CLOSELY LINKED

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 151, 24 December 1930, Page 7

CLOSELY LINKED

(By Professor A. M. Low.).

SPOET AND BUSINESS.

MAKING A TEAM SPIRIT; '

Copyright. Is sport an aid to business? To give a convincing answer to this question, perhaps it wero best to look at the business world generally and sea what it requires to achieve success. These, in the main, seem to be the re« quirements—the good health of its workers, a good team spirit, a common bond with other business houses, a good understanding between the workers and the directorate, good work, and good, advertising. Let us, then, take these in turn and sco how far sport helps in promoting them. The first practically answers itself; for there is surely no greater health-giver than outdoor sport. The combination of fresh air' and exercise is not only invaluable as a preventive of disease; it is essential if physical fitness is to be maintained. It is all very well to say that these two things, fresh air and exercise, can be had by. anyone without going to the trouble of indulging in organised sports. The fact remains that for every otic who will take advantage of them, fresh air and exercise unadorned to ensure good health, there are nine who would never dream of it. It is true, alas, that many of these have little or no opportunity of getting either fresh air or exercise without considerable effort on their part. And, when all is said and done, we are a lazy lot. It is so simple to say that we are fit enough in a way. But we know, in our hearts, that we are not fit. And that is where organised sport comes in. . MAKING IT ATTRACTIVE. The Briton is a queer mixture. Ho has never made a god of good health, perhaps because body worship seems a selfish sort 'of thing. But he will keep fit if there is an unselfish end in view. In short, he. will take any amount of trouble if there is Borne- sort of a game in sight—and particularly if that game be a team game. Sport, then, is the dressing, . the sauce—call it what you will—that makes tasteless fresh air and stodgy, exercise a dish to be desired. Without our sports we should soon become a C 3 nation. "Whenever the need has arisen for strength and endurance, the Britisher has shown that he has not his equal anywhere!. It is his love of sport which has brought it about. So, if good health is esesntial to business, business must admit a large indebtedness to sport. But I can feel we can add quite a little more to the account rendered by "Sport" to "Messrs. Business and Co., Ltd." THE SOLUTION. Good team spirit? Look carefully at the words. Do we need to go any farther? It is the essence of sport. Business has stolen the idea, lock, stock, and barrel, straight from the playing fields. It has seen tho difference between a so-called team of individuals each playing for himself and a team playing as a man for the glory of the side. A good idea, business has thought, and the modern trend is very definitely; to make the worker one of a businessteam, interested in it and working for its success. Is it any wonder, then, that in the past few years the bigger business houses have tried to get this interest, this "house" spirit, by combining it with the team spirit? They hava worked on the principle that if their employees will play for the glory of their "house," they will work for it in the same spirit. ' ' . ' I do not think it is too early to say. that the venture has been a complete success, and that the excellent playing fields that have been provided by the bigger houses have more than paid for themselves in better and keener work and less illness. More than that, they have established .a firm bond between firm and firm, between house and house. There may be strong rivalry in business, but this new rivalry on the field has touched the other and imbued it with a sporting flavour that makes relations pleasing without removing the zest of competition. This sporting bond goes further. It goes out with the travellers all pver the country; it is a topic of conversation that seldom bores. For sport is the strongest link in tho brotherhoo-t. of man. Then, again, it has an effect on ihf. individual which must not be overlook cd. There are always more below thai*; there are above, and tho question -ol promotion is often a difficult one, which may lead to friction, unpleasantness, and, in the ease of the disgruntled pass-overs, to a loss of interest in. the work. Introduce sport with its jfine spirit, and the biggest step has bee a taken to eliminate bad feeling. REMOVING THE BAN. Sport is a lovelier of both social and business distinctions. Worker and director under the new regime can and do meet as equals on the playing field, where they can learn what it means to pull together. Are they going to forget that when they don their office coats again? Surely not. Rather will it make each appreciate the other's position and attitude and understand it, and often cause him to modify or entirely change his views. Does sport help to advertise a firm? "Blank's have won the ' champibnBhip of the Business Houses' Soccer League.'' "John Brown, of Blank's, put up a good fight in the final of the Newtowa open tennis tournament." Whatbet- :- ter advertisement! A sporting firm! A firm that plays the game. There, surely, is an advertisement which, though quiet and indirect, is worth a hundred assurances of the best attention: Yes, sport helps business all along tho line, and the day is not far distant when the sport-business bond will become so strong that strikes and ruinous dislocations will be entirely eliminated. That is why I earnestly urgo those businesses which are not big enough to run playing fields and teams of their own, to encourage their employees to play for local teams and not to penaliso any who aro unfortunate enough to get injured. Occasional accidents aro iuovitablc, but tho lost timo is small in comparison with the gain in health and keenness. / Assuredly sport is a great aid to business and —let it not be overlooked —business is rapidly becoming a great aid to sport.