GV FOR BOYS s K.GO- 1 I I 1/ ./ GOR^Tlght}]". COPYRIGHT DEPOSrr RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS '^^^ Daniel McDoxald — First Senior Athlete Height, 5 ft. 5 in.; weight, 119 lbs.; Age, 15 years. Rating in Posture, 10; Alertness, 9; Running, 10; Hygiene, 9. Chinning the Bar, 14 times; Hop, Step and Leap, 28 ft.; Standing Broad Jump, 6 ft. 9 in.; Trunk Lifting, 3i times; Combination Dip, 14 times; Putting 6-lb. Medi- cine Ball, 30 ft.; Chest Expansion, 4 in. RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS BY V FREDERICK J/ REILLY /^ « V PRINCIPAL, PUBLIC SCHOOL 33, THE BRONX NEW YORK CITY D. C. HEATH AND COMPANY BOSTON NEW YORK CHICAGO V. COPYRIGHT, 1915, BY D. C. HEATH & COMPANY 1C5 APR 141915 CI.A39i566 DEDICATED TO GENERAL GEORGE W. WINGATE President, Public Schools Athletic League CONTENTS PAGE List of Illustrations 8 Preface 9 I. Introductory 13 II. Physical Training vs. Athletics .... 20 III. Rational Athletics 34 IV. How THE Work is Taken up 55 V. The Exercises and the Apparatus ... 68 VI. Some Results Achieved 83 VII. The Pentathlon 88 VIII. Some Experiments with Girls . . . .101 IX. Rational Athletics for Adults .... 110 Appendix 115 Index 124 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Daniel McDonald: First Senior Athlete .... Frontispiece PAGE A Modern Varsity Football Game, 1914 26 A Boy Scout 33 Fig. 1. — Obverse of Physical Training Record Card ... 37 Fig. 2. — Reverse of Physical Training Record Card ... 38 Fig. 3. — Classroom Chart Used in Rational Athletics ... 43 Fig. 4. — Table of Results, Fall Term, 1914 52 Fig. 5. — The Two Minute Drill 58 Fig. 6. — One of the Banners Awarded in Inter-Class Contests 59 Fig. 7. — Testing Chest Expansion 60 Fig. 8. — Floor Plan of Boys' Gymnasium 62 Fig. 9. — The Squads Line Up 63 Fig. 10. — The Squads in Action 63 Fig. 11. — Taking Places for Exercise 64 Fig. 12. — Ready for Exercise 65 Fig. 13. — The Standing Broad Jump 69 Fig. 14. — The Combination Dip : First Count 71 Fig. 15. — he Combination Dip : Second Count .... 72 Fig. 16. — The Combination Dip: Third Count .... 73 Fig. 17. — Testing the Combination Dip 74 Fig. 18. — Target for Practice in Pitching 80 Platform of Public School 2, New York City 85 Fig. 19. — Pentathlon Trophy 90 Field Day of Public School 33, New York City .... 94 Carol^Ti Miller: Best Girl Athlete 100 Fig. 20. — Floor Plan of Girls' Gymnasium 103 Fig. 21. — Target for Baseball Throwing 104 Fig. 22. — The Girls' Squads in Action 107 Fig. 23. — The Adult's Record Card 113 PREFACE In November, 1911, the Committee on Athletics, of the New York Board of Edu- cation, General George W. Wingate, Chair- man, issued a pamphlet calling attention to the system of ''general athletics" then in use in Public School No. 2, Manhattan, stating that its ''success has been so pronounced that it is desired to call it to the attention of the principals and teachers throughout our educa- tional system." "Rational Athletics," as this system was called later, was at that time in its infancy. Since then it has been developed to such an extent that its sponsors feel that it is time a full and complete description of this work were given out. Hence this manual. The method here described is simply an effort to combine the benefits of all-around physical training with the keen joy of ath- letic competition and to give every boy an equal chance — doing aw ay entirely with the idea of a picked team. The plan presented 10 PREFACE has been worked out for boys in an elemen- tary school. The same method, with an end- less variety of exercises, may be applied in high schools and colleges, boys' clubs, sum- mer camps, in the army and navy, and in the militia. The author is deeply indebted to the teachers in Public School No. 2, Manhattan, and Public School No. 33, The Bronx, who have aided in the development of the plan; to the special teachers, Mr. Barnet Shapiro and Mr. Harry Cohen, for valuable assist- ance; to Dr. Crampton, Director of Physical Training, for encouragement and helpful ad- vice; and in a special manner to Dr. Aldinger, Assistant Director in charge of Manhattan and The Bronx, for unfailing resourcefulness in helping us out of difficulties. F. J. R. New York City, March, 1915. RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS I. INTRODUCTORY Physical training work naturally divides itself into three parts: 1. Corrective work, prescribed for an indi- vidual by a competent adviser and designed to bring that individual to a state of harmo- nious development. 2. Class work, prescribed for large groups and consisting of rhythmic work, response work, apparatus w^ork, etc. 3. Athletics, which means competition for a prize either in an organized game, or in some track or field ''event" usually restricted to a picked few called the "team." In the public schools we cannot attempt much in the first of these divisions; we are dealing with large numbers of children and have not the time for that kind of work. Moreover most teachers of physical training 13 14 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS are not competent to examine, prescribe, and carry out an individual scheme of correction, even though they may desire to do so. Therefore, for the present at least, our attention must be limited to the second and third divisions: class work and athletics. It is my contention that the fundamental error has been the separation of these two. Physical training class work has been some- thing formally prescribed and arbitrarily imposed upon the children, with an utter in- difference to their mental attitude toward it. On the other hand, athletics and the keen joy of competition, the invaluable mental, moral, and physical training that comes from whole- some sport, have been reserved for the favored few, and in the process athletics has become so intense, so specialized and commercialized, that I am not alone in saying that it is prob- ably doing more harm than good in our schools and colleges to-day. As a separate institution, divorced from regular school work, controlled by professional coaches whose live- lihood depends on turning out a winning team, and engaging actively less than 20 per cent, of the students in our colleges, it has built up a double standard of morals that RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 15 augurs badly for our future business and professional ethics.^ The movement to-day, a movement that deserves all possible encouragement, is to bring athletics and class work in physical training together; to inject into the carefully prescribed course in physical training the vim, the lively interest to be found only in some form of game or athletic contest, and at the same time to make athletics the business of the many, not of the few; to bring the benefits of athletics within the reach of all; to cleanse it of its present undemo- cratic methods and of its ''win at any price" tendencies. The theory and practice of physical train- ing, as in any other department of education, must be adapted to the age, to the degree of civilization and the conditions of life which they aim to meet. The conditions surround- ing the ancient Athenian youth, the English boy of the fourteenth century, or our own early pioneer boys, would all necessarily differ widely from the conditions existing to-day ^ See Dr. Wm. L. Dudley, Physical Education Review ^ April, 1913; Dr. Chas. E. Smith, Physical Education Review, Jan., 1914; Prof. C. A. Stewart, Atlantic Monthly, Feb., 1914. 16 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS in a great manufacturing and commercial city. Nevertheless, there are certain under- lying principles that have varied but httle, if any, through the ages, and these should be held fast and never lost sight of in the effort to adapt ourselves to present day conditions. I should group the aims to be sought in physical training under five heads: 1. Health, the proper functioning of all the organs; ability to do a good day's work and to become a good ancestor. This implies the inspiration of an ideal, the arousing of inter- est, and the giving of the information neces- sary for an intelligent care of the health. 2. Strength and endurance. The military idea may be subordinated, but it should not be lost sight of entirely, since nations, like individuals, sometimes have to fight for their lives. Strength is needed, also, to play a man's part in case of danger from fire, flood, storm, or other elemental catastrophe, and to protect ourselves and others from bullies. 3. Beauty of form and grace of carriage. These are objects well worth working for, — consciously on the part of the instructor, even if unconsciously by the pupil. RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 17 4. A living interest in some form or forms of active sport. Such an interest will greatly influence the boy's after life by removing him from many temptations in his youth and by tending to lure him out of doors in hfs later life. 5. The team spirit. To teach the boy to work with and for his fellows, to play the game for all it is worth, not to give up, and, above all, to play fair. These ideas are not new; they have been voiced by many; they have been particularly well presented by Dr. Henry S. Curtis in the American Physical Education Review for Feb- ruary, 1914. But it is well to state briefly here the aims we have had in mind in depart- ing from the methods usually followed in the schools. We have tried to establish a system of physical training based on athletics, and we have selected a series of exercises which, if followed consistently, will, we believe, pro- duce a harmonious physical development. In our choice of exercises we have been much hampered by the lack of equipment, but, in the main, we are satisfied with our present selections. 18 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS It is in the method, however, more than in the material, that we have made the greatest departure. \Ye have apphed the method of athletics to our physical training exercises. First, each boy is in competition against his own record as shown on his record card at the end of the preceding term; second, each class is divided into three squads, selected as boys choose sides by three captains, these squads being in competition against one another; third, the classes of the same grade in our school are competing; and lastly, we have matched our school, grade by grade, against the corresponding grades in neigh- boring schools, — some friends of the school having put up a unique set of trophies for these inter-school contests. Some *2220 bovs took part in these competitions last year. In the inter-school contests, 80 per cent, of the register of each grade must take part, the sum of all the points won by any grade being divided by the number competing to get the average. This is all-around athletics in two senses; first, in that each boy takes part in a number of exercises designed for thorough physical development; and second, in that every boy in the school takes part, RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 19 except those excluded by the doctor's orders. And better still, there is no compulsion about it, the interest of the boys being so keen that we have to be on the alert to keep those with weak hearts and other physical defects from slipping in — which is hardly the usual state of affairs, as any physical training teacher knows. II. PHYSICAL TRAINING vs. ATHLETICS Physical training or ''physical culture" has become almost a mocking and a byword in our language. False prophets have arisen one after the other, each proclaiming far and wide that he had at last discovered the one great, infallible system of physical culture that would make us all Sandoivs or Annette Kellermans. But w^hen we have tried out these systems we have found that they consisted of the same tiresome daily repetition of cer- tain set forms of exercise that very few of us have the moral stamina to keep up for very long. In our schools, one system, one course of study, has succeeded another, each beginning with bright hopes and each ending in the usual disillusionment. And why.^ Because these systems of physical training, although con- sisting of carefully prepared, well balanced series of exercises designed to produce a fine condition of harmonious development, were, as a rule, in themselves tiresome and unin- teresting. If it is a strain even upon us 20 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 21 teachers to keep on doing something unin- teresting, day after day, in the hope of some benefit to be derived ultimately, imagine how irksome that sort of thing must be to chil- dren ! To stand in rows on the floor* and to go through certain movements prescribed by the teacher, with probably not the least idea of a reason for any of them, doing them simply because the teacher says so — is it any won- der that most physical training lessons are listless, lifeless performances, except where the teacher is unusually magnetic and expends a great deal of energy in arousing his pupils? Is it any wonder that so many boys and girls seek all manner of excuses for getting out of the work? Isn't it rather a wonder that they don't rebel and go on strike against what must often seem to them an inane repetition of senseless movements? Advocates of physical training have pleaded for more of this work to be introduced in the schools, on the ground that it afforded re- laxation and relief from the strain of ordinarv class work. And yet every authority is agreed that the most exhausting period in the day is the physical training period! No clearer evidence of the way in which school children 22 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS have been defrauded is needed than these facts. Imagine a class marched under strict disci- phne up or down several flights of stairs to gymnasium or yard, hned up in set order, put through a few minutes of ''tactics" — marching, facing, forming lines, etc. — then a few minutes of ''response work" in which they execute new and complicated move- ments to order, then perhaps a few^ minutes of "rhythmic work" in which they perform, in unison, various movements previously learned — all, mind you, requiring close at- tention and concentration to understand, remember, and carry out, or, failing this, earn- ing the sharp reproof, the scolding and per- haps punishment for not "paying attention"! Where is the recreation — the relaxation.'^ \yhen it is realized that in all of this work the boy has so far not exerted himself any more than he could help, that he has not put into a single movement any more energy than the watchful eve of the teacher seemed to demand, vou will understand what Dr. Crampton means when he says: "I am con- vinced that much of our school gymnastics has been thoroughly overloaded with response RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 23 commands, with the result that we are getting httle more than mental work- — a pale anaemic attempt at physical exercise, as the man in the street knows the term." On the other hand we have athletics. To judge by the amount of space devoted to ''Sports" in the daily papers, one w^ould imagine that we Americans were the greatest nation of athletes, of lovers of outdoor sports the world ever saw. As a matter of fact most of us get our exercise by reading the ''sporting page," by discussing the decision in the latest prize fight, or, at best, by sitting and watch- ing some hired men bat or kick a ball around a vacant lot. To judge by the papers and the popular stories of school and college life, one would imagine that our secondary and higher insti- tutions of learning were maintained princi- pally to gather material for the various "teams"; and that about all our boys do in high school and college is take part in games and athletic contests. As a matter of fact Dr. Wingert of Ohio State University reports that, while over a million dollars a year are spent on college athletics alone in this country, less than 24 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 20 per cent. — 16.4 per cent, to be exact — of all college students take any active part in athletics. Think of it! Over one million dol- lars a year spent in exploiting 16.4 per cent, of our students! What about the other 83.6 per cent..'^ Well, they are privileged to pay dues, buy tickets, and get their exercise by rooting from the "bleachers." There is democracy for you! There is equality of opportunity ! You may ask, ''Why doesn't the majority instead of the minority take part in athlet- ics.^" For the very good reason that, if they offered themselves, nine out of ten of them would be promptly rejected. The ''coach" has no time to waste on ordinary young men. His business is to pick out a few husky young fellows and develop a winning team. Advocates of the present system maintain that "the influence of one hundred champion athletes is far-reaching," that "one hundred thousand boys will be so stimulated by their efforts that interest will grow." Let this be granted. But what would happen to any of the hundred thousand if they presented themselves for training.^ As before intimated, they would be promptly ordered off the field. RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 25 The coach and his assistants are busy with the team. What a screaming farce it would be if the professors and tutors were to select from the candidates for admission to their classes the few who showed any evidence of brains and proceeded f orthw ith to coach these individuals for months in the subjects in which they were strongest — the other candi- dates, meanwhile, playing pingpong or reading novels — and, at the end, allowed the latter to purchase tickets to come in and watch the ''cracks" take their examinations! Is it any less a farce for our college faculties to allow the coaches to select a few young fel- low s, already blessed with unusual strength and skill, and groom them for a spectacular contest that partakes more of the nature of a hippodrome exhibition than that of an educational institution? A perfect chorus of complaints is going up all over the country against the present sys- tem. Men who know what they are talking about state that the present individual or intensive form of athletics is objectionable for four distinct reasons: I. It Leads to Specialization. The present 26 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 27 system tends to develop specialists in certain ''events/' rather than all-around athletes, or men of sound, well balanced physical develop- ment. The famous Mike Murphy, late dean of American trainers, said: ''The first thing necessary is to find the 'event' for which you show the most natural aptitude. Then stick to it." That sentence sums up the law and the prophets in present day athletics. The aim of athletics is not to produce strong, healthy, self-reliant men, capable of doing a good day's work in the world, but rather to produce a few experts who can do some one thing better than somebody, or anybody, else can do it. In the schools, we do not allow a boy who is good at mathematics to specialize in that subject to the neglect of language, history, and science. Why, then, should a school or college allow specialization in physical work.^ II. It Exalts the Individual. This is one of the most serious evils of athletics from the point of view of the school or college, and yet it is perhaps the most difficult to make real to those who have not intimately watched its effect upon students. It is positively sad at times to see students, faculty, and alumni 28 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS unite, seemingly, in an effort to exalt some fatuous duffer whose only claim to recogni- tion is that he can ''run a little faster, jump a little farther, or play ball a little better" than his fellows. The best students, the finest gentlemen, the most able and helpful charac- ters, the heroes w^ho are working their way through college against tremendous odds, — none of these begins to get such recognition as comes to the bruiser w^ho can make five yards on "a down," or to the sprinter who can clip a fifth of a second off a record. Read any of the hundreds of books on school and college life and see how athletics has eclipsed the school in the estimation of the students and of the public. The hero is always the ''stroke" of the crew, the star "pitcher," or the marvelous "half back." The fellow who studies is either neglected altogether, or treated with contempt and referred to as a "grind." In my humble opinion, the faculties of our schools and colleges have only themselves to blame for this peculiar condition. They have so neglected the physical side in the train- ing of students, that the boys have taken the matter into their own hands and, naturally, RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 29 lacking experience and wisdom, they have gone about it in the wrong way. They have follow^ed the methods of the athletic clubs, of professional and so-called amateurs, and there- fore we have all the evils referred to, and especially this exaggerated worship of the track and field hero. III. It Tends to Commercialism, The very keenness of the competition, when the fame of a school is permitted to depend on the perform- ance of a few men, when the reputation and the livehhood of a professional coach depend on his turning out a winning team, inevitably leads to all the varying degrees of crookedness that are embraced under the term ''commercial- ism." It would seem to be rather a severe commentary on our business methods when commercialism is a synonym for dishonesty! But such it is. Onlv those on the inside know : 1. The ''inducements" offered to promis- ing youngsters to join certain colleges — wit- ness the scramble last year to get Howard Drew, the famous colored sprinter. 2. The "cramming" to pull doubtful ath- letes through their examinations so that they will not be barred by the virtuous faculty. 30 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 3. The sinecure positions and the scholar- ships given to athletes to help them 'Svork their way" through college. 4. The secret coaching in ways to beat the rules and evade the w^atchful eye of the referee. 5. The not infrequent ''accidental" maim- ing of a dangerous opponent, to put him out of the game. Even if it were possible to eliminate all these evils — and it is not — a system that makes athletics the sole, absorbing business of the men who "make the team/' during the months they are in training, is so foreign to the purposes of an educational institution that it is hard to understand how and why it is tolerated. IV. It Leads to Overtraining the Few and Neglecting the Many. I have no desire to enter into a discussion of the effect of intensive athletics on the health of students in after life. Where there is so much criticism, it seems reasonable to suppose there must be some ground for it. The point I wish to em- phasize is that no school has a right to allow a few boys to be picked out and trained, or overtrained, merely to make a show% while neglecting the great majority. That seems RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 31 such a self-evident proposition that I shall not elaborate upon it. A great mass of criticism of the present sys- tem has been written in recent years by high- minded men who know^ whereof they speak. Many plans have been suggested for doing away with various evils, but to my mind none of them goes to the root of the matter. The system is so fundamentally wrong that it must be radically reformed. Even granted that human nature could be so changed that no college man or coach would resort to any dishonest practice in order to win, the whole scheme is so undemocratic that it should be driven out of educational institutions and reserved for the athletic clubs of professionals or so-called ''amateurs." If there is any good in athletics — and there certainly is — then every student is entitled to an equal opportunity to get all the good he can out of it, just as he is entitled and en- couraged to get all the good he can out of the lectures, the libraries, and the various other activities of college and school life. The present system of athletics is a pyramid standing on its apex. ''The honor of the school" is carried on the shoulders of a picked 32 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS few, the school team. Let us turn the pyramid right side up. Let the honor of the school, in athletics as in everything else, depend on the high average attained by all the students. Make athletics part of the course of study in physical training. Let the director of physi- cal training devise a course of study with a minimum of corrective and educational work for securing good posture and muscular co- ordination, and a maximum of athletics, real athletics, of the kind the boys like. Work out a plan of competitions that wdll interest the bovs, and thev will do the rest. Give opportunity for the playing of all sorts of games among the boys of the school, but abolish all inter-school contests based on the ''team" idea; or at least, relegate them to a position of secondary importance. If an in- ter-school contest is desired, let the school team be not less than 80 per cent, of the reg- ister, and let the events be such as to show the all-around physical training work of the school. Such w^ork might very properly be called ''Rational Athletics," and such a plan, worked out for boys in elementary schools, is fully described in the succeeding chapters. The RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 33 same method, modified to suit conditions, can easily be worked out for high schools and colleges. Boys' clubs, Scout patrols, the Courtesy of Boy Scouts of America. A BoY ScoUT. militia and regular army, organized for athlet- ics on this basis, would do vastly more for the physical welfare of our boys and young men than can ever be accomplished by the present intensive, individual, selective system of athletic training. III. RATIONAL ATHLETICS The new course of study, prepared under the direction of Dr. Crampton for the pubhc schools of New York, prescribes five parts for a lesson in physical training. 1 . Introductory — simple '' warming up '' movements to prepare the class for the real work. 2. Corrective — exercises designed to se- cure good posture and carriage. 3. Educational — exercises for ''training in form, precision, alertness, control, isola- tion, coordination, and inhibition." 4. Hygienic — vigorous work to exercise the muscles and stimulate the organs. 5. Recreative — folk-dancing, games, ath- letics, for fun and relaxation. There is good psychology underlying this arrangement, and in our work we follow this plan, giving about one-half the time of a lesson to the first three elements and the remaining half to our own exercises, which come under the heads of hygienic and recreative. From 34 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 35 this it will be seen that the system we are here aiming to present is not something arbi- trarily opposed to the course of study. It has, in fact, been worked out with the full knowledge and consent of Dr. Cramp ton and with the active cooperation of Dr. Aldinger, Assistant Director. Rational Athletics is a system of physical training designed for use in conjunction w4th the new course of study, but offered frankly as a substitute for the present intensive sys- tem of athletics as conducted under the aus- pices of the Public Schools Athletic League, and as a vast improvement on the extensive plan of so-called ''Class Athletics," also con- ducted by the League. With this introduction, let us look at the Physical Training Record, on which are summed up the results of the term's work. This Record is written up in duplicate at the end of the term. One copy, on white paper, is sent home, signed by the parent, and returned to the teacher to show him that it has been seen at home. It then becomes the property of the boy. The duplicate, on yel- low cardboard of the same size (d^^xS^O^ remains on file in the school, becoming a 36 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS progressive record of that particular boy's work in physical training. The first four items require little explana- tion. The weighing is done on a spring balance with a handle from which the boy hangs. This permits much faster weighing than shifting weights on a balance scale, and is quite accurate enough for our purpose. Height is taken by standing backed up to a scale on a door frame. Allowance is made for the height of the shoe heel, and a class is thus weighed and measured in a very short time. In fact all through the work every effort has been made to economize time so that the maximum amount of active exercise may be obtained in the time allowed, without infringing on the other work of the school. This w411 appear in the detailed description of several of the exercises used. The first five items in the Record, for which points are given, form a group by themselves. The Running (sprints). Chinning the Bar, and Standing Broad Jump are the events used by the P. S. A. L. in its extensive plan of Class Athletics. These three, with a satis- factory mark in Posture, and satisfactory ratings in the rest of the school work, form RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 37 aoava DIXaiHXV ::::::::: axaiHXVNV SV ONIXVH g NOM SXNIOJ ::::::••:: Pq —SI —u aNaioAH— II ONIHXVaHS daaa— 01 Xlld XOHS— G : • • • • : : • •. dKIlf HOIH— 8 •••:••:•: JVai QNV jaxs dOR—i dia NOix -VNiaKOD-O jHiif Ha ONIQNVXS— 9 Hva anx ONINNIHD— ^ fe P ONINNIIH— 8 ssaNXHaiv— s • : • : : : ] \ ': 1^ aniixsoj— I '.::•.•.'.::': XHOiaM '.: \ :'.::: '. CO XHOiaH '.:::'.'.:: : Ox^ilQNa HHax ^ aavHO p < o o o 38 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS EXPLANATORY NOTE *' Rational Athletics " is a system of physical training through a carefully arranged series of athletic competi- tions. Its object is to give every boy, except those excluded by the. doctor's orders, the training in whole- some sports that is usually given only to a selected team — with this exception : we do not allow boys to ** specialize." Posture, Alertness, Running and Hygiene are marked on a maximum of 10. In all the other items, the boy must reach a certain minimum standard set for his grade, before he begins to score. If he can pass the minimum, he wins points according to a carefully graduated scale. As the boys become more proficient, it may be necessary to raise the standards. At present, ratings are given as follows: 60 points — Junior, or Third Class Athlete. 80 points — Intermediate, or Second Class Athlete. 100 points — Senior, or First Class Athlete. To qualify as an athlete, there is no scholarship test. The rating depends wholly on the boy's physical skill. To win the P. S. A. L. Athletic Badge, however, he must qualify in the first five events on our program and must have satisfactory marks, — *' B " or better in Effort, Proficiency and Conduct. The Athletic Badge, " Bronze Button," is the mark of the all-around bov. Fig. 2. — Reverse of Physical Training Record Card (Reduced) RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 39 the basis for the Bronze Button or Athletic Badge Test, held once a year. We have added Alertness as an item deserving special recognition and being closely related to good posture. The next five (Nos. 6 to 10) are exercises which we have adopted as combining: 1. Good all-around physical exercise. 2. Natural interest for the boys. 3. A minimum of apparatus. No. 11 is devoted to a rating in Physiology and Hygiene as called for by the Course of Study. The fact that his rating as an ath- lete is appreciably affected by his mark in this subject will lend an extrinsic interest to this subject that is otherwise conspicuously missing. Nos. 12 and 13 were left blank with the idea of filling in further exercises as the de- mand arose. Already these spaces have been preempted, — one, as a result of a conference with Dr. Aldinger, in which he suggested a de- vice for training in pitching, which has already been worked out and has aroused considerable interest among the boys; the other, a fine grip exercise, borrowed from Dr. Crampton's health record now in use in the pre-vocational 40 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS schools. We shall probably not add any more exercises to our list. But should we find that any one we are now using fails in interest, we shall substitute something else, putting a paster over the space now given to the rejected one. This has already been done in one case, where we dropped an exer- cise known as ''Trunk Lifting" and substi- tuted the High Jump, at the request of the squad leaders. In addition to this, and acting upon a sug- gestion from Dr. Crampton, we examine every boy's medical record; and where he is found to have some curable defect, in teeth, nose, eyes, tonsils, etc., we offer ten extra points to be added to his score if he has rem- edied that defect before the end of the term. The system has flexibility. The only tests applied to any exercise to be included are: 1. Does it interest the boys.^ 2. Will it help produce all-around develop- ment.^ 3. Is it practicable, i.e., is it safe, and not too expensive.^ The last two spaces in the Record Card are for the total of the points won in all the exercises enumerated, and the boy's con- RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 41 sequent rating as an athlete. The last column records the boys who have won the xAthletic Badge, or Bronze Button. This brings us to a consideration of the scoring system. The Scoring System As stated in the Explanatory Note on the back of the Record Card, Posture, Alertness, Running, and Hygiene are marked on a basis of 1 to 10. The class teacher and the physical training teacher, who may or may not be the same, give marks in Posture and Alertness, at any time, just as they do in Conduct. The teacher who gives the lessons in Hygiene, generally the class teacher, marks in that subject just as in any other. About once a month, one or two of the men teachers test the classes in running and give each boy a rating. The method used to secure the latter is as f ollow^s : The class is lined up back of the starting line, the teacher standing at the finish line, stop watch in hand. As the big second hand passes over a given mark, he snaps his hand- kerchief and the first boy starts to run. As the runner crosses the line the teacher, without 42 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS stopping the watch, calls out the time and a boy, acting as clerk, puts it down opposite that runner's name on a chart which is kept in the classroom. (See Fig, 3,) As the second hand passes over the next marked division (10 or 15 sees.) the teacher snaps his handkerchief again and the second boy starts; and so on to the end. In this w^ay a class can be tested in running and each boy given an individual mark in from five to ten minutes. Of course this mark is only an approximation, but stop watches are expen- sive and we cannot afford to wear ours out by snapping the time on every one of hundreds of boys. Some day we hope to have an automatic recording device for timing that will stand up under the use that we will give it. The distances which the boys run are the same as used bv the P. S. A. L. in the ''Class Athletics" contests, viz: 5th Year, 40 yds. 7th Year, 60 yds. 6th " 50 " 8th " 80 " From a study of the various averages in class running made by classes throughout the city, we have fixed on the following standards: RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 43 to OS E -J < O h UJ z UJ O x; . 2 ^ Q.- • RATIONAL ATHLETICS li^S CD ^ Q. fe to Ok. 5: -3 5 3= ^^ fe § i- CfiO s at —3 g CS O z E c-> O ^ z .. Qc: JJ? z ^ t •«« UJ => 2 s _ 11I311M iH9l]M 1 o NAME 1 02 K H <: a; o Q p Eh « K o o 02 0^ 6 I— I 44 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 5th Year, 40 yds., 6 sees 6th " 50 " 7 " 7th " 60 " 8 " 8th " 80 " 10 " The boy who equals these standards is credited with eight points. Those who can do better are given nine or ten, according to their speed. Those who are slower get seven, six, or five. In the winter months we substitute a potato race for straightaway running. Six baskets are placed on a line, about ten feet apart. Twenty-six feet away from the start- ing line, the first ''potato" is placed, and three more are placed at distances of eight feet each, beyond that, the farthest being fifty feet from the starting line. The Eighth Year boys use this full course; each boy in picking up or replacing the four potatoes, runs a dis- tance of 304 feet, — practically one hundred yards. For the Seventh Year, we bring up the starting line ten feet, which automatically shortens the total distance run by eighty feet, Hiaking it 224 feet, — about seventy-five vards. For the Sixth Year, we leave off the farthest potato, thus again reducing the total RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 45 distance by eighty feet, making it 144 feet, or about fifty yards. For the Fifth Year, we bring up the starting hne five feet more, using three potatoes as before, thus making the run 114 feet, or about forty yards. . In each of the remaining exercises we have estabhshed what we call minimum standards; that is, each boy of a certain grade must chin the bar so many times, jump so many feet and inches, etc., or he scores a zero. When he reaches the minimum in any exercise, he scores five points. Then, as he is able to do more, he earns more points, according to a carefully graded system, to be explained later in detail. In order to keep something like a balance between the various events and to discourage excess in any one exercise, it is provided that no one can earn more than fifteen points in any exercise. Minimum Standards and Scale OF Credits Chinning the Bar 5a 5b 6a 6b 7a 7b 8a 8b Min. 34567777 46 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS Those reaching the minimum, score five points. One point more is allowed for each pull up beyond that, but no boy is allowed to earn more than fifteen points. This means that an 8b boy is not allow ed to chin the bar more than seventeen times. The standards remain the same through the Seventh and Eighth Years. Standing Broad Jump 5a Grade, ;VIinimum 4 ft. 3 ins. 5b ' ii 4 " 6 " 6a " a 4 " 9 " 6b " i( 5 " " 7a " a 5 " 3 " 7b " ii 5 " 6 " 8a " a 5 " 9 " 8b " a 6 " " Those reaching the minimum, score five points. Three points more are allowed for every six inches jumped beyond that, but no boy is allowed to earn more than fifteen points. 5a 5b 6a 6b Combination Dip 3 times 7a 7 times 4 " 7b " " 5 " 8a 6 " 8b ii ii ii a RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 47 Those reaching the minimum, score five points. One point more is allowed for every combination dip beyond that, with the limit at fifteen points, as before. It will be noticed that the standards are the same as for Chinning the Bar. Hop, Step, and Leap Each class is divided into three groups: A Boys under 4 ft. 6 ins. B " " 5 " " C " over 5 " " ABC 5a and 5b must cover 16 ft. 18 ft. 20 ft. 6a and 6b " " 18 " 20 " 22 " 7a to 8b " " 20 " 22 " 24 " Those reaching the minimum, score five points. One point more is allowed for every foot beyond that, up to the limit of fifteen points. High Jump As in the Hop, Step, and Leap, the standards depend on height and grade. 48 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS Under Under Over ift 6 ins. (A) 5 ft. (B) 5 ft. (C) 5th Year Min. 2 ft. 6 in. 2 ft. 9 in. 3 ft. in. 6th " " 2 " 9" 3 " " 3 " 3 " 7th " " 3 " 0" 3 " 3 " 3 " 6 " 8th " " 3 " 3 " 3 " 6 " 3 " 9 " Those reaching the minimum, score five points. One point more is allowed for every inch beyond that; limit, fifteen points. Putting the Shot 5a Min. 16 ft. 7a Min. 20 ft. 5b 17 " 7b 21 " 6a 18 " 8a 22 " 6b 19 " 8b 23 " Those reaching the minimum, score five points. One point more is allowed for every foot beyond that, up to the limit of fifteen points, as before. Deep Breathing: Chest Expansion 5a — 5b 6a- -6b 7a 7b 8a — 8b Min. If ins. 2 ins. 2i ins. 2| ins. 21 " 2i a 2| " 3 " 2f " 3 a 31 " 31 " Max. 3i " 3| a 3f " 4 " RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 49 Those reaching the minimum, score five points. Three points more are allowed for the first half inch beyond that; three for the next half inch; and four for the next; the maxi- mum, as in the other exercises, being fifteen. This completes the scoring system as it now stands. Of course, the system is flexible, and standards will have to be changed as the boys become more proficient, the aim being to keep the minimum within the reach of the great majority after reasonable practice, and the maximum high enough to be attained by only a few of the best. The rating of Senior or First Class iVthlete must not be cheapened by being made too common. {See Frontis.) The maximum number of points obtainable at present is 145, which allows a generous amount of leeway as the standards are now; that is. Junior, 60; Intermediate, 80; Senior, 100. When the boys become more proficient and enough of them qualify for the higher ratings to lower the value of the latter, the standards will be raised to, say — Junior, 80; Intermediate, 100; Senior, 120. This year the Boys' Athletic Association has provided a silver button to be given to the boys who qualify as Senior or First Class 50 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS Athletes. (See Cover- Design.) This button dif- fers from the Athletic Badge of the P. S. A. L., in that there are no scholarship or other eligi- bility conditions attached to it. It is a prize for excellence in physical training, pure and simple. One of the remarkable things about this system is that we do away entirely with ''ehgibility rules." Eyery boy in the school, good, bad, and indifferent, is entitled to, and receiyes, the best that we can giye him in the way of physical training. This does away with all question of unfairness in marking and with all possibility of scandal in connec- tion with athletics. As a matter of fact, we find that the class and school spirit deyeloped by this method is quite as effectiye, in a dis- ciplinary way, as anything that can be claimed for the old system of admitting to the school team only boys who haye receiyed satisfac- tory marks. This scoring system may seem rather elabo- rate and complicated, but in practice it will be found simple enough. Each class has to re- member only the minima for their own grade, which they learn yery quickly. A number of deyices haye been worked out for simplifying the scoring, which will be explained in the RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 51 succeeding chapters. In any case, the squad leaders will take care of all that, thus reliev- ing the teacher of any bother in connection with the scoring. About once a month, the men in charge of the upper classes give a few of their free periods, or some time after school hours, to testing the classes. The results of these tests are posted on a big chart which hangs in a prominent place on the classroom wall, where all can see it. (See Fig. 3.) It will be noticed that the class teacher has practically no recording to do. At the end of the term she simply transcribes the records from the chart to the Record Card; that is all. In fact, the pupil who has been acting as clerk may do this transcribing, if desired. The Basis for Our Standards A study of the following table of results obtained by 220 boys in the Fall Term, 1914, will show^ how our standards and scale of credits are determined. This table shows: 1. The number of boys in each grade who failed (F) to reach the minimum for the grade. 52 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS UJ Cl. UJ UJ J Vo ^ lo 10 CM -^o o CM lO d =?- '^2 CM iiOO cvl CM -to to to 8 CM CM h. o — o O CM O — ^ in CM CM Qu H O J K) O to <_« !?0 cvj So o CO c^,Q CM cn d in ^2 So ^CM ^ 00 s^ 2 o CM CO -CD en CO o M- b. ^) ;::; o -120 ^So -So O o C^ "io CM If) ^ rOTi- in CNJ m CM 5 CM ^CM \fi LO }oo * to ON b. - ID ro ^ lO -- to ^ CM 00 O z z z i: o -J o CM Q — 2o ^ro ^O in ^O ^O LO • CM d -0^ «CVJ OOCVJ ^co {0 — CM "^00 to to — CM CM lA. CO r;;^ r^ r- O -^ r- to {2 to oo OO CQ r- CD CD LO LO 1 1- si RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 53 2. The number who quahfied (Q) ; that is, those who reached some point between the minimum and the maximum. 3. The number who went the hmit (Z); that is, those who reached or surpassed the maximum for the grade. In Chinning, we found that 33 per cent, had failed. It was evident, therefore, that the standard was too high. A study of the figures showed that there was improvement up to the Eighth Year, where there was a de- cided falhng off. It was evident that the boys, arriving at the age of puberty, gaining in weight more than in strength, should not be required to reach a constantly rising mini- mum. Consequently the minimum now re- mains at seven throughout the Seventh and Eighth Year grades. In the Broad Jump, we found that only 11.8 per cent, failed to qualify; from which we concluded that our minimum was correct. But no one had reached the limit. Conscr quently w^e decided to give one and a half points credit for every three inches, instead of one point as before. To avoid fractions, we made it three points for every six inches beyond the minimum. 54 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS In the Combination Dip, we found the same condition as in Chinning, and evidently for the same reason. The standards were there- fore modified to correspond with the new standards in Chinning. In the Hop, Step and Leap, we found that many boys in the lower classes were failing and none at all in the upper classes. Evi- dently, therefore, a uniform standard, de- pending on height alone, was not correct. Consequently we low^ered the minimum for the Fifth Year grades and raised it for the Sev- enth and Eighth, keeping the same relative standards for height as before. In Trunk Lifting, so many reached the limit, that we decided that the exercise was too easy. We therefore dropped it, substitut- ing the High Jump, which the boys had been practicing all the previous term, although they had not been rated in it. Tests made recently gave us the basis for our standards. In the Shot Put, we found 58 per cent, of failure. It was evident that the standards were too high all along the line, so they w^ere reduced two feet for each grade. In Deep Breathing, the results showed that our standards were correct. IV. HOW THE WORK IS TAKEN UP We come now to the question of how the boys get time for the practice of all these exercises 5 without exceeding the time allowed for physical training. To begin with, the boys of each class are divided into three squads, each under a cap- tain elected by themselves. As this squad organization is at the basis of all our work, it is most important that the leaders be well chosen. The best plan is to have the boys elect three, the teacher reserving the right to veto only in case weak or otherwise undesir- able boys are chosen. Then let these leaders select their squads, one boy at a time, in turn, just as boys choose sides for a game. Should a leader be found lacking in the qualities necessary for leadership, a new election should be held. In fact it may be a good plan to change leaders occasionally. There should be considerable wholesome rivalry between the squads, each striving to beat the others and to contribute the greatest number of 55 56 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS points to the class average. These squads work together at all times, both in the class- room and in the gymnasium. Each squad leader is provided with a little notebook in which he keeps the records of his squad. In the Classroom Chinning bars have been put up in the door- way of every classroom from Grade 5a, up. At ten, eleven, and tvv^o o'clock the gongs ring, whereupon each class stops work, rises, opens the windows and does the " Two Minute Drill," — the setting-up exercise prescribed by the course of study. A± ten o'clock, squad number one goes to the doorway and practices Chin- ning under the charge of its leader, squad number two practices the Combination Dip, squad number three and all the girls do the set- ting-up exercises. At eleven and at two o'clock they change, so that each squad does each of these three exercises at least once in the day. Changing the order occasionally may be worth while. As the boys become inter- ested, they find extra opportunities for prac- tice at odd moments before nine and one, or when they have finished a piece of a\ ork and are waiting for the others. {See Fig. 5.) RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 57 During the study period, or while some written work is being done, boys are allowed to go up, one or two at a time, to practice Chinning, or to spread oak tag sheets, or wooden frames made for the purpose, on the floor and practice the Combination Dip. It is surprising how much can be done in this way without disturbing the good order of the class or distracting attention from the regular work. A visitor timing a boy one day, found that he left his seat, went to the door, chinned the bar thirteen times, returned to his seat and resumed his work in forty -three seconds! One class, by getting in each day a little extra practice in this way, ran up their points on these exercises so high that we had to change our standards and set limits that were before unnecessary. Practice in Deep Breathing or Chest Ex- pansion is done as part of the ''Two Minute Drill." This breathing exercise as commonly practiced is a good deal of a farce, the chil- dren moving their shoulders up and down and only pretending to breathe. But when you make it a game which they are playing to win, when their individual record and the 58 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS r 1 1 H ^ ^d 1 , #>v: ^^B ^ ^i^^^^ 1 1* T MM''^ — :HB|iiMa P ' 1 ^ 1 o 2 s ^ -si -^ ^ S S r^ -< CSS •Si o RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 59 winning of a trophy for their class or their school may depend upon it, then they really do breathe, and deeply, too! We try to get them to form the habit of doing this breath- D E E P I BlEATHINl* 7TM YfARi WiNt^ BY Fig. 6. — One of the Banners Awarded in Inter-class Contests ing exercise when they arise in the morning, and also, when they get out in the street on their way to or from school. And we know from the improvement shown that we have in a great measure succeeded. 60 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS In testing the chest expansion, which is done about once a month by one of the men teachers, a tape is passed around the chest just under the shoulder blades and the pec- toral muscles, at right angles to the back- bone. This is what is known as measuring on the ninth rib. {See Fig, 7.) Fig. 7. — Testing Chest Expansion In this test the boy first inhales, then ex- hales as hard as he can. The tape is then drawn snug and the teacher calls out the measurement, which is put down on the chart by the pupil acting as clerk. Then the boy again inhales, expanding his chest as much as he can, the tape is again drawn snug, and the RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 61 measurement called off and recorded. The difference is the measure of expansion. After a little practice, the teacher becomes familiar with the grade standards and calls out the number of ''points." The competition in Deep Breathing, how- ever, is not limited to the boys. Inter-class contests, including boys and girls, are con- ducted, and simple banners of blue felt, appropriately lettered (see Fig. 6), are awarded the classes showing the best average expan- sion. The girls are tested by some of the women teachers, during a physical training period. This completes the list of exercises that can be taken care of in the classroom. In the Gymnasium As our classes are mixed, boys and girls, the boys of two classes are combined in a physical training lesson, the girls combining in the same way. This usually brings six squads in each physical training class. The lower classes take four twenty -minute periods a week; the upper classes two forty -minute periods. Of the twenty-minute periods, two are devoted to the exercises prescribed by 62 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS s t. 18| 20| E2| 24| 26| 28| 30| | «) 9 ®-^ - ® o . T (?) , , (D — % S £ 2 * , 1 (§) ® ' ' 2 E: 12 G 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 I i 1 I Fig. 8. — ^ Floor Plan of Boys' Gymnasium Shoamng Arrange- ment OF Squads the course of study and two are given to our own exercises. In the forty-minute periods, the lesson as a whole is taken as outlined at the beginning of the preceding chapter, one- half the time being given to the introductory, corrective, and educational work, and one- half to our own work. We have thus two twenty-minute periods a week devoted to this style of athletics. At a given signal, squad one goes to the mat prepared for the Standing Broad Jump; squads two and three line up opposite the High Jump stands ; squad four goes to the mats arranged for the Hop, Step, and Leap; RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 63 Fig. 9. — The Squads Line Up squads five and six take positions back of marks on opposite sides of the floor, for Shot Putting. (See Fig. 9.) At a second signal Fig. 10. — The Squads in Action {Showing five squads at work, the sixth — putting the shot — being out of range of the camera.) 64 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS Fig. 11. — Taking Places for Exercise they begin work, each squad under the dh'ec- tion of its captain, the teacher intervening only when some particularly bad ''form" needs correcting. At the sound of the whistle, work stops. At "Line up!'' each squad forms in line; at "To Places, Marchr' each squad, led by its captain, marches to the next position on the floor. Squad one goes to position two, and so on, squad six going to position one. When everybody is working, it is remarkable how much can be accomplished in two and one-half to three minutes. In a few lessons the squads learn the order of exercises and RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 65 Fig. 12. — Ready for Exercise they go from one to another with a spontane- ity that must be seen to be appreciated. When beginning the work on any exercise, it is necessary of course to teach it to the class as a whole. Figures 11 and 12 show a class spreading sheets of oak tag or wrapping paper on the floor preparatory to a lesson on the Dip. In the same way it is necessary to teach the rudiments of even the Standing Broad Jump in order to get good results. So also with the Hop, Step, and Leap, and the Shot Putting. These are complicated move- ments which must be analyzed and taught one part at a time. For example: Draw on the floor two parallel lines about 66 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS four feet apart; have the class run in column around the floor and hoy over the space between these two hues which represents a stream of water. Then have them stejp over it; then jump over it. Then combine the hop and the step; the step and the jump; and finallv the three. So with Putting the Shot: Teach first the balancing, then the sudden twist, reversing the position of the feet without going over the line, and shooting the arm forward. Only when they have mastered all this, should the httle skip with which the movement is started be added. The Shot Put can be taken as a mimetic exercise by the class as a whole until the form is learned. It is the most difficult of all the exercises and one of the most popular. {See Frontispiece.) But we must not lose sight of the fact that our boys, having been started on the road toward securing a good rating as athletes and their interest having been aroused in winning trophies for their class or their school, will buckle down and learn these exer- cises, viewing them as a game which they want to learn so that they can play it to win. The word athlete is a word to conjure RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 67 with. No boy wants to take home a report showing that he has failed to quahfy even as a ''Third Class Athlete." And the husky fellows all want to get a Senior rating. Then again, the squads, if properly handled, are competing against one another. In any case there should be a lively competition between the classes of the same grade. A little banner or other trophy, presented in assembly to the classes making the best showing, will be an added incentive. And then if the school is in competition, grade by grade, with neighboring schools, the school spirit, so easily aroused, will be another incen- tive to the boys to master the details of the exercises as soon as possible and to acquire proficiency in them. This personal, impelling incentive is the essence of ''Rational Athletics." It is this incentive, appealing to the boy in so many different ways, that distinguishes this system from any and all others. V. THE EXERCISES AND APPARATUS Chinning the Bar Regular chinning bars for classroom doors can be ordered from the Supply Department; but any stout bar, securely fastened, will do. A box, or short steps for the little fellows to climb up on, is better than using a chair. Wooden cleats fastened on either side of the door frame, a foot or so from the floor, make a handy means of climbing up to the bar. The bar should be placed so as to avoid as far as possible the danger of striking the head against the top of the door frame. The boy must first hang from the bar, arms and legs straight, then pull himself up so that his chin is just over the bar. It must be a dead pull up, no snap, swing, or kick being allowed. Boys who are unable to pull them- selves up at all should practice rope climbing. Standing Broad Jump Boys should be trained to make one good stretch, gather themselves together for a 68 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 69 spring, and then to jump high, gathering their feet under them and swinging the arms for- ward, sharply, but landing in such a way as to fall forward. To fall or step back after landing constitutes a foul. We find that it pays to have one boy hold a stick about a Fig. 13. — The Standing Broad Jump foot from the ground so that the boys must jump over it. As a rule boys fail to get dis- tance because they don't jump high enough. Attention is invited to our arrangement of the mat for jumping. (See Fig. 13.) One end of a regular ten-foot gymnasium mat is bolted to a board running under the mat. At the middle of this board, another, at right 70 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS angles to it, connects it with a jumping plat- form about eighteen inches square. This is not a spring board, but simply a sohd plat- form of two thicknesses of seven-eighths inch boards, covered with a square of ordinary rubber stair-tread. This gives the jumper a solid, non-slipping platform, about on a level with the mat. He is not allowed to use the edge of this board as a take-off, but must jump from behind a hue marked on the rubber. This platform is bolted to the wooden crosspiece with stout hinges, so that, when not in use, it may be thro^^Ti over on the mat, and the whole thing rolled up and put out of the way. Measuring from the hue marked on the jumping platform, lines are painted three inches apart on the mat. These are marked every six inches, on one side beginning with four feet three inches, the minimum for 5a, and on the other side beginning with four feet six inches, the minimum for 5b. It is not necessary to measure each jump with a tape line, as the jumper is credited with the distance of the last line which he cleared on the mat. To make it easv to convert the dis- tance jumped into ''points" according to our RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 71 Fig. 14. — Combination Dip: First Count system, use a board six feet long and about six inches wide, with crosshnes six inches apart, marked 5, 6, 7, etc. The hue marked 5 is placed alongside of the line on the mat that measures the minimum distance for that grade. By the use of this device of a movable bar, the person in charge can tell at a glance just how many points each jumper earns. Combination Dip The Combination Dip is one of the best all-around exercises known. It brings into play the arms, shoulders, back, loins, and legs. Care should be taken to keep the hips high and the back flat, avoiding the ''sway-back" 72 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS Fig. 15. — Coaibinatiox Dip: Second Count position, which is not good. It is done as follows : 1. Place the hands on the floor, the width of the shoulders apart. 2. Stretch the legs straight back, resting the weight on the hands and toes. 3. Bend the arms until the chest (not ab- domen nor knees) touches, or nearly touches, the floor. 4. Straighten the arms. 5-6. Dip again. 7-8. Dip a third time. 9. Bring up the feet to the crouching posi- tion (same as in 1). 10. Stand erect. 11-12. Rest. RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 73 f" .^— H||| ^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^r^^^ t ^lllllll ^^ ^^^^H fcir fl ^^"^ -* Li 1 t --# -9 ^MH0iV^ ^Hp ~\^^^ «& ^il^^^^^^^^^li u ^H gP.| flH^^P f^# ' Ijl ^^B.- ^ ~ rli^Siiii ^ ^^Hfl^l ^^piK i^;# _^ ijBr^ 9. i#TjHte' ' f v^HH' l^H^ ~ i 1 ^~ ~^'"^^nH ^^V . # "' i^^iii ^ '^^ ^^■Ull ^^^HK^r fc. H^Hpn^ ...^MBjar^il Fig. 16. — Combination Dip: Third Count 1. Begin again, repeating the twelve counts. The twelve counts constitute one Combina- tion Dip. When the boys have mastered the details, the leader should count at a uniform rate of about forty to the minute, emphasizing the odd numbers. In teaching this exercise to the class, oak tag sheets or wrapping paper should be spread on the floor as shown in Figures 11 and 12. In practice, we use little wooden frames, con- sisting of two handles nailed to two cross- pieces about the width of a boy's shoulders apart. In testing, we place a platform bell on this frame which the boy must ring by pressing on it with his chest at each dip. {J^ee Fig. 17.) 74 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS Fig. 17. — Testing the Combination Dip Hop, Step, and Leap In this the boy takes a running start, then springs from his right foot, landing on his right (hop), then on his left (step), and then on both feet (leap). It is an exercise that is popular with boys, but, contrary to usual expectations, requires some careful teaching before many of them get it right. For this exercise we use a rubber jumping mat on the floor, and three or four regular gymnasium mats in series, covering something over thirty feet, in all. A broad white line is RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 75 painted on the floor and on the rubber mat, about fifteen inches from the end. This is the starting fine; and each boy must learn to run and toe this hne as nearly as possible just before he makes his hop. Beginning at sixteen feet from the start- ing line, lines one foot apart are painted on the floor alongside of the mats and marked 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, etc. The rubber mat with its starting line is easily kept in place. The other mats will shift and ''creep" a little, but as the distances are marked on the floor, this does not matter. As explained in the preceding chapter, the minimum distance in this exercise depends upon the boys' height, — those under four feet six inches having to cover sixteen feet, and so on, up. The boys are measured and marked A, B^ and C in the squad leader's book. He then knows what they have to do. High Jump For practice in the High Jump we provide two sets of jumping bars, one for the little fellows, and one for the big fellows who can 76 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS jump higher. The two squads break up au- tomatically, each boy going to the bar that is placed at the height that suits him best. An ordinary gymnasium mat is placed behind each bar for the boys to land on, and a square yard of corrugated rubber is placed in front, from which they can 'Hake off" without danger of slipping. In jumping, as in practically all other sports, the tyro invariably starts wTong. The favorite, and apparently natural, way to do the High Jump, is to go over the bar side- ways. It is easy, however, to demonstrate that the boy who uses the side jump must lift his body high enough to go over the bar in a sitting position, his hips clearing the bar and his body nearly vertical. It pays in the end to learn the more diffi- cult straight jump, — in which, taking off, say, with the right foot, the left leg is thrown high and straight to the front, the right foot be- ing then snapped over in front of the left knee, the body clearing the bar, feet first, in an almost horizontal position. Taking off with the right and throwing the left leg up, natu- rally turns the body so that it goes over the bar facing to the right. Taking off with RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 77 the left foot would, of course, turn the body the other way. The important point is, that shooting over the bar, feet first, necessitates raising the weight of the trunk only a foot or so, while the side jump requires lifting the body high enough to sit up on the bar. Four things must be observed by the boy who would master the art of high jumping: 1. Not to run too far or too fast; save the strength for the spring. 2. To be careful to take off far enough from the bar to bring the left leg up, straight, without kicking the bar. 3. To snap the right leg over in front of the left, not behind it. 4. Not to try for height until he has mastered the form, — which may require weeks of practice. Putting the Shot To begin with, we don't put a ''shot." That would be rather dangerous with so many boys on the floor. We use instead a six pound medicine ball. This is rather clumsy, which makes it impossible to get perfect form. But we come pretty near it, and we get the 78 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS spirit of the exercise. The boys hke it im- mensely, — and why shouldn't they? It is a fine manlv exercise, one that they can follow up outside of school and in after years, — which is one of the great objects of the sys- tem; namely, to get boys, all of them, inter- ested in wholesome outdoor sports and to help them secure such a degree of proficiency that they can enter into, and take part in sport anywhere. Two fines, seyen feet apart, painted on the floor, indicate the seyen foot circle. Begin- ning at sixteen feet from the starting line, measuring lines, one foot apart, are painted on the floor, marked on one side, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, etc., and on the other 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, etc. Thus the squad leader can see at a glance how many feet each boy ''puts." At the other end of the gymnasium and a fittle to one side, another ''circle" and set of lines run in the opposite direction. Two squads are engaged in putting the shot at the same time and two medicine balls are in use. Squad one "puts" down on one side, the ball is stopped and rolled oyer to one of squad two, who "puts" it back on the other side. So the two balls are kept RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 79 circulating and no time is lost in send- ing them back to the starting line. With three balls in use there would be even less slack, or loss of time. And time is the big factor where you want to make ''tries" at four different things inside of twenty minutes. We find that, once the exercises are learned and the boys trained to change positions quickly and in good order, an ordinary class, of say forty-five boys, six squads of seven or eight boys each, may have several chances each at every one of the exercises. When we introduce pitching, we shall have only one squad, divided into two parts, doing the High Jump. The point is that three squads in a class, six squads in a com- bined class, is a convenient number, and we shall, therefore, continue to have six different ''positions" on the floor of the gymnasium for these six squads. The target for practice in pitching (See Fig. 18) deserves a word of explanation here. On a regular gymnasium mat, we have painted a diagram, in height between an average boy's knee and shoulder, representing the space over the home plate, and within 80 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS which a ball must be placed to be called a "strike." As the art of pitching consists of foohng the batter by "cutting the corners" of the Fig. 18. — Target for Practice ix Pitching plate, we have marked off the four corners and numbered them. The pitcher who can place four out of six balls in the four corners of the target scores ten points — the sum of 1, 2, 3, and 4. If he places three, he scores nine; two, scores seven; one, scores four. But down the middle of the target there is painted a narrow space called "the groove." If he RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 81 places the ball there, it is squarely over the middle of the plate, and the batter is cred- ited with having made a hit. That stops the pitcher. Each boy is given six baseballs. He can waste two on "balls" and yet make a perfect score of ten. But the moment he places one in the ''groove," he must stop and give way to the next boy, scoring only what he has made up to that point. At the beginning, a distance of about thirty feet will be found sufficient. As the boys improve in control of the ball, the distance can be increased up to the regulation distance of the pitcher's box. This game is not yet in regular use, but it has been tried with a few of the boys, who found it so fascinating that they didn't want to quit practicing. The exercises here described and the order in which they are taken up in a lesson have been arranged with considerable care, after some years of experiment and practice. We do not claim to have discovered an ideal set of exercises, but we do believe that w4th the incentive supplied by the ever-present idea of competition, our boys are receiving a train- ing that makes for the five aims mentioned in the introductory chapter, — health, strength, 82 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS grace, love of wholesome sports, and the courage and pluck that ''goes the limit," but without a thought of unfairness. We know that when our boys have finished the ex- ercises above described, they have received what Dr. Crampton calls for, when he says: ''We want in every lesson a strong vasomotor reaction, the heart and lungs stimulated, the skin reddened, the viscera squeezed and jarred, and each muscle given its appropriate work and growth stimulation." If the reader will try the exercises himself, he will probably agree with this statement. VI. SOME RESULTS ACHIEVED This system of athletics for all boys origi- nated in Public School 2, Manhattan, in the Winter of 1909-10. In June, 1910, the boys of No. 2, who had never before been heard from in athletics, missed the district cham- pionship by only one point! In June, 1911, they captured the district championship quite handily, and in June, 1912, they declined even to send a team to compete. They were too busy working up their rational sys- tem of athletics for all, to spend any time in developing a picked team to represent the school. As a result they captured every trophy for Class Athletics for which they were eli- gible to compete during that entire year. (See P. S. A. L. Handbook, 1912, and cut on p, 85.) Unfortunately, just at that time, the author was transferred to his present school in the upper part of the Bronx, where it was neces- sary to begin again ''from scratch." 83 84 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS The system has now been in use here for nearly two years and the results have been quite as startling in many ways. In the Standing Broad Jump, the minimum has remained the same, but the number qualifying and the scores made have improved greatly. In the Combination Dip and the Trunk Lifting, we were forced to put a limit to the number of points that could be won, because so many boys, after a few months, could keep on doing these exercises almost indefi- nitely. Finally, as stated before, we dropped Trunk Lifting as being too easy. In the Hop, Step and Leap, whereas at the beginning it was only the exceptional boy who could qualify, it is now the exception who does not go beyond the minimum standard. In Putting the Shot, the progress has not been so marked. This is due partly to the inherent difficulty of the exercise, but mostly to the fact that the medicine ball which we use is rather clumsy. The boys find it almost impossible to balance that big ball on the hand while doing the skip and the twist neces- sary for a good ''put." We expect soon to RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 85 86 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS secure a smaller ball of the same weight. When that is put into use, the scores for the Shot Putting will undoubtedly show a big rise. In Deep Breathing some remarkable results have been achieved. One class showed an average increase of over one inch in expansion, in less than three months. This, of course, is exceptional. But a typical example of improvement is shown by comparing the records of the 8a class in November, 1913 — Average, 2.92 inches, — with the 8a record in November, 1914 — Average, 3.34 inches! And in taking these records, it must be borne in mind that no boy is credited with more than four inches expansion, even if he does go beyond that. The following figures, taken last term from the records of a 7a class, will show the im- provement attained by one group of boys, the first figure in each column indicating the boy's i^cord at the beginning of the term, and the second figure, the record at the end: RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 87 Chinning Comb. Dip Br. Jump H. S. & L. O'Connor times 6-10 6-14 5-11 2- 9 4-18 2- 9 0- 6 7-13 times 0- 9 0-15 10-15 0-15 12-32 0-15 2- 9 15-37 feet 5 3-6 3 46-53 53-59 5 3-6 9 6 9-73 5 -59 53-59 59-79 feet 20-26 Colonel 18-22 Latronico . 17-22 Chaffee 18-22 Brooks Wolf 20-30 18-24 Morse 16-22 Cartier 22-32 VII. THE PENTATHLON Athletic contests between schools are un- questionably a great help in developing what we call '' school spirit/' — that sense of unity and of pride in the institution of which we are a part. This appeals to all, whether contestants or not, but how much more keenly to those who take part, than to those who only look on ! It is such a fine thing to feel that we have helped to win that trophy for our school, that we took part in that contest and did our best, even though we did lose! Then why not give every one possible a chance to take an active part in the school athletic competitions? Why should that privilege be reserved for just a few, and that few very often not the most desirable mem- bers of the school.^ Why should the compe- titions be of such a character as necessarily to allow only a few to take part? Why shouldn't every one in good health be given the keen pleasure and the valuable training, physical and moral, that are the fruits of 88 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 89 honest athletic competition? And why should not the contests be of such a character as to engage the largest possible number and, at the same time, show the results of good all- around physical training? These are purely rhetorical questions, of course, and there is but one answer to them that is worth considering. Indeed the answer is so self-evident, that a number of- interest- ing plans have already been worked out by physical training directors in different parts of the country. ''The Schoolboy Pentathlon" is our con- tribution to this phase of the work. It is our plan for inter-school athletics. For more than three years now our ''school team" has con- sisted of 80 per cent, of the boys on register in all the classes from the Fifth to the Eighth school year. We have challenged the schools in our neighborhood, large and small, to match their boys against ours, grade by grade, in a series of competitions. We have borrowed the old Greek idea of the Pentathlon, the five contests of which constitute an all-around championship. We have modified and substituted to meet con- ditions, so that we now offer two sets of exer- 90 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS "*! .«*'^*.< ^ **-• • ,-"^ & #^ r^ \ r Mm" W >**!i ' ■f'^^^'S^^^**^ -^ « ■» ^ if ■ [*; 1111*1111 Fig. 19. — Pentathlon Trophy cises by way of variety, — one for use during the Fall Term, and one during the Spring Term. The Pentathlon Fall Term Spring Term Running Deep Breathing Combination Dip Standing Broad Jump Chinning the Bar Running Deep Breathing High Jump Hop, Step, and Leap Shot Put RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 91 With the permission and encouragement of Dr. Taylor, District Superintendent, circulars were sent out to the various schools of the dis- trict, inviting them to compete. Five schools accepted the invitation. Next, circulars de- scribing the exercises were sent out, then conferences were held with representatives of these schools, and finally 2220 boys trained and competed. The parents of our boys liked the plan so well that a number of them contributed from one to ten dollars each to a fund to purchase a permanent set of trophies. About one hun- dred dollars was contributed in this way, with which a specially designed set of wooden plaques, with pendant bars for each grade, was purchased. {See Fig. 19.) These plaques remain in the possession of the school that wins them, until won by another school. Of the eight grade trophies (5a to 8b), four were won by our boys, two by Public School 13, one by Public School 42, and one by Public School 8. The manner of conducting these contests is very much like the Class Athletics con- ducted by the Public Schools Athletic League. Each school makes its own tests, sending in 92 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS its report to a committee consisting of the special teacher of physical training and two men selected from the schools competing. These men compare the reports and, with the permission of the authorities, visit the schools claiming the highest average in each grade. If there are several classes in a grade, they draw lots and proceed to test the class so chosen. If that class equals the record they have sent in, it is presumed that the other classes will do the same and that the report is correct, the school being thereupon declared the whinner for that grade. If, how^ever, that class upon being tested fails to equal the record sent in, the report is presumed to be incorrect, the school that stood second being thereupon tested. \Yhere there are several grades to be tested in the same school, the members of the committee divide the classes between them, so that in two, or at the most, three afternoons, all the necessary testing can be done. Where one class claims an average very much higher than the others in the same school, we arrange that this class must also be tested by the committee. We claim for this method of conducting RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 93 inter-school contests the following advan- tages : 1. It does away with all questions of ''eligi- bihty" — the great stumbling block and source of scandal in amateur athletics. 2. It actively engages practically every boy who is physically able to compete, — all re- sults being based on the achievements of 80 per cent, of the register of each grade. 3. It prevents all possibility of ''framing up'' a class, or training one class and neg- lecting the others. 4. It gives every boy an incentive for vigor- ous training in good all-around exercises, while avoiding, absolutely, the danger of injury from over-training. The plan has now passed the experimental stage. It has been tried with success in two widely different sections of the city, — the crowded lower East Side of Manhattan, and the sparsely inhabited upper part of the Bronx. It has been approved and recom- mended for general adoption by the Board of Education of the City of New York, and is frankly offered as a substitute for the present style of inter-school athletics. Any other exercises having a real physical 94 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 95 training value, and capable of exact measure- ment, may be substituted at will. In con- ducting these inter-school competitions, we have, so far, used our ''point system" and minimum standards. But it would be quite feasible to disregard the minimum standards and the "points," simply taking the average in each event and awarding the prize to the grade winning the most events. Two neighboring schools could easily con- duct a dual ''meet" on a Field Day, by agree- ing in advance on a set of exercises, putting in the field 80 per cent, of their boys, and awarding the victory, as above suggested, to the school winning the majority of the events. Properly organized and handled, the boys of two large schools can be put through a set of, say, three events, in a little over two hours. A Field Day of Rational Athletics In the appendix will be found reproductions of three programs of Field Days conducted under this system in 1912, 1913, and 1914, respectively. In arranging a program for a Field Day, three factors must be considered: 96 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 1. The amount of good and the amount of fun the children are going to get out of it. 2. The time the program will take. 3. The interest of the spectators in the various events. We find, as a result of our experience in the past three years, that we have succeeded per- fectly in the second of these factors, but not entirely in the first and third. With careful preparation and the hearty cooperation of the class teachers, who, men and women alike, have taken hold of this thing because they feel that this kind of ath- letics is worth while, we have been able to ''put through" such elaborate programs as those referred to, in about two hours! When it is reahzed that over nine hundred boys took part in the games in 1912, and when the num- ber and variety of things they did is considered, this will seem almost incredible. With respect to the first factor referred to above, we have succeeded to a wonderful degree in making the games intensely inter- esting to all the pupils, — boys and girls alike. We have failed, however, in one respect, mainly because a few of the inter-class con- tests were so complicated that the results had I RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 97 to be figured out afterward, thus making it impossible to announce, then and there, which class had won. This suspense rather spoiled the fun for the w^inning class. But we shall not make that mistake again. Another detail in which we failed is that, in order to equalize the numbers competing for certain classes, some children were barred who were ready and anxious to compete, — another mistake which we shall not repeat. Every boy and girl who has been favorably passed upon by the doctor, who wants to enter, and whose parents are w illing, will be given a chance to take part. In arranging the program for our next Field Day we shall (1) discard the minimum limits and the ''point system," taking simply aver- ages; and (2) limit to two the number of events to be competed for by each group, — one track and one field event. In this way it will be possible for the results to be announced immediately after the close of the competition and at the same time the proceedings will be so simplified that the spec- tators, interested parents mostly, can keep track of what is going on. The main fault in the past has been, not any lack of interest 98 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS and enthusiasm on the part of the children, but rather that the proceedings have been somewhat bewildering to the spectator — rather too much hke a five-ringed circus, where you cannot possibly see everything. The program for our next Field Day will probably be something like this: 8b Some running event and Shot Putting 8a " " " " High Jump 7b " " " " Pitching 7a " " " " Hop, Step, and Leap 6b " " " " Standing Broad Jump 6a " " '' '' Combination Dip 5b " " " " Chinning 5a " " " " Deep Breathing This is, of course, only a tentative program. The exact arrangement of the events would be determined upon only a week or two before the Field Day, to prevent anything like speciahzing in certain exercises. Allowing five for a first, three for a second, and one for a third, the chances of a ''tie" in any event would be small. When a tie does RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 99 occur, the toss of a coin should determine the victor. With such a program as this, there will not be too many events going on at once, the results can be announced immediately, the children will be satisfied in knowing who has won, and the spectators will be able to keep track of what is going on. ^ / # \ 4 Carolyn Miller: Best Girl Athlete Height, 5 ft. 4 in.; weight, 120 lbs.; Age, 13 yrs. 10 mo. Rating in Posture, 10; Alertness, 10; Running, 10; Hygiene, 10. Basket Ball Throw, bb ft.; Putting in Golf, Average, 2 holes out of 3: Tennis Serving, Average, 2 out of 3; Basket Ball Goals, 5 in 30 sec.; Baseball Throw, Average, 13 out of 15; Chest Expansion, 3 J in. 100 Mil. SOME EXPERIMENTS AVITH GIRLS The problem of physical training for girls has always been a knotty one. Prior to pubescence, girls differ so little from boys of the same age that they can be treated very much like boys, except that exliibitions that would be quite proper for boys would be bad even for small girls, because they might tend to destrov the maidenlv modestv that is, or should be, one of girlhood's greatest charms. AYe must carefully avoid anything that will tend to make our girls bold. When they reach the age of pubescence, physiological factors, requiring careful study on the part of those who attempt anything in the line of athletics for girls, enter into the problem. Athletic competitions, modeled upon the intensive style of athletics now in use among boys, have proved to be totally unsuitable for girls. So we have fallen back upon folk dancing, basket ball, walking clubs, and other such activities. 101 102 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS But we feel that a system of Rational Athletics, with exercises specially adapted to the tastes and the needs of girls, would be a long step toward the solution of this vitally interesting problem. To this end, we have been experimenting during the past year with a series of events designed to give our girls wholesome exercise, to develop skill, agility, and muscular coordination, and to arouse an interest in some good outdoor sports. With this idea in mind we have combined a great variety of running events (which always ap- peal to girls) with a set of exercises con- sisting of: 1. Throwing a Baseball, — for accuracy. 2. Serving in Tennis. 3. Basket Ball Throwing, — for distance. 4. "Putting," in Golf. 5. ''Shooting Goals" with basket ball. This plan is still in the experimental stage. No standards and no system of points have yet been worked out. But judging by the way the Eighth Year girls took hold, and by the fact that the Seventh Year girls very soon asked to be allowed to try the new exercises also, we feel that we are on the right road. RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 103 The lesson for girls is conducted in the same manner as the lesson for boys. There are six squads, — No. 1, going to the position for the Baseball Throw, No. 2, to Serving in Tennis, No. 3, to Putting in Golf, No. 4, to Fig. 20. — Floor Plan of Girls' Gymnasium Showing Arrangement of Squads Shooting Goals, Nos. 5 and 6, to Basket Ball Throw. (See Fig, 20.) One of the big gymnasium mats used by the boys in the Hop, Step, and Leap has a large target painted on the underside. It lies near a doorway which is equipped with ropes and pulleys so that the mat can be drawn up and 104 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS hung vertically. The girls stand about thirty- five feet away, each one in turn throwing three baseballs at the target. The bull's- eye is twenty inches in diameter, each ring being ten inches wide. A bull's-eye scores five; a first ring three; a second ring one; Fig. 21. — Target for Baseball Throwing outside of that, zero. The target is placed in a corner where no one is likely to be injured by the flying balls. One girl, who is sta- tioned behind a big pillar, picks up the balls and rolls them back. To teach the rudiments of serving a ball in tennis, a strip of cloth, three feet wide and RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 105 about ten feet long, is fastened to the wall where there is no apparatus. The lower edge of the cloth is about the height of a tennis net above the floor. To place a ball in the service court, it must be put over the net, but not so high that it will go beyond the inner court on the other side. We consider that a ball which strikes the strip of cloth is ''in." On our Field Day we rigged up two tennis nets, one above the other, with a gap of three feet between them. The girls, stand- ing at the distance of the service line, had to place the ball between the two nets. Anyone who thinks this is child's play is invited to try it! We know, however, that girls who never handled a racquet in their lives before are getting interested in the game. The Basket Ball Throw for distance is con- ducted in the same way, and on the same part of the floor which is marked out for the boys' Shot Putting. Two squads throwing from op- posite ends of the gymnasium keep two or three basket balls in lively circulation. Off in a quiet corner is another group of girls gathered around an ''Indoor Golf game, consisting of a small inclined plane with a cup in the middle. Sohd rubber balls the size 106 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS of a golf ball are placed on the floor about three feet away from the plane, and, with a wooden ''putter/' the girls try to ''put" the ball into the hole. The ball rolling up the Httle incline is retarded very much the same as it would be by the grass on a "putting green." It may be the novelty of the idea, or it may be the fascination of "the grand old game," we don't yet know which, but we do know that the girls like this exercise immensely. We wish we could introduce practice in "driving," because it is such a magnificent exercise, and because it would help even more to awaken interest in the game and to make more and more of our girls, golf players. Inci- dentally, w^e don't know any better service that we could render them than this. But a "driver" sw^ings through such a large arc that it becomes a deadly weapon where a large number of children are practicing. Practice in shooting goals with a basket ball is taken by another squad, sometimes shooting from the "foul line," sometimes on the run, the ball being thrown at the player, who runs, "dribbles" once, and "shoots." For testing purposes, each girl is credited with RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 107 Fig. 22. — The Girls' Squads in Action (Showing five squads at work, the sixth — throwing the basket ball — being out of range of the camera.) the number of times she can put the ball into the basket in thirty seconds, no one else being allowed to touch the ball during that time. The favorite running game is the potato race, using the same course, with the same modifications for the different years, as pre- viously described for the boys. {See page 44.) It will be found interesting to compare, occa- sionally, the time made by the girls with that made by the boys in corresponding classes. The girls, not infrequently, beat the boys at this exercise. 108 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS The ''potato race" in any form is a mag- nificent exercise. It is keenly exciting, and develops both speed and control; while the stooping exercises the big muscles of the back and thighs, squeezes the viscera, forces deep breathing, and certainly stimulates the cir- culation. When all these results are secured in an atmosphere of keen enjoyment, we are getting nearly 100 per cent, of physical training value. With our physical training lessons organized in this way, we find that the attitude of both the teacher and the girls has changed. The former has to watch carefully to prevent girls from taking part on days when it is better for them to keep still, and the girls w^ho are excluded because they forgot to bring their rubber shoes are rather an aggrieved set of young ladies. Requests to be excused are rare, and that would seem to tell the story better than anything else. Unless all signs fail we shall have, in a year or two, a set of exercises for girls as complete and as interesting as those previously described for boys. RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 109 Records of Eighth Year Girls The records, taken recently, of thirty Eighth Year girls, not selected, show an average distance of forty feet in the Basket Ball Throw; two out of three good ''serves" in tennis; a score of nine out of a possible fifteen points in throwing the baseball at the target; one ''put" out of three on the golf green; and three goals shot in thirty seconds. Considering that these girls have had less than one year of practice, these results are remark- ably good. IX. RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR ADULTS Any system of physical training that does not provide for a method of ''following up " is defective, in that it is hkely to be dropped after school. Let us see what there is in the exercises and the scoring system here pre- sented that will serve as a basis for home practice for the boys who have been trained in Rational Athletics and for men who are trying to keep in good condition. As w^e all know, it is one thing to select a good set of daily exercises, and quite another to practice or follow them up with no further stimulus than the hope of the benefit to be derived, which latter too often fades awav in the consciousness of sore muscles and stretched ligaments. Most of us must admit that we have not the necessary will power to persevere in such a course. To meet this generally acknowledged w^eak- ness, I would propose an adaptation of the methods we use in school, so that the man who starts out to exercise at home will have 110 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 111 a definite goal toward which to work and a norm by which to measure his progress. In other words he will be playing a game, just as one plays golf alone, striving to equal or beat his best previous score. Taking the five exercises used in school which may most easily be used at home, we adopt the minimum standards prescribed for 8b boys (graduating class) with a maximum of seventy-five points to be striven for. The 'Hired business man" who can earn his seventy -five points, or anything near it, need not worry much about his condition! The writer would be ashamed to mention his score the first time he seriously tried this system on himself. But piqued pride is a powerful stimulant, so it wasn't long before he began to show improvement. He found, however, that there was quite a difference between demonstrating the exercises to classes of boys or conferences of teachers, and ex- tending himself ''to go the limit" in any one of them. The exercises that lend themselves best to use at home are: Running (in place); Chin- ning the Bar; Combination Dip; Trunk Lift- ing, and Deep Breathing. 112 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS Running in place, going through the mo- tions of running, without advancing, will be found vigorous enough exercise if kept up, lifting the feet well at each step, keeping up ''on the toes," not allowing the heels to touch the floor. Say we fix a minimum of one minute, for which we allow five points credit; continued for two minutes, ten points; for three minutes, fifteen points, calling the last, the maximum. For Chinning the Bar, the 8b standard will do; namely, seven times, five points; twelve times, ten points; seventeen times, fifteen points. For Combination Dip the standards are the same as in Chinning: seven times, five points; twelve times, ten points; seventeen times, fifteen points. For Trunk Lifting, fifteen times, five points; twenty times, ten points; twenty -five times, fifteen points. Trunk Lifting consists in lying flat on the back, arms folded, and rais- ing the body to a sitting position without letting the heels leave the floor. In Chest Expansion for boys, two and one- half inches equals five points; three inches, eight points ; three and one-half inches, eleven RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS 113 points; four inches, fifteen points. For men I should add an inch to these requirements, making the minimum three and one-half inches and the maximum five inches. The writer does five and one-half inches easily, but sees no advantage in trying to increase his ex- pansion. In this, as in all our other exercises, we are not striving to break records by specializing, but rather to build up a good average in normal health. A Record Card, showing the standards and spaces for recording progress, is shown. Running Chinnine Comb. Dip Trunk Lifting . . . Chest Expansion 1 2 3 mm. 5 pts 10 ** 15 " 7 n 17 times a << 5 " 10 " 15 " 7 12 17 5 " 10 '' 15 " 15 20 25 « 5 " 10 *' 15 " (3a) 2a inches (4) 3 '* (4^)31 " (5) 4 " 5 " 8 '' 11 " 15 " Fig. 23. — ^The Adult's Record Card {Shoioing the ''tired business man'' how he may best keep tally of his own physical development.) 114 RATIONAL ATHLETICS FOR BOYS This, briefly stated, is our plan for adapting Rational Athletics to home practice for adults and for boys who have left school. The man t/ who succeeds in earning the maximum of seventy-five points is allowed figuratively to pin upon himself a Rational Athlete's Senior Medal. APPENDIX 116 APPENDIX Hn lEibibition of IRational Htbletics Tuesday, May 28, 1912, at 1:15 P.M. PROGRAM PART I I. Inter-ck\ss Rel.\y Sack Race 4A1, 4A2 and 3Be Teams of 36 boys from each class 11. Inter-class Relay Potato Race 4B1, 4Ae1 and 4Ae2 Teams of 30 boys from each class III. Inter-class Contest in "Trunk Lifting" 4Be1, 4Be2 and 4Be3 Entire class (except those excluded by the Doctor). Groups of 5 from each class (15) tested at once. "Trunk Lifting" consists of lying on the back and raising oneself to a sitting position. IV. Inter-class Contest in the "Combination Dip" 5A1, 5A2, 5B1, 5B2 (Same as above) The "Combination Dip" consists of resting on hands and toes, touching chest to the ground and ris- ing, three times, then springing to standing position. V. Inter-class Contest in the "Standing Broad Jump." 5Ae2 and 5ae3 (Same as above) APPENDIX 117 PROGRAM (Continued) VI. Inter-class Contest in "Chinning the Bar" 5Be1 and 5Be2 Vn. Inter-class Flag Relay Race 6A1, 6A2, 6B1, QB2, 6B3 Vin. Inter-class Contest in "Hop, Step and Leap" 6Ae1, 6Ae2 and 6Ae3 IX. Inter-class Contest in "Shot Put" GBeI and 6Be2 The boys use a 6 lb. medicine ball instead of a shot, as it is safer. PART II X. All-around Contest oAeI and oBe3 A selected team of boys from these two classes will compete in all the following exercises: 1. Chinning the Bar 5. Hop, Step and Leap 2. Chest Expansion 6. Truntc Lifting 3. Broad Ju^ip 7. Shot Put 4. Combination Dip 8. Running (60 3^ds.) They will thus give an exhibition of the training every boy in the school receives in the course of the vear. 118 APPENDIX FIELD DAY Thursday, June 5, 1913, at 1:30 p.m. INTER-CLASS CONTESTS — BOYS I 8B. Red* 8 A. Blue vs. 7 B 1. Green 7B2. Pink 1. Flag Relay, Scratch, J of the track 2. Shot Put (Handicap 2 ft. for 7 B) 3. Hop, Step and Leap (Handicap for height) II 1. Flag Relay, one-sixth of the track 2. Combination Dip III 1. Class Running (60 Yards) 2. Standing Broad Jump IV 1. Shuttle Relay (50 Yards) 2. Deep Breathing V- 5BK Light Blue ^ ^^^^ Running (40 yaixis) 5 B ^ ''karoon ^' Chinning the Bar 7 A ^ Lavender vs. 7 A 2. Purple 6BK White vs. 6B2. Orange 6 A 1. Cerise vs. 6A\ Yellow 5A\ Lt. Green vs. 5 A 2. Gray VI 1. Sack Relay 2. Trunk Lifting 4B. Tan vs, 4 A. Dk. Brown VII Class Running (40 Yards) * The color assigned to each class will be carried by the runner or otherwise displayed so that the spectators may distinguish the classes. APPENDIX 119 Yin RUNNING BROAD JUMP (for boys under 95 lbs.) No. Name Class Xo. Xame Class 38 McDonald, Daniel 7B 1 51 Hurley, Edward 5B 1 39 Gorman, William 7B1 52 Cowper, Joseph 5B2 40 Barnes, William 8A 53 Donato, Dominic 6A2 41 Collins, John 8A 54 Diehl, Francis 8B 42 Rogers, Robert 8A 55 McBride, John 6B2 43 Millard, Orson 8A 56 Kalbach, Charles 6B2 44 McGrath, Martin 7 A2 57 Buckley, James 5 A2 45 Brown, Leroy 7A2 58 Bull, Norman 7 Al 46 Cutter, Harold 7 A2 59 McBride, James 7 A 1 47 Corbet t, William 7 A2 60 Altheimer, Melville 7 Al 48 Heineman, Nathan 7 A2 61 Kearns, Burtsell 7B2 49 Mundorf, Anton 7 A2 62 Thorn, Sanford 8B 50 Marra, Anthony 7 A_2 63 Zubrod, Paul 8B Won by ..2nd 3rd Distance INTER-CLASS CONTESTS — GIRLS IX 8B. Red vs. 8 A. Dark Blue 1. Obstacle Relay 2. Captain Ball 7 B ^ Green vs. 7B2. Pink 6B. White vs. 6 A, Maroon oB. Light Blue vs. 5 A. Yellow 4 B. Lavender vs. 4 A, Purple 1. Flag Relay (one-sixth of the track) 2. End Ball XI 1. Potato Shuttle Relav 2. Basket Ball Throw "^ XII 1. Needle and Thread Race 2. Dodge Ball XIII 1. All Up Relav 2. Pass Ball 120 APPENDIX XIV EXHIBITION DRILL BY 45. SELECTED BOYS This drill is the same that will be given in Central Park on June 6, bv 10,000 bo vs. XV 80 YARD DASH (Handicap) (unlimited weight) No. Name 1 Shultz, Arthur 2 Louden, Ralph 3 Sheridan, Robert 4 Schneider, Wilham 5 Sattler, Albert 6 Wines, Harris 7 Stanlisso, Eric 8 Machlett, Raymond 9 Gladwin, Harold 10 Buckley, WilUam 11 Brown, Charles 12 Kidd, James 13 Brunner, Fred. 14 Olsen, George 15 Kempler, Leo 16 Cotter, John 17 Hale, Nathan 18 Cowan, Everette 19 Bulter, Cornelius TRIAL HEATS Class 7B 7B 1 1 7B 1 8A 8A 8 A 8 A 8 A 8 A 8B 6B 1 6 B 1 6 B 1 6B 1 6B 1 6B 1 6 B 1 6B2 6B2 Nai No. 20 Homer, Alfred 21 Ga\dn, Percy 22 Gorman, Raymond 23 Severance, Erastus 24 Arra, James 25 Warner, Stanley 26 Nealey, Wilham 27 Kunzman, Herbert 28 Theise, James 29 Morse, MajTiard 30 MacDonald, Allen 31 Sustman, John 32 Keeler, Arthur 33 Burnside, George 34 Holland, John 35 Hamman, George 36 Widrewitz, Belmont 37 Mackintosh, Walter Class 6B2 6A2 6A 1 6A1 6A 1 6 A 1 6A1 6 A 1 6A 1 5B 1 5B 1 7B 1 7B 2 7 B 2 8B 8B 8B 8B 1.... 2 3 SEMI-FINAL 1... 2 3 1 2 . 3 FINAL 1.... 2 3 APPENDIX 121 FIELD DAY Friday, May 15, 1914, at 9 a. m. INTER-CLASS CONTESTS— BOYS I. Pentathlon 8B1. Red 1. Running — 80 yards 8B2. Blue 2. Deep Breathing (Chest Expansion) 8A. Green 3. Shot Put 4. Hop, Step and Leap 5. Trunk Lifting II. Pentathlon 7B1. Pink 1. Running — 60 yards 7B2. Lavender 2. Deep Breathing 7A1. Purple 3. Chinning the Bar 7A2. White 4. Combination Dip 5. Standing Broad Jump III. 6B1. Orange 1. Flag Relay QB2. Cerise 2. Hop, Step and Leap IV. 6A1. Yellow 1. Class Running — 50 yards 6A2. Light Blue 2. Standing Broad Jump V. Shuttle Relay 5B. Maroon 1. 5A1. Light Green 2. Trunk Lifting 5A2. Gray VI. 4BL Tan Potato Race 4B2. Dark Brown \IL 4AL Red and White Sack Race 4A2. Blue and W^hite The color assigned to each class will be carried by the runner or otherwise dis- played so that the spectators } may distinguish the classes. Vlll; 80 YARD DASH (Unlimited Weight) No. Name Class No. Name Class 1 Burns! de, George 8B1 4 Oneil, Jack 8B1 2 Irving, Edgar 8B1 5 Tighe, Joseph 8B2 3 Keeler, Arthur 8B1 6 Sheridan, Robert 8B2 122 APPENDIX No. Name Class 7 Hanecke, Ed\^-in HB2 8 Duernberger, Walter 8B2 9 Marra, Anthony 8A 10 Heineman, Nathan 8A 11 Egan, Eugene 8A U Goldman, Milton 8A 13 Hughes, Harold 8A 14 Cotter, John 7Bl 15 Flomer, Alfred 7B1 TRIAL HEATS 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 No. Name Class 16 Kuestner, Wilbert 6B1 17 Hynes, Eugene 6B2 18 Manco, Joseph 6BZ 19 Sustman, George 5A1 20 Morgenweck, Adolph 5Al 21 Biasotti, Alfred 5A2 22 Unger, John 5A2 23 Brunner, Fred 7Bl 24 Freeman, Stuart 7Bl 1 2 2 SEMI-FINAL 1 2 3 1 2 3 FINAL 1 1...2 3 INTER-CLASS CONTESTS — GIRLS IX 8B1. Red 1. All Up Relay (Modified) 8B2. Blue 2. Baseball Throw, for accuracy 8A. Green 3. Captain Ball 7B. Pink 7A1. Purple 7A2. White X 1. Obstacle Relay 2. Tennis Serving 3. End Ball 6B1. Orange 6B2. Cerise 6A1. Yellow 6A2. Lt. Blue 5B. Maroon oAl. Lt. Green 5A2. Gray 4B. Tan 4A. Dk. Bro\Mi XI • 1. Flag Relay 2. Basket Ball Throw, for distance 1. XII Needle and Thread Race Dodge Ball XIII Potato Race Pass Ball APPENDIX 123 60 YARD DASH (Boys under 95 lbs.) No. Name Class No. 25 Guerriero, Thomas 8B1 64 26 Daglish, Walter 8B1 65 27 Kearns, Robert 8B1 66 28 Sustman, John 8B2 67 29 Gorman, William 8B2 68 30 Heine, Walter 8B2 69 31 Corbett, William 8A 70 32 Brown, Leroy 8A 71 33 Cutter, Harold 8A 72 34 Zubrod, JuUus 8A 73 35 Mmidorf, Anton 8A 74 36 Lynch, Frank 7B1 75 37 Kalbach, Charles 7B1 76 38 McQuaid, George 7B2 77 39 McKenna, Cline 7B2 78 40 Hale, Nathan 7B2 79 41 KinseUa, Walter 7A1 80 42 Severance, Erastus 7A1 81 43 Theise, James 7A1 82 44 Harbeck, Frank 7A1 83 45 Byrne, Victor 7A1 84 46 Biasotti, Edward 7A1 85 47 Warner, Stanley 7A1 86 48 Brooks, Seth 7A2 87 49 Chaffee, Clarence 7A2 88 50 O'Connor, Albert 7A2 89 51 Keene, Simon 6B1 90 52 McGinnis, Simon 6B1 91 53 Schultz, Herbert 6B1 92 54 Bronte, Emery 6B2 93 55 Hunter, Paul 6B2 94 56 Fried, Fred 6B2 95 57 MacDonald, Allan 6B2 96 58 Keller, John 6B2 97 59 Reilly, Raymond 6B2 98 60 Millard, Harry 6B2 99 61 Long, David 6A1 100 62 Greenwald, Philip 6A1 101 63 Byrne, Frank 6A1 102 Name Class Mazzotti, Ferdinand 6A1 Weis, Arthur 6A1 Heineman, Fred 6A1 Newman, George 6A1 SuUivan, John 6A1 Hunter, Robert 6A1 Finnegan, William 6A1 Buckley, William 6A1 Cassidy, Francis S. 6A2 Hjrsch, Lawrence 6A2 Murphy, Francis 6A2 Quinn, James 6A2 Sternschuss, Arnold 6A2 Biasotti, Da\'id 5A1 De Santis, Frank 5A1 Tench, Donald 5A1 Hansen, Lawrence 5A1 Arbucho, Paul 5A2 Longa, Alfred 5A2 Wain Wright, Paul 5A1 Helahan, John 5A2 Davis, Franklin 5A2 Dennerlein, Herbert 5A2 Hohnsted, Henry 5A2 Woerner, Albert 5B Corbett, Frank 5B Enders, Carl 5B Burnside, William 5B Bailey, John 5B Reilly, John 5B Donohoe, Albert 5B Ashley, Anthony 5B Eraser, Daniel 5B Shaw, Raymond 5B Duernberger, Elwood 5B Cowan, David 5B Mahoney, Jerome 5B Brown, Edward 5B Pagharo, Frank 7B1 SEMI-FINALS 1st Heat — Won by 2nd Time 2nd " " " 2nd Time 3rd " " " 2nd Time FINAL Won by 2nd 3rd 4th N.B. — Trials were run off previously. .Time INDEX Adults, 110 Aldinger, Dr., 10, 35 ff. Apparatus Low cost, 39. Athletics Money spent on, 23 S. Baseball Throw Method, 103 Standards, 104 Basket Ball Shooting Goals, 106 Chest Expansion Method, 60 Standards, 48 Chinking the Bar Method, 68 Standards, 45, 53 Class Athletics, 83, 91 ff. College Heroes, 28 Combination Dip Method, 71 ff. Standards, 46, 54 Commercialism, 29 Crampton, Dr., 10, 22, 34 ff., 82 Inter-school Contests, 18, 88 ff. Deep Breathing Method, 59 ff. Neglecting the Many, 30 Standards, 48, 54 New York Course of Study, 34 Emulation Individual against self, 18 Class, 18 Grade, 18 School, 18 Exaltation of the Individ- ual, 27 Field Day, 95 ff. Following up Rational Ath- letics, 110 Girls' Athletics, 101 Golf — Putting in, 105 Height, 37 High Jump Method, 75 Standards, 47, 54 Honor of the School, 88 Hop, Step, and Leap Method, 6Q, 74 Standards, 47, 54 Hygiene, 34, 41 Eligibility, 50 Overtraining the Few, 30 ff. 124 INDEX 125 Pentathlon, 88 ff. Physical Training Aims in, 16 Records, 35 jff. Lesson, 34 Pitching, 79 ff. Potato Race Subst. for dist. running, 44 Method, 44, 107 Standards, 44 f. Programs for Field Days, 116 ff. Putting in Golf, 105 Records Individual, 35 ff., 87 Class, 87, 109 Grade, 51 ff. School, 83, 91 Results, Fall Term, 1914, 52 Running Method, 41 ff. Standards, 44 Senior Athlete, 49 Serving in Tennis, 104 f. Shooting Goals, 106 Shot Put Method, 66, 77 Standards, 48, 54 Specialization, 25 Squads Organization, 55 Classroom Work, 5Q Gymnasium Work, 62, 102 ff. Standards Basis for, 51 ff. Standing Broad Jump Method, 68 Standards, 46, 53 Tennis Service Method, 104 Standards, 105 Throwing Baseball, 103 Throwing Basket Ball, 105 Trophies Class, 83, 88 ff. School, 83, 88 ff. Trunk Lifting, 54 Weighing, 37 Wingate, Gen. Geo. W., 5, 9