Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 24.djvu/465

Rh to the student-mind. In boating, the object is a victory over a crew of a rival class or a rival college. In lacrosse, base-ball, and foot-ball, besides working for the ultimate object of the championship, the mind of the player has continual occupation in the game itself. To secure a victory in any of these sports, good brains in the players contribute quite as much as good muscles. In fact, it is the skilled muscles rightly directed by good brains which win, and not the players most skilled in the use of their muscles. Mind as well as body has to be considered by the successful captains in the selection of their men. Then there are minor considerations which keep students in steady training, and help to induce more men to work than finally appear in the great contests, such, for instance, as the ambition to secure an office or position in one of the university organizations, and thus an honorable standing as a college man. These various considerations not only accompany the men into the field or at the oar, but also, when they are prevented from taking out-door practice, send them into the gynmasiumgymnasium [sic] to prepare for the later work.

The following brief account of the exercise taken by the students is offered in order to insure a better understanding of the system of college athletics:

Almost as soon as the college opens in the fall, the various class nines begin their games for the college championship. At the same time the class crews, the foot-ball and lacrosse teams put their men into training. This means regular exercise in the open air from four to six weeks for about one hundred and forty men. Quite as many more are benefited, some by actual participation in the games, in order to furnish opponents to the teams in practice, and others by training for the Athletic Association contests. After the class base-ball championship is decided, and the Athletic Association meetings have terminated, fewer men exercise. The interest of the college then centers in the Foot-ball Elevens, one selected from the whole university, and the other from the freshman classes of the academic and scientific departments. To give these teams practice, all the college is urged to go to the field and play against them; and though, of course, the invitation is not accepted as extensively as it is given, yet it does induce quite a large number of men to exercise. But this is not the only good effect of the existence of these teams. Catching the enthusiasm of the sport, often the men of different dormitories and of different eating-clubs send out teams for matches. The foot-ball season terminates at the thanksgiving recess. The two or three weeks intervening between this recess and the winter examinations see very little exercise taken by the students, except by the few who regularly use the gymnasium. Immediately on the opening of the winter term activity in athletics manifests itself again. The captain of the University Crew, the captain of the University Base-ball Nine, the captains of the different class crews, and the captain of the Freshman Base-ball Nine, call