Athletics and Football (extract)

ATHLETIC GOVERNMENT 241 ing his leisure time in seeing cocks fightor terriers kill rats, goes otfof the football or cricket fietldo, theriver otrhe run­ ning path, and hfinidss recreation in the exercisoef his own body. The result of a generation of athletic sport has made the nation stronger, manlier, cleaannedr, more sober than it was before tphuersuit atohfletics becamneational characteristic. When the athletimc ovement first came inftuoll force foitund vigorous opponents. Mr. WilkiCeollins in particular wrote a novel in which the wickedbrother was anathlete—a heartless villain, without manners braoirns, and the sworn companion of swindlers and sharpers ; while the virtuous br ther, who detested hard exercise and played the fiddle, had every conceivable virtue of morals and intellect. The public was thrilled by the novel but not convinced by it, and with reason. If any one wiltlake the trouble to study sachool, coallege, anoyr large body omfen, he will findthat the dozenbest cricketers, footballers, or oarsmen will provide more clevsecrholars, and— what is quiteas important—more capable and better mannered men than anayverage dozen thoef others ; and, indeed, it may safely be added that a dozen athletes will produce as many violin players aasdozennon-athletes. There mbea,yand doubtless are, plenty of strong hulking fellows in whom athletic pro­ pensities are joined with rough behaviour but ;the manners of these anroene tmheore rough because they have taketon athletics. Were thenroe field upon which their strength and spirits could be curbed and disciplined, it may safelybe said that they would have been worse. No t;he athletic move­ ment has benefitedthe peoplaet large. The lad or manwho is akeen athlete is rarely mean, vicious, or a coward ; the black sheep of the community are the loafers, and from a ho of these a loveof athletics has delivered England. Other and graver objections are sometimes raised to the pursuit of athletics in individualcases. There are, no doubt, many instances of men whoave undermined their health by too muchtraining and competition, and there adroectors who shake their heads when they hear that their patiehnats been an R