isa-normaladvance-1903-00070

Description:	70THE NORMAL ADVANCE.Athletics as a Factor in HumanDevelopment.Athletics is an institution which has been recognized by all the civilizations of the world as apower for good. Greece owes her greatness largelyto the Olympian games. There the perfect formwas developed and with that as a model Greecebecame the foremost civilization in the perfectionof Art. Throughout history we can trace a gradual growth from its birth in Greece.Rome prided herself in the power and endurance of her soldiers. They were her strength andcomfort. The German tribes chose the strongestand most skillful man as their leader, and thiswas decided by athletic contests. In the days ofthe Feudal system tournaments, which were nothing more or less than athletic contests, were givenand in chivalry the knights contested for theprize and their ladys love.Even the pious old monks were sensuous enoughto indulge in contests of running and jumping.In olden times England gave tournaments andawarded the strongest and most skillful men.Tennyson used these facts for the basis of one ofthe books in his immortal Legends of King Arthur.At our great Worlds Fairs athletics have hadtheir place along with the other great exhibits.In modern times athletics have become a potentfactor in all the greater institutions of learningthrougholut our land. Yale and Harvard have expended large sums of money upon the equipmentof their gymnasia and athletic fields and for maintaining their teams. In return the gridiron, thetrack and the diamond have been means of advertising these schools and drawing many of theirstrongest and most capable students to them. Itis an obvious fact, nor is it generally questionedby the greatest educators, that athletics are essential to these great institutions, and for this reason prominent business men are giving large endowments for its support.The Young Mens Christian Association makesathletics a power by which it draws and holds itsmembers. In their building a large percent ofthe money is expended for the gymnasium and apparatus and a man educated for the work is hiredfor the sole purpose of teaching gymnastics.Our high schools are now taking up athleticsand are using them as a factor in their course.The leading high schools in Indiana are rapidlydeveloping teams and collecting money to supportthem. The success of an athletic association depends entirely upon the faculty and students.Either can maintain an athletic association, but itrequires both working together to give it life andspirit. When the faculty manifests a genuine interest in the work by attending the games andsupporting the association financially the studentswill follow the example, but without this encouragement, any attempt is uphill business.There are always a few who are willing to givetheir time and money to the support of the teambut they alone can not support it. It requires theentire student body and faculty in any institution.Girls as well as boys ladies of the faculty as wellas the men nothing but the combined effort ofevery member of the school can make the athleticassociation alive.The writer once visited a high school in southern Indiana, on which occasion he had the pleasure of attending a meeting of the athletic association. Every member of the faculty and almostevery student, together with a large number ofvisitors, were present. The track team had recently won the pennant in a field and track meetwith a large number of neighboring high schools.It was a jollification meeting, but the spirit indicated that equally as enthusiastic a meetingwould have been held had the team been beaten.The boys made speeches, the girls sang the schoolsongs and everybody enjoyed the meeting thor-
Source:	http://indstate.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/isuarchive/id/33819
Collection:	Indiana State University Archives

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