Mr Lydiard’s Comments On Competitive Sport

Press, Volume C, Issue 29610, 5 September 1961, Page 18

Mr Lydiard’s Comments On Competitive Sport

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, Sept. 4. Though competitive sport had its shortcomings, people had to realise that it had the value of giving young people the incentive of "getting into the sporting sportlight,” said Mr A. L. Lydiard this evening. He was commenting from Auckland on remarks made by Mr A. S. Lewis, physical education officer at the University of Canterbury, on his return to Christchurch from a visit overseas. Mr Lewis had said that the emphasis on competitive sport in New Zealand schools and universities was keeping too many people “on their backsides.” When sport was too competitive, the energies of the physical education experts were used to build up the prowess of the top teams, while the others were neglected. said Mr Lewis. “We should aim to get all the mugs to do something as well,” he said. Mr Lydiard said that, to a degree, Mr Lewis was right—it had to be realised that spectators should play some sport, too. “There is a limit to the number of years that one can take part in competitive

sport,” said Mr Lydiard. “When getting older, people should realise that they need other sports to keep in trim.”

He could not see that the lower grades in clubs were sacri&ced for the older teams —“there is just as much enthusiasm for them as for the older players,” Mr Lydiard said. Mr J. N. Millard, chairman of the Wellington Rugby Union, and a former principal of the Hutt Valley High School, said that if Mg Lewis wanted his remarks to be taken generally, life would be a very dull affair. “In Wellington alone, we give regular weekly games to more than 15,000 boys and young men,” he said. “I am certain that the inspiration which brings many of them into the game is the thought that they may reach the top, and represent their province, or New Zealand.” The supervision of so many players meant an army of club officials and coaches, so that the teams at the bottom had as much care and attention as those at the top, Mr Millar said. Referring to Mr Lewis’s remark that most people today aimed at building up Olympic champions, Mr Millard said that the remark was unfortunate, because he was certain the performances of Murray Halberg and Peter Snell would result in many more boys and girls at School giving more attention to athletics.