Why? The Science of Athletics

14 WHY?-THE SCIENCE OF ATHLETICS most impressionable physical period of their lives. Sub– sequent results are even more interesting. Of the children who took part in the Bacton games, T. P. Moll gained a high jump blue at Cambridge, his brothers, G._ M. and J. S. Moll, were awarded County colours while still in their teens and both won Public Schools Championships, as did R. F. Walker, while F. R. Webster was a County colour at I4, and an English International at I7, besides holding the EnglishJunior Pole Vault and Discus throwing records. In I935 he won the Pole Vault for Cambridge against Oxford with a new English record of I 2ft. 6 I /2 ins., and also the first English Indoor Championship with a record vault of I2 ft. 3 ins., which he equalled when suc– cessfully defending his title in I936, has represented England at the Empire Games, Great Britain versus Germany and France, and Oxford and Cambridge in South Africa, where he made five new records in the . course of seven matches. J oan Webster gained her County and Southern Counties colours at I5 and a year later won the Southern Discus title with a new record, and in I935 was third in the English open Cham– pionship. The younger sister, Peggy, at I5 was runner-up in the Bedfordshire High Jump, Discus Throw and Shot Put, and third in the Southern Counties Championship Discus event. A year later she won the County Javelin and was second in the High Jump and Discus events. In no instance did any of these children train seriously, but what they did do was to acquire correct technique in the years when their minds were impressionable and their bodies most plastic. - As to how much a child should do, and I am speaking now mainly of the twelve-year-olds and under, one might almost say "as much as they like". The point is that a very young child will play just as long as it pleases. In other words, it will play until it is tired, and then it packs up. It may not play long at any one event, but that does not matter; let it move along from one physical amusement to another at its own sweet will. The harm