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Show JUNIOR BASEBALL The American Legion junior baseball program for 1931 got under un-der way this week with the appointment ap-pointment of managers and team captains, and another successful season is anticipated. With the lessons les-sons learned from the experience of last year, when the local boys, in their first year of toaseball, competed com-peted in the state tournament at Provo, it is felt that a much stronger team will represent this district. The junior toaseball program is based on the theory that the principles prin-ciples of good sportsmanship are closely related to the principles cf good citizenship. By teaching a boy to be a good sportsman in his youth he will become a better bet-ter American in his adult life. Baseball was chosen by the American Am-erican Legion because it is Arri-eric.-j's own game and because it gives such a wide opportunity to teach good sportsmanship. One of the first things that a boy playing toaseball will learn is respect for the rules of the game. He will see that without rules toaseball wouldn't toe a game at all, just merely the senseless chasing around of the ball. From this it is not a long step to make him see that it is the same thing in the game of life. Without With-out rules, which we call laws, life would just toe a meaningless chacs and anarchy in which no one 'would get anywhere. A respect for law should toe one afi the things a boy should get out of junior baseball. Another thing which a boy will learn quickly in toaseball is fair play. He will find out that the only satisfaction in winning a game comes from winning it fairly, fair-ly, and he should be made to see that the same thing holds true eff the baseball diamond. That nothing in life is worth winning unless won cn the square. Loyalty is another thing which a boy learns from baseball. He is taught to be loyal to his team and his fellow players. He learns to stick behind his pitcher and his captain no matter how the game is going. A tooy who has learned this in his boyhood will toe loyal to his family, to his associates, and to his country when he reaches manhood. The local American Legion post and those who are managing the program ask the support of the parents, the business interests and every citizen, as it is a worthy move, for it is a known fact that when we encourage boys in good sportsmanship we are making for good citizens in later life. |