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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 21, 1903)
jw,tflWiMt v)r" y&ir"??S reffFM. r -a rgwpPW asSsHisS mnRni IIU.J . t tfv - - ; tt b c Satir m e Vr a 0 h alt ' R' - V- z iR'fjiw5r-lvi . f , ; k V r 8-1- H' " Te University Athlete Tfe School Life of the Athletically Inclined Student Nchmsku'n (J row Hi of Athletic Hplrlt. Tho athletic side of University life is coming to be a more and more prom inent feature of the college coin-He. In deed, the relation of athletics to tho college Itself growB closer year by year. The standing of a college is today Judged to a considerable extent by Its athletic reputation. That athletics are growing in faor is -nowhere better demonstrated than In the University or Nebraska. In 1900, Coach Booth explained the game of football to the students at a mass meet ing in order to arouse Interest and thus aid the finances of the athletic board and at the same time secure support for the team. In the past two years no such measures have been necessary. On the contrary, large Improvements on the football field have been made from the gate receipts of foot ball games. The financial condition of the athletic department has ceased to be an embarrassing one. A similar growth has been made In other college sports, and at present a far greater percentage of the student body takes part In ath letic work than ever before. Hovr 11 Mini (lotM Into I'nUcrnl ty Atlili'tlc'N t will be of Interest to notice Just how students outer the field of college athletloB. There are in general two classes of students who do athletic work in college; viz., those who have taken part In athletics before entering college, and those who have not The former usually receive their experience In this line in high schools, where they have played a year, two years, or even three upon some team Most all of these men continue their athletic work after entering college. The majority of them are athletically Inclined, and indulge In athletics of their own accord as soon as they are launched upon their collego career. On the other hand, there ore the freshmen who have never directed their efforts toward any ath letic work at all. How do they come to do so now? There are two leading ways In which this Is brought about. Many new men take their first step In this line when they register for gym nasium work. A large percentage of collego athletes begin tholr athletic ca reer In the ordinary gym class. They find they have athletic ability, and take a liking to the work. They show up well, are encouraged by minor suc cesses, and receive special attention 6 nlMtllt fojfr-$$3 t I Tf you bwt not X v as yet visited our 13th & N f street store, we would be X pleased to have you come. ;; ',1 Our Easter display will be ; ; fine, and then you can get ;; enma nl f ko PknoAlnlo Phino and other Chocolates that you have heard us talk about. ? y T J T V V i tjJMMHW,'$22'M,i!"H' Maxwell's 3th &SK,2Q6So.lltb St, , 1426 0 St. from their Instructors. They develop rapidly, and wo sooner or lator see them shift to some pnaso of r.eal athletics, either Indoor or outdoor, and remain there until graduation. This is espe cially true of basket ball and track team men. Then there Is the fresh man who makes his advent into the athletic world for the first tlmo on the football field. He may get tho fever and appear of his own aqpord. Ordi narily, though, he Is a man of such build and muscular strength that he is good material for the college eleven, and Is urged by his friends o.- an anx ious x'oach or, captain to "get out for football," and soon finds himself par ticipating In this sport. Perhaps a larger proportion of stu dents who have' no athletic reputation behind them, try for the 'varrflty base ball teams than for any other line of athletic work. This is uue to the fact that base ball is the commonest sport, and every freshman has played It more or less at some tlmo or other, even IT It were nothing but "ante over." Besides, It is a sport which every boy loves. Students usually en ter this phase of college athletics through a desire on their own part to do so. Of these two classes those who have had, as we might Hay, prep-work In athletics and those who have not the former Is generally tjic source of the host college athletes. Nebraska's best football players come from Oma ha and Lincoln high schools. Last year's victorious team was composed almost entirely of Lincoln high school representatives. What llio Ntiiilnnt (JcIm Out of 1IU Ath letic Work. That the social side of life is im portant goes without questioning. Some students go through college with out making a wider circle of friends than seventy-five or possibly fifty. We miiBt grant that they sacrifice one of tho principal elements of a practical education. This Is "certainly undesir able. Investigation has shown, how over, that such persons are seldom athletes. In the first place, althletlcs have a great tendency to further acquaint ance. Even in a gym class friendly relations como to exist between the majority of the members In a compara tively short time. This same thing Is truo to a much greater extent among candidates for a college team of any sort. Tho men aro soon acquainted, and some of the closest ties of friend ship are formed in this manner. Nor docs this tendency to further acquain tance exist simply among the athletes alone. On tho contrary, It Is greatly In evidence as between athletes and tho student body In general, and often extends to members of tho faculty. If a man shows up well on th,e athletic field, or even appears there, tho on lookers are asking who he Is. If he doeB good work, there Is a desire aroused In his follow students to know him. As soon as a man makes a first team, especially that of football, his name Is kept before the public In the press and his reputation Is thus ad vanced. Everybody likes to know the gridiron warriors. They can easily -be favorites among the ladles, and are always popular among the boys. They ar revered by tho younger studentB, and tho entire University body feels In debted to them as "the 'varsity eleven." During the football season their names aro on all the students' tongues, and a largo majority of the students can give tho most of the line-up. In short, tho football players aro among tho most popular men of tho student body. This same condition prevails in other phases of college athletics, only to a less extent. The physical benefits derived from It is tho belief of the author that tho ovIIb arising from athletic work aro practically tnese: Injury to health or body and tho tendency to mako poor students out of men who would have otherwise been good Btudcnts. If ath letic work Injures one's health sorl- collcge athletics aro as a whole mostlously It Is generally In the way of a compensntrng. Even though the ath letic work bo light, exercise Is essen tial to good health. Success demands a sound mind. A sound mind requires a sound body. It cannot bo argued but that, as a general rule, college athletic work Is a body-builder and a health-preserver. Tho thorough, strenuous training which tho sprinter or football man receives cannot help but develop his entiro body, and strengthen every fibre and sinew. No member nt a 'varsity crew or football team will dony that his athletics Im prove his physique. Many an Infirm freshman leaves college a strong and robust man on account of having taken part In college sports. A moment's re flection wljl be sufllclent to convince one that tho percentage of Illness among athletic students Is far below the general average. It Is a common law of hygiene that a person who takes a proper amount of exercise Is less BUBceptfblo to disease than one who docs not. Wnon sickness arises among athletes. It almost invariably arises from contagion or Infection. Fur ther, It Is a well known fact that a trained athlete can endure tho priva tions of dlscaso which others could not withstand. The third benefit received from be ing a college athlete is that of moral strength. Nothing will take tho back wardness and timidity out of a man like athletics. First team men, as well as second, are continually under tho oyc of spectators and subject to their criticism or commendation. If any one thinks that It, does ot require nerve to appear on tho football field for tho first time before a sea of faces, and bleachers black with humanity, let them try It. ut after a time the men become accustomed to It ana mind It hut little. Then, too, In collego games overy man has an opponent. Ho must continually cope with an antagonist, whether it bo at practice or In a regu lar game. This cannot help but do velope grit and courage as nothing else could. It must- result In tho strength ening of character In this respect. This familiarity with opposition will stand a man In stead when he enters upon his llfo work, In this ago of strong competition In nearly every fine. breakdown. This la duo chiefly to over work, or a failure on the partof tho person to,, observe tho rules of train ing. For tho former, a conch may sometimes bo to blame, but oftener tho student himself, either through Ignor ance or negligence. For tho latter, a man must blame hlniBclf. But break downs In health are usually only tem porary, and occur only In but few In stances. That there Is considerable danger of bodily Injury In football must be admitted. Last season sev eral mon were killed in thiB game. In dications point, however, to the de velopment of rules which will mako the game less dangerous In the future. Whnt the Atliluto Doc lifter looming School. It may be safe to say that tho great majority of collego athletes sooner or later drift Into business or professional life. A minority of this claBS of stu dents discontinue athletic work for good when they graduate and enter upon some vocation nt once. Many, after finishing their academic work, shyly law or medicine and conllnuo to tako part In athletics until they enter tholr profession. After this such men seldom do any work of this nature. Some football and baseball men coach for a time after leaving collego, but Beldom follow coaching for more than flvo years. After this period, experi ence has shown that coaches, however good at first, arc no long'or ablo to meet with their former success. This Is doubtles largely due to the rapid de velopment of collego Bports and tho consequent changes In the rules and methods of pUy. A few college ath letes become Physical directors and pursue this lino or .WOrk for life, but tho percentage is vty small. If you aro needing Spectacles or Eyo-glaases wo can give jft n porfect fit. Eyes examined free, jialictt Jeweler and Optician, 1143 0 u . 3q years' experience. ' WESTERN GLASS & PAINT Go. 12th & M Sts. LINCOLN, NEB. H iitti''t0itmi&iii c 0lRtjm All WMmLI 'ntMA. S AT THE FRONT In all new and scientific methods of construction you wJU find THE. i i S m f' 9 CALI.GRAPH the foremost typewriter of the age at the front in, all improvement. 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