“THE SPORTS GIRL”

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 May 1936, Page 9

“THE SPORTS GIRL”

CERTAIN GAMES HARMFUL Professor W. G. Anderson, Director of Physical Education at Yale University, America, is responsible for the physical well-behfg of 5000 men and women. He nas made a life-long study of the physical effects of games, and is the writer of the following article which appeared in the •‘Cape Times.” “Every, woman to-day takes up some form of sport. Some people with an old-fashioned outlook express horror at what has come to be called ‘the sports girl,’ but I think the time has passed when women, intent on gaining the obvious benefits of fresh air and exercise, win listen to their protests. “At the same time there is a real danger that in their enthusiasm, women may be tempted to try too much. It is not sufficiently recognised that just as the right games for a man of twentv are not the right ones for a man of thirty-five, so the game which is of tremendous value to a young man may have a harmful effect on the health of a girl of the same age. “Certain games are definitely harmful for women and others are suitable only for certain ages. I have studied the question very carefully and come to the conclusion that any games involving sudden strains and violence may be harmful to the average woman. There are, of course, exceptional girls who are able to stand far more strain than their ‘average’ sisters, but even these girls, if they do not hurt themselves, gain Very little benefit from violent sports. .VALUE OF COUNTRY DANCES “For a girl between the ages of three and seven, 1 have found that ‘action’ songs and country dances are best for building and strengthening the muscles. The movements open the lungs and develop the chest, and in the hands of an intelligent teacher, these ‘games’ can be as interesting as others which are more suited to older children. It must not be forgotten that where there is no interest in a game, there is no benefit. Physical well-being is dependent on the mind as well as on the muscles. “For the growing girl between the ages of seven and twenty-one, the finest all-round sport is gymnastics. In the United States at the present time there is almost a craze for gymnastics, which strengthens many muscles in different parts of the body. The competitive element can be introduced into ‘gym.’ if it is thought advisable, and the beauty of this sport is that an experienced instructor can take his pupils individually from exercise to exercise, giving each exactly the required amount and no more.

"From a national point of view, gymnastics is an economic sport. The original equipment is, perhaps, expensive, but the maintenance charges are very small, compared with tennis, hockey, and similar games. There are thousands of women who cannot afford the constant renewal of equipment required in these sports, and I look forward to the time when every Lown will have its indoor and open-air gymnasiums.

“Growing girls can also gain considerable benefit from fencing, golf, and hockey, but football should definitely be ruled out and cricket is of doubtful value. Our girls go in for tap dancing, which is the best exercise for building fine legs. Exercises which develop a good pair of legs have more than ‘face’ value, since the heart also benefits.

“The girl who has left school can play golf and tennis with benefit, but athletic sports, although good in moderal ion may be harmful in excess. A woman who indulges in cross-country marathons, and falls exhausted and almost unconscious at the end of a gruelling run is doing herself no good, whatever trophies she may caputre. If cross-country running appeals to you. better take ii easily at a comfortable pace and forget the prizes. You will gain in the long run. NOT IDEAL FOR MOTHERS

“1 am of the opinion that tennis is not an ideal game lor mothers. Before a woman has had children, a strenuous game of tennis is fine, and Mrs. Wills-Moody is an excellent example of a girl who has bunt up a tine constitution on the tennis courts. But after she has borne children, a woman should be content with walking, simple exercises, and golf. Tenuis, if it could be played mildly and in moderation, would not be harmful, but I have yet to meet the tennis enthusiast who could resist the temptation to go ‘all out,’ and in the case of a mother this strain may have to be paid for later in life. “As a woman grows older, she will find cycling the most beneficial exercise of all. By strengthening the ■ High muscles, cycling benefits the heart, and many a woman who feels as fit at sixty as she did at sixteen lias cycling to thank for her health. The day when the motor-car drives the cycle off the road will be a bad one from the point of view of national health. “Swimming is an exercise for all ages, and every woman, like every man, should be able to swim. But women should remember that the efforts they made when girls should not be repeated when they arc mothers of a family. It is perhaps hard to see others going ‘all out’ and have to restrain yourself, but your moderation will be repaid in the long run. Merely entering sea water is beneficial, apart from any actual exercise.

“From the mental point ,of view, team games are of tremendous value to girls. Men have been brought up in (he team tradition, but to women it is a comparatively now idea. At the same time no woman should hesitate to cry off, if she is feeling the least bit off-colour, as over-exercise may do irreparable damage. “Women’s sport is becoming increasingly important in every civilised country. In America you will find the college magazine filled with it, and any woman who wishes to become a sports instructor at colleges lias to pass an examination of forty subjects, including anatomy, hygiene, physiology, and psychology. This movement is all to the good, but I hope that women will never forget that they are not built on the same lines as. men. and therefore cannot indulge in the same sports with impunity. “To enjoy sport is important, but it is only half the picture. To be of real value, sport must be directed towards building up a disease-resisting body which ensures health all through life.”