Fifty Years of Progress 1880-1930

THE VALUE OF ATHLETICS BY H. B. STALLARD MANY of you have experienced those indescribable moments of mental torture as you have sat waiting in the changing room for the stentorian tones of the pavilion steward to announce "all out for the half-mile" (or whatever event you may be competing in), the dream-like walk to the " mark," the tension before the gun is fired, and finally the feeling of your body wracked with fatigue. What is the value of all this ? We will consider this question from the point of view of the individual unit, the athlete himself, his club, his country, and lastly the world. Communities, nations and peoples depend for their progress primarily upon the training and efforts of the individual, and so also in athletics time and trouble are taken to prepare the individual athlete. To the athlete there are two phases in his progress towards the goal– one the period of training and preparation, and the other the hour of competition and contest. The former is the straight and narrow avenue by which he equips himself properly for the trials of the latter, and both these phases bring with them mental and physical rewards to those that work hard in their cause. On the psychological side he learns discipline in the pursuit of what soldiers call" maintenance of the objective" ; to keep to the beaten track and not to stray aside into easier paths; to press on whether in times of depression or optimism ; to be captain of himself; to persevere and to work hard. He must not consort with the Lady Nicotine, fool with Bacchus, or worship at the shrine of the younger Aphrodite. On the physiological side he gains the knowledge and sensation of becoming a first-rate physical machine, full of joie de vivre and good health. He experiences the value of fresh air, cold water, and vigorous exercise out of doors. These and others are the benefits to be reaped from the phase of training. The field of competition is the trial ground of the seeds you have sown during training. Here also it is true that" ye shall reap as ye have sown." In the hour of contest, and provided that you are equipped with a sound body, " courage" is the staff that will support you and keep your flag flying. It is the antidote that holds at bay that old bogey Fear, when he comes bothering you on your way to the ground, in the changing room, on the mark, and in the closing struggle down the finishing straight. You learn to endure the stormy passages, the ups and downs, and "to hold on when there is nothing in you except the will that says to you 'Hold on.'" 59