OCR Text |
Show To be returned to A.M. Merrill AWARDS IN ATHLETICS As I understand it, Athletic Contests in football, baseball, etc., arc conducted as a branch of our program of physical education, which is a subject or course in our school curriculum, and athletics are taught in our public high high schools, just as is any other part of our work in physical education or in any other department, for the edu¬cational benefit of every pupil who receives instruction. I admit that athletic contests, just as any other extra curriculum activities, are, or should be a direct and lasting benefit to the school as an institution, but if they exist for any other primary reason than the physical, mental, and moral development of the individual taking part, then I claim, they have no place in any public school. The sooner and more completely we bring our pupils and the general public to realize that athletics are taught by the teachers of athletics, just as any other subject is taught by any other teacher, for the benefit of the pupil receiving instruction and not to advertise the school as a supernormal athletic institution or "to put the town on the map" or even to develop a school spirit alone the more normal and wholesome will become the entire athletic situation. I believe the high school principal is the party responsible for whatever situation exists in his school and in his community relative to the part played by athletics. He just do the definite constructive thinking and have the guiding hand. His biggest job in connection with athletics is to form a wholesome school attitude and an intelligent public opinion. If he fails to do this the sports of the town or city with the assistance of sporting editors of the local newspapers may exert an influence detrimental to the best interests of the school. These people know, but little or nothing about educational objectives and care less. It is not their business to know; it is our business to know. The "sports" in too many cases are cimply looking to the school as another agent for providing them a betting or gambling opportunity. The sport editors in many places see in every interscholastic contest only another possibility to assist them in filling the athletic column. The public and the press are easily and naturally in¬terested in that branch of school work known as athletics. They know more about this subject than they know about all the others combined. They are more eager to give advice and suggestions as to how this subject shall be taught, by whom it shall be taught, and to whom it shall be taught than they are concerning any other subject in our schools today. It is perfectly natural that these outsiders should consider athletics and athletes as the thing for which the school exists, and everything else connected with the school of secondary consequence or of no consequence at all. They know that the teacher of athletics—the coach—should be fired if he does not produce for them a winning team, and they believe and advocate in many places that the selection of the competitors should not rest in the hands of the principal. Is it any wonder that such educationally incompetent individuals should desire to see the boys of the winning team decorated with sweaters of some particular school color or with some kind of jewelry? They say "it puts the town on the map." They know that it does not but that it helps their business. The National Association of Secondary School Principals, at their annual meeting in Cincinnati a year ago last February, declared itself as absolutely and emphatically opposed to the donating of any award to the competitors in athletic contests. The National Federation of State High School Athletic Associations has made the same declaration and furthermore adds the following: Any member of the As¬sociation violating this rule shall be suspended for one year. |