in their course was alike, name
ly, O.O.’iS. ( !•) The mean scholarship
grade of atliletes and non-athletes
from the fall of 1921 to the spring
of 192(i showed, by the system used
in computing the marks 8.1 for the
athletes and 8.G for tlie non-athletes.
Competition among schools pre
sents an objective measure of excel
lence that is indeed valuable in
breaking down institutional conceit
and narrowness. However, on the
other hand, coin])etition can prove a
boomerang and foster institutional
l)ride; if the institution continues to
))resent ehampionshij) teams. Yet, in
this day of subsidation of athletes,
lU) team can ho]>e to dominate any
branch of sports for any consider
able length of time.
Team sports enjoy their greatest
popularity during school days .Par
ticipation in those sports after grad
uation, is limited. One should seek to
become efficient in those sj)orts in
which one may ])articipate when
sclu)ol and college days were past. A
person’s jjarticipation and enjoy
ment are limited to those sports in
which he has developed a fair degree
of skill. When a friend asks you to
■play II set of tennis, your degree of
skill in the sjiort determines whetlr
cr you have a headache or an engage
ment or readily accept the invita
tion. Therefore, each person should
try to develoji skill in some sport.
'I'he value of physical education to
the individual is not measurable in
dollars and cents. The real worth is
intrinsic. “Physical education is not
an education of the ])hysical but an
education through the physical.”
Sports belong to a boy’s education
quite as much as purely intellectual
studies.
More and more in recent years
there has been a recognition of the
unique educative value in phjsical
education, its opportunity for whole
some development of young people
and the contribution of its learned
activities, to life, its work, and its
})leasures. And one should keep in
mind that (1) “Physical education
is the sum of man’s phj’sical activi
ties selected as to kind and conduct
ed as to outcome.” (2) Physical ed
ucation is an indis])ensable education
(:5) Physical education is an educa
tion tlirough the jihysical rather than
of the jihysical. (t) Physical educa
tion unifies school-life.
Also j)hysical education needs (l) a
more intelligent program of activi
ties more intelligenth' administered
w'ith ])roper emphasis on preventa
tive and remedial measures: (2) a
more educational attitude toward
j)hysical education among j)hysical
directors and physical educators in
general; (.‘5) a keener realization on
the part of the jiublic, governments
aiul institutions of the real value and
needs of })li3’sical education and re
creation, jiroperly controlled and ad
ministered for the masses; (I) a
more active promotion of physical
education and recreation programs—
more advertising of a constructive
nature, a greater endeavor to “sell”
education.
When one has realized and recog
nized the value of physical education
in the light of the aforesaid sugges
tions he will then be able to fulh- ap-
preciate the position of ])hysical ed
ucation and athletics in education.
—Joseph A. Bennett