SCHOOLBOY ATHLETES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18895, 18 December 1924, Page 14

SCHOOLBOY ATHLETES.

TRAINING for contests.

GAMES LOSE ENJOYMENT.

OPPOSED BY REV, E. C. CROSSE.

[BY TEI.EGS.APH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] CHRTSTCHURCH, Wednesday.

"It is not the winning of inter-school events by . the school representatives which masters most in the athletic iecord of a school. What does matter is the provision of good, healthy competitions down to '.lie very smallest boy, stated the lu?a<hiaster of Christ's College, Rev. E. C. Crosse, at the prize-giving ceremony.

"I do no!, wish to stress in any way the fact that we have been almost invariably succcsv»fnl- in our encounters "with other schools," continued. 'In mv opinion, far too nuch importance is paid in general to, t'Ais mere winning of an event, and i:i order to secure this result bovs have in thro past been encouraged to'go in for a system of training which not only robs the game of half its enjoyment, but results in defeating its own purpose. In my opinion, any healthy bov to be aible to do full justice to'himself in all events except, perhaps, rowing and boxing without an_V lnterfoience with his normal routine of life, and I think it is because the boys aro beginning to realise this themselves that we can" look back upon qur athletic record thus far with such a .general sense of satisfaction."