ATHLETIC SPORTS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1900, 7 November 1913, Page 10

ATHLETIC SPORTS.

STRONGER THAN EVER. II ECU XT ROWING DEFECTIONS. Despite tlx: defections that tak« place i'rom time to tiinn from the ranks of amateur sport- to professionalism—the latest instance being that of certain members of the rowing team which won at Henley, and took part in the Olympic Games at Stockholm —it is gratifying to learn that amateurism was never strong* «r than it is to-day (remarks tho "Sydney Morning Herald"). " Mr. K S. Marks, Lon. general secretary of tho Amateur Athletic Union of Australasia, who went to Stockholm with the, Australian Olympic team, and acted as a member of the international jury, and

a delegate to the International Swim-, miiig and Athletic Federation, says that notwithstanding a few defections each year from the amateur t-o. tho professional ranks, it may bo said that amateurism was never on a firmer basis than to-day. This applies not only to Australia, but also to Great Britain, America, and the Continent of Europe. That a few should go over to-professionalism is only natural, especially in a young country liko Australia, which has such a small leisured class. Amateurs Abroad. In my recent trip abroad I found that tho strides made by amateurism on the Continent were phenomenal, and that the purest form of amateur sport was being encouraged by the highest in the laud, governed by very strict rules, and under the control of strong amateur sporting federations, professionalism hardly being given room to creep in. In England 1 found that, "between the 1900 Olympic Games and tho 1912 Games, the amateur game of foothall had increased enormgusly, the public taking much moro interest in tho doings of the players. The ground purchased in 1898 at Twickenham has proved a g;reat success, the international fixtures drawing very large crowds. Of course, professional "soccer" is the great game, of England, but it is also played "by legions oi' amateur clubs. Tho Northern Union game, which is also played on a professional basis, is only seen in the North of England. "In America I found that amateurism governed by the Amateur Athletic Union of the United States, was controlled and' managed well, and, with the' exception of baseball, was on an entirely amateur basis. But professional "baseball is, of course, a. very big thing—in fact, it is the main sport or the States. Canada is very strict in its definition of an amateur, and tho sport, is held well in control by .the Canadian A.mateur Athletic Union. Its definition, especially in resneet te games like football, is the strictest in. the world. A Healthy Professionalism? Is there such a. thing as a healthy professionalism? Mr. It. Coonibes, president of the Amateur Athletic Association of New South Wales, and of the Amateur Athletic Union of Australasia, holds that there is. ■ " We hftve tho best possible thing in the interests of any branch of sparfc—we have a 6trong and

Nell-governed professionalism. The better governed it is, and the stranger, toe greater the safeguard for amateurism. With this professionalism run on good lines, and governed, as it is governed in No-v South AVales, by the Athletic League, in the best - possible way. a man who wants to obtain%ioney for his athletic ability has no hesitation whatever in running -under the league auspices. It is a thoroughly respectable body. On file other hand, if there were no governing body at all, a sort of brand or stigma would rest upon a man who went in for professional running. Tfy& result would be that he would remain in the amateur ranks, where he ought not to bo. Therefore, the better conducted the professional side is, the better for us. At the present momentamateurism hi athletics _ was ver stronger, or in a better position. There, are more sports meetings and far more athletes than ever before, and consequently far more competitors. The same thing may "ho said of amateur sport generally; is in an extraordinarily strong position to-day. '(This professional movement was started in Now Zealand, and seem to be falling in line with them in some respects. But tho strango tliinp is that in New Zealand, particularly, there is a strong objection among the professionals to the employment- of the word 'professionalism.' They have what they call 'cash' athletics. There are amateurs and "cash amateurs,' and most ot tho newspapers allude to professional sports as 'cash sports.