Newspapers / Chowan University Student Newspaper / March 1, 1965, edition 1 / Page 21
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Coach Tells of Athletic Program Values Matter of Deep Concern To Educators By JAMES GARRISON The physical fitness of Ameri can youth is a matter of deep concern to many people i n America today, and especially to physical educators. What do we mean by Physi cal fitness? Fitness has been defined “as a quality that en compasses the broad range of an individual’s endeavors and effectiveness.” General Lewis B. Hershey, head of the Selec tive Service, defined it as fol lows: "Fitness in a man or a woman is that quality, inherent and acquired, which renders the man or the woman qualified to serve to the limit of his or her obligations to the family, the neighbors, the community, the state, and the nation." “Fitness is that state which characterizes the degree to which the indivi dual is able to function. The ability to function depends upon the physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual components of fitness, all of which are re lated to each other and mutally interdependent.” This means ihat each indivi dual, in order to satisfy his own needs and at the same time contribute to the welfare of society, possesses: “Optimum organic health con sistent with heredity and the application of present medical knowledge. Sufficient coordination, strength, and vitality to meet emergencies as well as the re quirements of daily living. Emotional stability t o meet the stresses and strains of mod ern life. Social consciousness and adap tability with respect to the re quirements of group living. ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT FACULTY—Coach James Garrison, seated, Chairman of the Ath letic Department, goes over plans with his faculty members. Left to right, are William McCraw, hasketliall and track coach; Mrs. Janet Collins, Physical Education instructor for girls; Jerry Lee Hawkins, assistant football coach and head baseball coach. Sufficient knowledge and in sight to make suitable decisions and arrive at feasible solutions to problems. Attitudes, values, and skills which stimulate satisfactory par ticipation in a full range of daily activites. Spiritual and moral qualities which contribute the fullest mea sure of living in a democratic society.” John Locke once said “A sound mind in a sound body is a short but full description of a happy state in this world; he that has these two has little more to wish for.” BODY BITLDING EXERCISE—Jerry Bowman of Mt. Airy, finds the mounted bicycle a good way to get exercise and build body muscles. Why is there a need for a physical education program which will provide this fitness for American youth? Recent surveys and observa tions reveal to us a condition in America which would seem to indicate that we are develop ing a group of people who are lacking in healthy bodies and physical fitness. This is called an age of automation. The American people are constantly searching for some new labor saving device which will do all the manual labor by merely pushing a button. Boys no longer use cross cut saws and axes to cut wood. Children spend a large portion of their time watching TV programs or in the movies when they should be roaming the fields and forests. The mus cle building chores have been eliminated. We stress psycholog ical needs, when stress should be placed on physical muscular fitness. What, if anything, does the lack of physical education faci lities have to do with juvenile delinquency? J. Edgar Hoover points out that John Dillinger and two of his cronies began their crime careers by breaking into an old store, for lack of something to do. This started Dillinger on a road of crime which resulted in 32 deaths and the stealing of five million dollars. During World War II more youths under 18 years of age were arrested for crime than any other group. Thirty-one per cent of the individuals arrested in a recent year for robbery, arson, receiving stolen property, burglary, larceny, counterfieting auto thefts, forgery, fraud and embezzlement, were under 21 years of age. There are more ihan 5,000 drug addicts among youth under 20 years of age in the city of New York. Why does youth turn to crime? It is believed that they turn to crime because they want some thing to do. There is a lack of excitement and adventure. They want to belong to a gang. They want some outlet for their ener gy and have a desire for activi ty and because opportunities for self-expression are lacking, they turn to crime for their excitement. Another reason for a good physical education program in America is to relieve the modern day tensions. It has been stated that on a average day there are 700,000 persons as patients in Develops Confidence, Leadership mental hospitals. Sixty percent of the dismissals in industry are due to personal disorders. Man cannot stand the mad pace of this age. The results of tests of strength and flexibility administered to children in the United States and Europe show that in the United States 57.9 per cent of those tested failed one or more of the six tests for muscular strength and flexibility, whereas only 8.7 per cent of those in Europe failed. By way of survey, it was found that 91 per cent of the Nation's 1 5 0 ,0 0 0 elementary schools have no gymnasiums, and less than 50 percent of the Nation's 28,000 high schools have courses in physical education. Less than 5 per cent of the Nation’s youth have the oppor tunities for camping during the summer months. Forty per cent of the young men entering World War II could not swim fifty feet. Every child is entitled to be born with the very best and strongest body and mind that parents can possibly provide for the child. Every child shouldd enjoy good health, eat nourish ing food, have the opportunity to normal growth and develop- (Continued on Next Page) By JAMES GARRISON Athletics have been likened to atomic energy in that they pos sess tremendous power either for good or for evil depending upon the way in which they are conducted. They may develop health or they may weaken it. They may produce a good citi zen or the thug. They may ful fill their true function as a great medium of education for youth or they may be misused to glorify a coach or school or to entertain the public. In the first place, athletics are good for any young fellow in the formative years of his life. While in the field of ath letics we think in terms of building the body, it is equally a man builder. Entirely aside from physical experience afford ed, I doubt that any youth could play any organized game with out being benefited in character in the overall personal develop ment which only keen compe tition with its wins and its los- ;es can produce. Athletics teach the value of team play and the unique dif ferences team play can make in the years after school is over. Any businessman or any person in a responsible position can point out that the success or failure of any business or operation is no more of a suc cess than is the team work of his employees or of his organ ization. Athletics is in a real sense the conditioning and a training period where boys become men, where they learn to depend on others and others learn to de pend on them, where they learn that they have responsibil ities that must be carried out or the team fails, and where they learn that split second tim ing or being out of line as little as six inches can mean the dif ference of success and failure. If a sport is to make its prop er contribution to the education of the participant and spectator, it must be conducted on a high plain by leaders who clearly un derstand its goals and who seek intelligently to attain them. Ath letics provide experiences which contribute to the democratic way of life and to the develop ment of desirable characters and personality traits. Partici pation in and competition pro vides boys with the opportunity to learn how to cooperate and (Continued on Next Page) PH\SIC.AL EDUCATION CLASS—Volleyball has proven to be a favorite sport in many PE classes. Here students learn the value of team play, as well as obtaining much exercise. FOR MARCH, 1965 PAGE TWENTY-ONE
Chowan University Student Newspaper
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March 1, 1965, edition 1
21
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