GIRLS AND SPORT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19976, 19 June 1928, Page 11

GIRLS AND SPORT.

RISK OF OVER-EXERTION. STRENUOUS FORMS OF PLAY. SUPERVISION OF TRAINING. Auckland girls v.ho battle strenuously with a racquet in summer and a hockey stick in winter seem to be causing their mentors no anxiety on the score of overexertion. The doctrine of moderation has apparently been well instilled into the minds of the hundreds of young women who seek health and recreation in the gymnasium and on the playing field While the danger of overtaxing the physical resources is nn ever-present one. supervised training, as extended, for instance, by the Auckland Girls' Athletic Association, is claimed to be a practical safeguard against misguided enthusiasm in that respect. Attention to the effect of strenuous games on girls was called in a cablegram, published yesterday, which told of the recent collapse of Miss Betty Nuthall during the progress of a tennis tournament in France. It was suggested that experience in recent years showed that moderation, especially in tennis, had been forgotten in the glaniour and excitement of the game, and that serious physical results had followed. Tendency to "Overdo Things." M iss Marjorie Macfarlane, the Auckland tennis player, who recently returned from a two years' tour abroad, said there was certainly a tendency among some English girls to "overdo things." Some of them, after a continuous round of tournaments during the English summer, spent the winter in the south of France and competed in tournaments there just as strenuously. But the leading players were usually careful. They trained consistently, and were seldom called upon to play in so many matches in the one day as was the case at New Zealand tournaments. In fact, that so many women were able to play first-class tennis when well into the 'forties seemed to indicate to Miss Macfarlane that the general run of players mixed discretion with their game. "We teach our girls to play for the enjoyment of the sport and strive to eliminate the big danger of over-training for the sake of individual effort," said Miss Jean Begg, president of the Girls' Athletic Association, which has over 2000 members. "There is certainly a tendency for girls to overstrain in preparation for a large sports day. For that reason we try to encourage our girls to regard their sport as purely a recreational and healthgiving exercise, and not a contest for the enjoyment of spectators." Far from overdoing sport, Miss Begg considered too many Auckland girls were neglecting the advantages to be derived from outdoor exercise. A large number played no games, and were the worse for that fact, both in the lack of good health and the spirit of true sportsmanship. Lady Doctor's Warning. In the opinion of a lady doctor, however, the modern trend, noticeable in Auckland, was for girls to indulge in too much match play to the undoubted detriment of their health. The wiser schools guarded against that tendency, but, nevertheless, girls in their enthusiasm and desire "hot to let the side down" frequently played too strenuously, although they endeavoured to disguise the ill-effects of their exertions. "There are certain sports in which a girl can excel," said the doctor, "but she has to remember that she cannot do everything a man can do in the sports arena. Games should be played for exercise, but great care must be taken to ensure that the competitive spirit is not allowed to work harm by over-taxation of strength." Balancing superficially opposing views, the general belief appears to be that vigorous but not over-strenuous games constitute valuable exercise for young women, and that more could with advantage take part in the numerous suitable activities for winter and summer recreation. The guiding principles. should be moderation in the games that are so fitting. and a strict avoidance of the essentially masculine sports.