SPORT IN CANADA

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22933, 11 January 1938, Page 3

SPORT IN CANADA

ATHLETICS FOR WOMEN ATTITUDE TOWARD HEALTH CASE OF UNFIT COMPETITORS The manner in which organised women's sports have progressed in Canada in the past few years was commented upon by Miss Ann Clark, chaperon, in charge of the 24 girl members of the Canadian team, which is proceeding to Sydney to compete in the British Empire Games. Miss Clark arrived at Auckland by the Aorangi yesterday from Vancouver. As president of the Women's Amateur Athletic Federation of Canada, Miss Clark takes a keen interest in all forms of sport, specialising in mountaineering and ski-ing. Medical Examinations "The Women's Amateur Athletic Federation fills many important functions with regard to women's athletics and is directly responsible for the track and field competitors in the present team," said Miss Clark. "In every city and centre of Canada where we have representatives of our federation we have acquired the free services of a number of doctors. Any girl who goes in for sport with an amateur status, and joins a club affiliated with the federation is compelled to undergo a thorough medical examination by one of these doctors, and if she is not pronounced absolutely physically fit she is not allowed to enter for any competitive sports. Physical Defects "There are many cases, particularly among girls who attained adolescence during the years of the depression, in which cert/tin physical weaknesses or defects, unknown to the girl or her parents, reveal themselves under a medical examination," continued Miss Clark. "Frequently strenuous exercise would encourage the growth of the defect, and by these medical examinations, we ensure the fact that the girls who wish to enter for strenuous sports cannot injure their health by doing so. Our rule is that no girl can compete in sports under our organisation without having a certificate of fitness from one of our own doctors." Miss Clark said that another objective of the federation was supervising in a friendiy way the conduct of sports, obtaining better playing conditions and cleaner and more sanitary dressing rooms, and keeping up the moral tone of sports meetings. A woman representative of the federation was always detailed off to chaperon girls who travelled from one part of Canada to another to compete in sports meetings.