LATIN AMERICANS

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 150, 29 June 1928, Page 4

LATIN AMERICANS

THEIIV TASTE IN^SPORT American sports ; .have-; found their tcayHnto most of 'the nations;. of Latin Arnica and are ;conipeting for- popularity ■T&th their hereditary' sports states the "New York, Times." . This development has' beeu'i.taWrfg. place, particularly djaring the lagt;nfteen years. Even .bullfighting iir Mexico is hard •pushed to' hoM its own -against .the spread of .Soccer, is not oi American origin, but so far as the countries south'of tho Bio Grande are concerned it is an American sport, since American agencies havo been responsible for importing it, not only in' making"its rules known but also in' developing the necessary pshyehologieal attitude that permeates participants and audience. ■ ' . .'' . „ On Sunday afternoons citizens ot Mexico City will fill the "stadiums to watch soccer or baseball games. In. cidentally, tho governmental edict onforced'against, church attendance -has; been a ■factor, in sending crowds; to; sporting events on Sundays. Lindbergh's rccoption,at the statiumm Mexico City, which was marked by'a procession and a calisthcnic exhibition, eeem to..many observers a sign of an; awakened'interes--. there iii a. modern version of sports. . ■ , . . Soccer occupies the major position nmongst the games Americans1 have taken Yo Latin America. Baseball has : a widespread appeal and track and field athletic meets are characterised by a degree of enthusiasm comparable to # that aroused in this country. Golf: Which requires an expensive equipment, is an innovation' of the last few years. A fine course has been constructed at Bogota, Colombia, largely to servo the recreational desires of American bank; and business officials.'-*. Basketball and volleyball are standard activities in almost all' the gymnasiums and playgrounds. •■■■• . _ A strong influence is spreading those sports/ according to a recent bulletin of tho. Department of Commerce, has been tho physical education programme carried on in .South American countries for about sixteen years by the V.M.C.A. ! Previously:v the', standard of physical education was exceedingly low. Tho conditions found wero to resemble those in the United States half a con- ! tury ago. Gymnasiums were badly ven-j tilated, rooms equipped with little moro-, than heavy weights, and attracted a ; limited number of persons who wished to improve their muscular strength or learn acrobatic feats. Light, ventilation and baths were totally inadequate and unhygiouic. , ..,''•■ Tho early gymnasiums classes of the v V.M.C.A., under tho direction of men trained in the United States, started a reformation. Equipment .began to be modernised and moro persons bocame interested.'With these classes as a foundation, tho association's directors went on/to introduce a wealth of" now gambs. In "a few years thousands of : young pooplo -""ere playing basketball, - volleyball and other group games, which were first demonstrated in the newer gymnasiums. ■ , In 1922 tho Latin-American Games were- held in Kio do Janiei'o under the patronage of the International Olympic Committeo. At this gathering more than a thousand athletics from six South American countries competed for the. championships in eleven different sports. In : 1.924. "the 'committeo; awarded- the ' Olympic Gup to Uruguay becaueo of its system of playgrounds, of which there are moro than seventy, its plan of physical education; for schools, "Ikoos." universities and athletic federations.