Athletics of To-Day 1929

viii Preface Schools Championships numbered just over roo. This year there were over 8oo entries from upwards of roo schools. But even more illuminating is the average of performance of the first ten boys out of the whole of the public schools in Great Britain in r925 as compared with their successors of r929. It is given hereunder : r925. r929. IOO Yards ro·58 secs. ro·38 secs. 440 54'60 , 53.34 , 88o , 2 mins. 6·82 , 2 mins. 4·70 , r Mile 4 , 45'54 , 4 , 40'70 , r2o Yards Hurdles IJ'38 , r6·36 , Long Jump 20ft. 6·82 ins. 20ft. 8·42 ins. High Jump 5 , 5·5o , 5 , 7'97 , Shot Put 3I , 5·5o , 36 , 0'95 , Pole Vault 7 , 8'47 , 9 , 0'20 Javelin 88 " 9'70 , I24 , II'42 , Discus 88 , I'05 , ro6 , ro· r2 , This improvement, which dates mainly from the appoint– ment of athletic blues as Games Masters at the schools, indi– cates that the number of boys taking an active inter st in the sport has increased enormously, and that there has been wit– nessed a remarkable desire to acquire athletic knowledge. The great schools, such as Eton, Harrow, harterhouse, Bedford, and Lancing, have been excellently coached in athletics, but there are hundreds of other institutions less fortunate. Apart from the Author's very real desire to place upon record some history of the development of athletics through– out the world, in the hope that the present and future gener– ations may emulate and improve upon the feat of their forefathers, thi book is written primarily for th benefit of those young athletes who do not enjoy the benefit of first-class coaching. I do not believe in athletics for th honours they bring to the individual, for all the athletic glory ev r gained is not worth a month's ill-health, nor can it justify the breeding