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Show I QOOR CHILD and the school By Dr. ALLEN G. IRELAND tin ffttty 5it Dfrtmnt of fmtiit liuttmiliom Basketball A good game to play and a great game to watch, but what strenuous activity it can be! Indeed, some coaches regard it as the most strenuous of o u i popular sports. Disregarding that point, we do know that it is full of possibilities for strain, particularly upon the heart. For- tunately, most boys and girls playing basketball are under adult supervision or we would see far more damage than is actually the case. And fortunately too, the practice of requiring medical medi-cal examinations of all team candidates candi-dates is becoming quite general. If this is not the case in your community, and you happen to be the father or mother of a growing boy or girl, I urge you to give some thought to the situation. Discusi it with your family physician ana with the school principal. Lest you get the WTong idea, may I emphasize empha-size that it isn't the game that is at fault nor would I have it discontinued discon-tinued anywhere. The points to consider are these: the child, his health, strength, fitness, heart condition; the frequency of playing; play-ing; the length of the game oi practice period; and the size anc-abilities anc-abilities of the other players. In other word3, we should always al-ways bt sure that the game is suitable suit-able to the individual child, and that it isn't overdone. We must be sure, too, that correct diet and ample sleep are accompaniments of any strenuous sport. The value of fresh mUk as a healthfvl food, and how a problem concerning it was met in one community, com-munity, will be the subject of Dr; Ireland's next article. - |