THE WORSHIP OF ATHLETICS

Evening Star, Issue 15137, 19 March 1913, Page 2

THE WORSHIP OF ATHLETICS

Modem sport and its worship were subjected to a trouncing by Mr De Bathe Brandon at the annua] meeting of the College Old Boys' Association. He -was advocating that, the efforts of the association's athletic clubs should be directed to furnishing the means of exercise and recreation for individual members rather than to the selection of teams to take part in public displays. In support he said an interesting revolution -was taking place, muscle and cunning endeavoring to assert a claim for pre-eminence as against intellect. _ Cricket, football, tennis, rowing, running, jumping, golf, and the like were gsanes _ designed to afford exercise and recreation to the human hotly in order that the mind might flourish without disturbance engendered by malnutrition of its corporeal elements. These games, however, were now exploited by associations, leagues, and what not fc-r the purpose of exhibiting to gaping crowds the prowess of a few individuals who had developed muscle and cunning to Such an extent as to be themselves worthy of inclusion in the category of highly-trained beasts. I "When physical inability overtakes these highly-trained beasts, and they fall out of favor, they find themselves unable to adapt themselves to the more serious occupations in life. Physical development has been attained at the expense of intellect, and the unfortunate cast-off is not able to turn his mind to legitimately profitable account. Ho becomes a panderer to human vices, the promoter of or ignobte instrument of schemes designed for the plucking of pigeons. Let this exploitation continue atid the ambition of the young will bo turned away from those employments which are valuable to the community, and tempted to the search for an earlier but unstable reward in the plaudits of a bruteworshipping crowd." As to which was best for the State, he said, there could be no doubt. Muscle dominant must lead to savagedom. The more thoroughly the school developed the intellect the more likely were the affairs of the community to be well managed. Turn school into a taming and training ground for beasts and the truo purpose of the school was set on one side. Turn ScEool into a studio exclusively for the development of the purely mental faculties and the produce will be Of little usfe to the. community. The school should cultivate muscle to the extent necessary to permit of the best development of the intellect. That must be "the dominant idea, and muscle mutt be the servant.