| Show PRANK FRANK K BAKER BAKER- Whereas Salt Lake City discontinued soccer in its it Junior high schools after the sport h had d grown to an interesting inter inter- ting esting ting stage stag the educators in the school system a at W Washington Wash Wash- sh- sh i ington D. D C. C have seen fit to perpetuate the sport in ir their heir organization Sixty eight grade school teams co competed in the he annual tournament in 1935 which was conducted for the twenty first year by the department of playgrounds li Three fu full l time instructors were employed daily for eight greeks s to demonstrate and t teach ach soccer to the youngsters giving both individual ind vidu l and group Over 2000 boys were taught much about soccer by this his me method hod which ca came e in addition to the experience the boys Ti i got t in their interclass and interschool games under supervision ef f the regular playground pla ground teachers V S S Sixty-seven Sixty juni junior r soccer teams represented the public schools c in Baltim Baltimore re Md l if in 1935 as that community real S how soccer is to the recreational and athletic tic needs of the boys a young V St. St Louis hns has found the game adaptable to its boyhood too tob The metropolis on on on the developed a high school league from its Catholic schools in 1935 and has arcady a- a already al al- ready t the c f foundation for a similar organization among i the public schools this year a Because the th city recreation department t at t St St. Louis Lous has lias Ji s f found und the g gu game me e especially fine training ing for team team play it has fostered th the e on en and physical development ga game their yearly program Thirty our teams from as many ny community centers met in a tournament last laste year yei e r. r S S v Salt Sal Lake City once had one of the most enviable junior booted into th the ash ashcan ashcan soccer programs too but the program was can can n a along with ong with a lot of other theories when the educational authorities au au- authorities of the city decided to sports s First First- it was was' soccer the in-the j junior high schools s. s Next it it was all il t interschool competition i in the junior highs Finally ll the traditional foundations of athletics in the entire school system were schools ho ls withdrew from th the ev rely shaken when the city high s 's S State atc High School Athletic association Unfortunately the Salt Lake City Gity educators have been much like the thel leaders aders in virtually al all reforms reform They have come pretty close to going from one ext extreme eme to another From Froin what they athletics for a few individuals hav construed a as on they have hav gone to a program m w woefully unattractive n active and uninspiring S S S i There is the happy Chappy prospect now however that perhaps perhaps perhaps per- per haps the pendulum is about ready to swing back toward oward a amore arnore more happy h medium I have bave always contended mass participation p patton pation wai was a desirable situation but I haven't avent been able to t T u figure out outs why one has to sacrifice grade A competition to 10 h have y B C and even D grade competition C t The Tho city schools may yet see the wisdom of h ving r d more experienced d and c capable members of their A t teams ams t on n a regular schedule with all other schools of the tate e while the younger and d' d less experienced boys bos find com corn competition p petition n o of their own stat status s in the B Band and C competition within t limits limU V i S S I V C El L' L The impo importance t fi frequently n i pla placed ed on on on victory no no doubt has taUd a s d many thinking f folks folks' io to condemn competition for school s hool N Nevertheless l ss these thes same individuals recognize the children hildren must have some means of recreational al expression expressio w when cn they their natural urge rge for team play And gam games s like and tennis tennis fine fine asO hey are aret li esho s ping po pong g tap dancing Sh t their ir pc place certainly arit be regarded regard d as vehicles vehicles' to team am performance z Jt it fakes takes games like soccer volleyball football all and baseball tc Jo t t te teach ach b team play to a youngster And so long as as these games are r regul regulated ed in length and playing conditions t to the boys t physical cal al aI capabilities the boy will find competition a happy and prof prof- t lc ev event t. t n |
