Athletics of To-Day 1929

22 Athletics of To-day one of the most important social factors. To-day, almost every factory of note has its own club and its own training ground, as I have seen for myself, athletics being indeed considered as among the best solutions of the problem of providing healthy and suitable recreation for the working classes. The first athletic club was formed in Sweden in r88z, and by r8gr, in which year the Swedish Gymnastic and Athletic Association was formed in Stockholm, there were over a hundred clubs interested in athletics in existence. The Swedish Athletic Association-the Svenska Idrottsforbundet– was formed two years later, and in r8g6 the first Swedish Championship meeting was held. The growth of general sport in Sweden has followed some– what original lines, leading to the institution of a central association, rather like the A.A.U. of America, which controls all forms of competition. Each sports club is affiliated to the association corresponding to its own particular branch of sport; but, in order to further the progr ss of sport as a whole, the clubs are united into general district associations which are affiliated to the great National Federation. The S\ edi h ational Sports F deration has a membership of about r,ooo clubs with a total of over rzo,ooo members. The foundation of athletics in Germany, which country is rapidly improving and will oon challenge America's supr macy, is e p ially interesting to Englishmen. In r873, W. Sapt, school£ llow of the gr at M. J. rooks at Oakfield House Preparatory chool and ugby, w nt with G. . H. Brown, of Eton, to Dr sden to learn German. The following is Mr. Sapt's own description of how the first football club was founded and of the fir t athletic meeting held in Germany: (( eeing many young Englishmen and Americans about," writ s 1fr. Sapt, u wed cided to form a football club. We asked the English parson, Rev. T. . Gilderdale, to take the matter up. A well attended m eting took place at his house. Rules were debated. I wanted the Rugby game, Brown the Eton.