The Press Junior THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1936. Sport

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21938, 12 November 1936, Page 4 (Supplement)

The Press Junior THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1936. Sport

In a week or so Dr. J. E. Lovelock will visit Christchurch and there wil be an opportunity for Christchurch citizens to see this famous athlete run. In Wellington last Saturday Dr. Lovelock ran with four Wellington men over four laps. A crowd of about 3000 went to watch the style of the Olympic champion. But there was not much speed. Why was this? Dr. Lovelock explained after the run, in an address to the crowd, that he had given his exhibition run, first for the benefit of athletes and next for the benefit of spectators. He said that he considered athletes must come first and the champion must devote himself to giving encouragement to others, not merely to displaying his powers for the enjoyment of the public. He talked of the importance of amateur sport to a country and declared that it was necessary for the country to try to maintain a high standard in all branches of amateur sport. Therefore, he said the public should do everything possible to support athletic meetings and so give encouragement not merely to champions but also to club members of ordinary powers and ability. He expressed his dislike of the habit of taking no notice of such members while lauding and giving high public praise to champions. There were great possibilities in athletics in New Zealand, he said, and it was in the interests of all the people and of the whole country that “everyone should take part in a good honest sport as much as possible.” Now this is just the opinion that has recently been expressed by the Hon. W. E. Parry, Minister for Internal Affairs. It is his belief that all workers in the city and in smaller towns and country districts should take advantage of the shorter hours of work and find an interest in some healthy sport This word sport is a shortened form of the old word disport, now rarely used as a verb and never as a noun. In olden days it was used as both, as a verb meaning to frolic, gambol or enjoy oneself and as a noun meaning relaxation, pastime. All the meanings carry the idea of happiness and healthiness. But now sport has come to mean something that is often, especially for the player concerned, far from play and light-hearted gamboling; rather it is something full of effort and strain, lacking the careless joy of play for playing’s sake. Here is something for young New Zealanders to guard against; to save sport from becoming a straining jealous thing more trying and more worrying than any work could be. Let sport calculated to improve physical fitness fill the leisure hoars and let displays and ambitious exhibitions for the champions and spectators give place to useful, healthful sports In which the many take part for their own enjoyment Dr. Love-

lock’s demonstrations are not demonstrations of prowess in winning races, but are given to help athletes who wish to learn how bbst to use their muscles to get the greatest benefit from their sport.