AMERICAN ATHLETES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8612, 24 December 1913, Page 8

AMERICAN ATHLETES

THEIR DEVELOPMENT INTERESTING ADDRESS BY MR E. PEIXOTTO. Tho American athlete, his training and his success—this briefly sums up tho chief points in Mr E. Peisotto’s address which was delivered at the Town Hall last evening before a good audience, over whom tho Mayor (Mr J. P. Luke) presided. Mr Pcixotto is the manager of tho American athletic team ■which is touring New Zealand. Americans, ho remarked, had developed certain features in connection with their training, and it tvas thought that ho was in possession of tho open sesame to their success—that some word ho knew would give New Zealand the secret. This was quite a fallacy, and anyone -who had that opinion was destined to disappointment. Tho secret of the success of the American athletes was hard work, and the young men had to give up some of their pleasures, such as drinking or smoking, if they wero to succeed. They had not only to work hard, but they had to study, especially in regard to field events. In putting the shot, every muscle had to bo trained, while the whole art had to bo studied from start to finish. Then their organisation was better than in New Zealand, where athletics seemed to bo an adjunct to football and cricket, especially in regard to grounds. They did not have permanent jumping pits in tho Dominion where men could train and improve themselves in this branch of athletics all tho year round, and ho was quite surprised they did as well as they had done. RECREATION OR ATHLETICS? In America, rather than see a few highly-trained athletes good enough to win anywhere, they wanted to have 90 per cent, of the young people participating in rccreat.on of some description. They used the word recreation instead of athletics in the States, for it had a wider meaning. It meant not only a pleasant form of physical exercise, 'but the playing of games which induced people to exercise. Recreation, therefore, was more the terra to be used in connection with this class of sport. They believed it was important to have large numbers taking part, for they would more easily find the better men. If this principle was followed here, it would be better for New Zealand, for there must be better men outside the sport than were taking part in it to-day. Most of the American athletes came from tho schools, and in order to encourage the boys and girls, shorter races and altogether a less strenuous form of athletics was prescribed. A boy who was growing was apt to strain himself in trying to win a long race, and this had to be guarded against. Tho boys were divided into weight classes instead of by ago, and in some places height was the determining factor for equalising the competitors for events. They did not believe in handicaps, and liked hoys to be beaten, for it helped to make them clean sports and ultimately good citizens. PLAYGROUNDS FOR CHILDREN. Mr Peixotto then went on to the subject of playgrounds for children. He pointed out that Chicago recognised the value of providing playgrounds and had recently spent fifty million dollars on them. In New Zealand they had not the problems of crowded spaces and did not feel tho need of playing areas the same as they did in San Francisco and other American towns. They did not "recognise that it was a necessity to hnman life, but tho cities here would grow—there was unquestionably a great future before New Zealand, and therefore) they should provide for tho future now. In New York they paid a million and a half dollars for a little over an acre to add to a playground. The lecturer exhibited a number of limelight views in order to give an idea of the way athletics are carried on in American schools, and at the conclusion of hia remarks, a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to him for his interesting address.