HEALTH BY STUNTS THE MACMILLAN COMPANY NEW YORK • BOSTON • CHICAGO • DALLAS ATLANTA • SAN FRANCISCO MACMILLAN & CO., Limited LONDON • BOMBAY • CALCUTTA MELBOURNE THE MACMILLAN CO. OF CANADA, Ltd. TORONTO HEALTH BY STUNTS BY Captain N. H. PEARL, U.S. Army ATHLETIC OFFICER, THIRTY-SECOND DIVISION, A.E.F. FORMERLY ASSISTANT SUPERVISOR OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION, DETROIT PUBLIC SCHOOLS ASSISTED BY Captain H. E. BROWN, U.S. Army ATHLETIC DIRECTOR, WAR DEPARTMENT COMMISSION ON TRAINING CAMP ACTIVITIES FORMERLY ASSISTANT SUPERVISOR OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION, DETROIT PUBLIC SCHOOLS Nein gotit THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 1919 All rights reserved Copyright, 1919, By the MACMILLAN COMPANYo Set up and electrotyped. Published September, 1919. ©CI.A53507i WortoooU Pregg J. S. Gushing Co. — Berwick & Smith Co. Norwood, Mass., U.S.A. FOREWORD In 1914 the writer began an investigation in the Detroit PubHc Schools with the idea of conducting such athletics as boys would like, that could be done under existing conditions, and that would develop the boys. This investigation, which has been continued, has proved conclusively that the play of boys and girls has been on the decline. Boys had no record of what they could accomplish. The old stunts and contests were not only not partici- pated in, but were almost entirely forgotten. Boys were spending from one to three hours a day, sometimes seven days in a week, at picture shows or in other pas- sive entertainment. They were not taking part in any- thing athletic. The number of records taken to measure the athletic ability of boys in Detroit has reached far past the million mark, and many interesting conclu- sions have been reached. Modern conditions have not only made boys inactive, but have made people of all ages inactive. Under such conditions chronic disease is rapidly on the in- crease. Statistics in the United States Government reports, insurance companies, and the investigations of the Life Extension Institute of New York have shown this conclusively. vi FOREWORD The play impulse will continue to exist, though it must have greater 'opportunity of expression or the results will be very detrimental to the race as a whole. Beginning with the play impulse the boy must have somebody to play with, a place to play, and know something to play. If the boy has the impulse and knows something to play, he will make a strenuous effort to find companions or things and a place to play. It is necessary to make every boy bathe, clean his teeth, and leave his window up at night. Eventually an impulse is created within the boy which prompts him to do these things for himself. This is the point where "physical training leaves off and physical education begins. This is not habit. There is actually an impulse that prompts individuals to keep clean and .get fresh air even under adverse conditions. Similarly play impulse must be developed to such an extent that it will prompt not only the boy but the adult to play practically every day of his life. If play cannot be had, this impulse must prompt the individual to other exercise, which partly takes the place of play. For exercise the following things must be accomplished ; how they are done is only secondary. The heart should heat at high speed for several minutes every day, and the digestive system should he turned wrong side up and severely shaken up. Whether this is to take place every day and what the duration of this FOREWORD vil strenuous exercise is to be, are questions which each in- dividual must answer for himself. The time and amount will vary with the age of the individual. It may be five minutes or it may be twenty minutes a day, and it may be every day or every few days. Riding, playing golf, walking and such do not give the necessary exercise. Other important things are these : good posture should be maintained. If work makes this impossible, then over-corrections should be made often during work. The body must be kept pliable. It must continue to retain wide range of movement of youth, with ease. The chest must retain elasticity. The ligamentary hang should be practiced in hanging by the hands and also by the knees. Good physical condi- tion is dependent on retaining the elasticity of youth throughout the body. There is a powerful impulse impelling our civilization onward and upward. It is a great pent-up force push- ing forward our race. It began with man ; it will end with eternity. It is our individual and national power. It compels the individual and the nation to advance rapidly in some ways. Various influences act in direct- ing this advance. We seem to be retarded, to slip back- ward in some phases of life at times, as individuals and nations, but always there is a great force behind push- ing us somewhere, and we must direct this forward and upward in all problems of life. viii FOREWORD This great power may be first expressed in one or a few who direct the rest of us. It made us believe that the earth was round; discover America, find out the power of steam, fly in the air, swim under the sea, talk around the world. It urges us toward a cleaner cleanliness, a truer godliness, and a bigger social con- sciousness; to a broader democracy, and a greater patriotism. Let us direct one branch of this mighty force for all in searching for the Fountain of Youth, which can be found in following the right simple rules which lead to good health. Let each individual assume the responsibility for his or her own good health. It is easily attained and retained. I wish to make special acknowledgment to Mr. H. E. Brown, who has revised the manuscript and assisted in every detail of its organization ; to Miss Ethel Perrin, Supervisor of Physical Education, for her assistance and cooperation in every phase of the work ; to Mr. L. M. Post, who has pulled with me many times on our team of two ; to other members of the depart- ment who have assisted enthusiastically with the boys^ work; and to Dr. C. E. Chadsey, former Superin- tendent of Schools, who has been the earnest sup- porter of physical education. N. H. Pearl Capt. U.S. Army INTRODUCTION One of the results of the Great War has been a sharp criticism of the work of the pubhc schools of the United States. In the early days of the selective draft, it was found that many young men were rejected for physical disabilities and deficiencies, many of which were unnecessary and could easily have been over- come or would never have been developed if a more intelligent system of physical education had been in general use in our schools. These criticisms were so sharp that already a marked effect on public school practice is being noticed. These modifications are in the direction of more liberal time allotments for physical education work and a recognition of the value of many forms of physical exercises at one time com- mon in the life of the boy, but of late years, particu- larly in our more congested centers of population, neglected and to a large extent lost. This volume is an effort on the part of two physical directors, who have had unusual opportunity for ob- servation and experimental work with boys in the upper elementary grades and in the high school grades, to give to the public in convenient form plans to develop an interest in our boys in these activities X INTRODUCTION which have so often been neglected. It is also their hope that this book may reach the attention of many who as individuals; although in other activities, may profit by the instructions and directions. It is often stated that the home ties under modern social conditions are being somewhat loosened through the failure of the father to get into intimate, confi- dential association with his boys. The great interest which all boys possess in stunts of various kinds makes it possible to overcome this tendency through par- ticipation in or direction of many of these activities. In Detroit where these directors have been ac- tively at work; it has been noted that in many cases the parents have developed an interest in these ac- tivities through the work of the boys in various public demonstrations. At the beginning of this work, the absolute lack of knowledge on the part of the boys of many of the most elementary stunts was startling, es- pecially when it was noted that nearly all of these exercises were those which had been commonly prac- ticed by the parents of these boys. If this volume results in a nation-wide renewal of interest in these fundamental stunts and contests, the purpose of the authors will have been accomplished. C. E. Chadsey, Superintendent Chicago Schools formerly Superintendent Detroit Schools TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE Introduction by C. E. Chadsey ix CHAPTER I. The Great War as an Impetus ... 1 II. Existing Physical Conditions .... 9 III. Organization .26 IV. Athletic Events that can be Timed or Measured 51 V. Stunts Individual and Combination . . 88 VI. Contests 141 VII. The Decathlon Contest . . . . . 155 VIII. The Major Sports of the Elementary School 170 IX. Stunts Adapted for Girls . . . = 182 XI HEALTH BY STUNTS CHAPTER I THE GREAT WAR AS AN IMPETUS liNCE history began war has caused men to tighten their girthS; throw off the mantle of ease and sloth, renounce excesses, and steel themselves to hardships. War has halted in full tide the chronic habits of in- difference and lazy acceptance of things as they are. A fighting nation is a nation lifted out of itself, raised above its petty faults. War is like a dash of cold water in the face, waking a nation to a realization of its assets and shortcomings. A people at war can no longer continue to drift sluggishly toward a vague, indefinite goal. The current of life becomes suddenly transformed into a steady, swift, purposeful movement, guided and propelled by a high enthusiasm that puts to shame any who are not at first caught up by it. This high enthusiasm makes weak men take stock of themselves and strong men glory in their strength. Under the stress of war vast numbers of perplexing, irritating problems that have • embroiled thousands in endless, futile discussions become suddenly clear or B 1 Human Arch (p. 133) Human Arch (p. 133) THE GREAT WAR AS AN IMPETUS 3 are swept away altogether. Everything is subjected to the one inexorable win-the-war test. It is wonderfully refreshing to a nation, even though it is crude and im- perfect, to have one simple test to apply to all things. If it won't help win the war, there's an end ta it I And when peace has come again, the high enthu- siasm may die down, but a nation with its eyes even momentarily forced open cannot ignore what it saw nor soon forget the conclusions it drew. The tightened girth, the cleared eye, the hardened tissue, once at- tained, are too pleasing to be released without a struggle. The ease of forming judgments by one simple, applicable rule will be for a time difficult to give up. In the field of physical education an advance that would have taken its broadest-minded advocates years to bring about, the conflict just terminated in Europe has accomplished in hardly more than one. The tremendous practical benefit of a nation physically prepared for any emergency has been vividly demon- strated. It is no longer necessary to explain pains- takingly the need for physical fitness to the masses. We have an unanswerable reason at hand — ^Ho win wars our men must be physically sound." It is some- thing which everyone understands, beyond which nothing need be said. There are more important reasons why the people must be physically fit, but it 4 HEALTH BY STUNTS has required the Great War to convince our nation of this necessity. As a result we exerted great energy on our fighting forces and made great plans which should be extended to the masses in peace times. One of the most unpardonable sins of the average brand of physical training has been its apparent failure to sift down to its irreducible minimum the objective of its work. Too often appearances seem to indicate that the main object was to master a set of more or less difficult exercises merely for the sake of the exer- cises, or to develop certain unessential uniformities : before being sure of fundamentals. If there was no agreement as to the chief objective before the war, the excuse for that is now past. In the enthusiasm and stimulation of the conflict there could have been no dissenting voice had such an objective been stated. Opportunity for coalition should not be allowed to slip by now that the fire of battle has died down. If all are in agreement on this one fundamental premise, — that first of all we should bend our energies to de- velop men who will be efficient citizens and effective patriots, — then the fogs of dispute may melt away and a new constructive program combining all the virtues of the past be possible. First we must determine the essential physical char- acteristics of the men we are striving for, not all the multitudinous attributes which will aid them in this THE GREAT WAR AS AN IMPETUS 5 fulfillment, but merely the essential physical char- acteristics that they must have, and see to it that a large proportion of our men develop these. Then, and not until then, can we with a clear conscience branch out into special fields of development. It remains then to determine what we are to con- sider the minimum essentials with which physical education has to deal. In the first place, the body , must be in a given mechanical condition which may be determined within limits by knowing what the sort of man we are striving for will be called upon to do physically to maintain good health. Prescribed tests may then be applied periodically. Just as a locomo- tive's parts must be tested to see if they can stand the new strain to which they will be subjected, so the muscles, vital organs, and nerves should conform to the standard of performance at all times, set in relation to the necessary activities of the individual. Besides a given standard of mechanical condition, there are essentials of mental and moral worth which can be influenced by physical education. The boy or man we turn out must have an Impelling Impulse toward developing : I. Poise and control. 11. Confidence and initiative. III. Capacity and ability. IV. Social consciousness. 6 HEALTH BY STUNTS After that he may become an athlete^ an expert on the gymnasium apparatus, a wizard at Indian club manipulations, a past master of form in the execution of prescribed movements, or carry his physical edu- cation to whatever limits he may desire, but first let him be prepared for good citizenship. It is the authors' contention that the tests for grow- ing boys, to determine whether or not they are up to these minimum standards mentioned, should be natural tests that boys will apply instinctively without urging or directing. It is fast becoming an accepted doc- trine that we should make use of the fundamental instincts of human beings ; i e. it is generally believed that we get better results by encouraging running, wrestling, throwing, and striking than by teaching dumb-bell and wand drills. We do not have to search far for the natural measures of ability. A glance backward into the lives of the boys who grew up with our country and whose im- pulses led them to the natural tests of strength and general ability will open up a vast, rich field of physical activities. It seems evident, from a brief survey of pre-war conditions, that we were hardly in a position to argue the finer points of physical education. We had not even approximated the standards for efficient citizen- ship. A close study of the play conditions of one of THE GREAT WAR AS AN IMPETUS 7 our largest cities (Detroit), coupled with a considera- tion of the report of rapid increase in chronic diseases, made it apparent to the authors that a radical change of some sort was fast becoming essential to the health and strength of the nation. Investigation in Detroit led us to believe as stated in Chapter II that with- out a systematized and organized effort to perpetuate them, active games, sports, and contests would be- come obsolete in five years in any large community. Reasons for the existing conditions were easily dis- cernible but none the less alarming. The following chapter covers in detail these con- ditions as they were found to exist before America undertook her colossal European task. Plans for awakening the youth of our cities to a larger interest in their play and so in their physical welfare which were under way before the Great War, are bound to be given an extraordinary aid if we will now move quickly to take full advantage of the opportunity. Along with a desire for a strong nation, we are sure to find tre- mendously increased pride in individual strength and general physical ability. If physical education is now ready with a plan of action to supply the national demand for physical efficiency, we shall have little trouble in carrying it out. On the other hand, if the lation, fresh from its strenuous efforts at home and ibroad, with its new craving for health-building ac- 8 HEALTH BY STUNTS tivities, turns to us only to find the same wornout, tedious, exacting drills and gymnastic movements, the same bickering between factions, it cannot be held responsible for the excesses and absurdities to which it may turn. It is, then, strictly up to physical education to meet promptly and effectively an emergency which may well prove to be the great turning point in its career. How best can we take advantage of the high enthusiasms and progressive fervor this conflict has given us? What simple, direct, and comprehensive plan of action can we offer that will turn these enthusiasms toward improving existing physical conditions and so make for a citizenship more capable of developing to its fullest extent its inherent possibilities for good? These are the questions which the succeeding chapters seek to answer. I CHAPTER II EXISTING PHYSICAL CONDITIONS N man's earliest recorded history we find him called upon to depend almost entirely on physical fit- ness in order to survive. The weak starved to death or were killed. Only the strong lived to perpetuate the race. At a later period we find men living in communities and delegating the duty of fighting to comparatively a few, while the rest were engagied in the vari- ^ ,. ^ ° ° Decline in ous trades. But even here, wars involving a Physical large proportion of the men occurred with ^ ^^^ ^®^ sufficient frequency to keep alive in the race the vital qualities of grit^ courage, and hardihood through the medium of vigorous bodily exercise. Also, the trades men engaged in at that time required in most instances considerable physical activity. Coming still nearer to our own time, through the path of history, we discover both an increase and a decrease in the number of active pursuits, and a cor- responding rise and fall in mental and moral integrity. Rome, in its glory, carried physical activity to a high tos^^^i Knee Dip (p. 96) Corkscrew (p. 99) Through Stick (p. 98) Toe Jump (p. Ill) 10 EXISTING PHYSICAL CONDITIONS 11 pinnacle ; its decline^ following the amassing of great wealth; led to the downfall of the Empire. Even seventy-five or one hundred years ago in our own country (much more recently in some sections) the severity of conditions of life supplied the average man the necessary physical exertion. Hardships and fighting have always kept men in health and well- being. It is when the severity of conditions relaxes, when wealth begins to pile up, and sedentary occupa- tions to increase, that we may reasonably look for a general social decadence. In spite of the advantage we have gained by our brief plunge into the tremendous European conflict, we have reached a very dangerous point in our history as a nation. Unless we hasten to take advantage of the interest in physical well-being caused by the war and create a definite field for its expression in a national physical activity and a definite physical efficiency standard for all ages, there is little doubt that gradu- ally we will slip back to our former state of increasing physical inertia. The frontiers have disappeared ; the forests where the ax rang out its peal of active well- being have melted away. The desert and the spell of the Yukon no longer help those in need of a spur to physical activity. We cross the frontier in a night, desert and all, in a Pullman berth. We go to watch golf matches and baseball games where the forests 12 HEALTH BY STUNTS stood. Perhaps twenty men play while twenty thou- sand sit and watch them — and eat peanuts and grow fat. What is true of baseball is largely true of other sports. The Yale bowl holds TO^OOO people and the football field itself accommodates but a score or so — of specialized athletes. The unpleasant suggestion of the gladiator or the bull fight and their thousands of spectators is bound to present itself. This is intended as no indictment of major athletic competitions, which have a valuable place in athletics as treated in the discussion of games in Chapter VIII. But the fact remains that we have come to the point where the majority of our joys and pleasures are to be had with- out real physical exertion. Our work is in sedentary occupations. Our very sports appeal to us only when others play them. Something vital is missing that was present a generation ago. What name shall we give to it ? The active play impulse seems to be the broadest term that fits the case ; that is the essence of what is lacking. That is what we must strive to rejuvenate. If proof is needed that there has been an alarming decline in physical activities in the past decade, we . have only to examine the report of Dr. Increase m *^ ^ Chronic Eugene Lyman Fisk, Director of Hygiene, Diseases j^-^^ Extension Institute of New York, show- ing that the chronic diseases are rapidly on the in- EXISTING PHYSICAL CONDITIONS 13 crease. The order of increase is : (l) Heart ; (2) Kidney and Urinary ; (3) Liver and Digestion ; (4) Nervous system. Of over 1000 industrial workers of average age — 32, examined in one city (Detroit), 53 per cent had hardening of the arteries, 72 per cent had either urinary or circulatory impairments, or both. Most of these workers were unaware that they were either in or near a serious condition. The United States Government report shows that the number of deaths from heart disease has increased 30 per cent since 1900. A large proportion of these cases are preventable or are subject to indefinite delay in their final action, providing proper stimulus can be given to physical activities. The vital organs must have the shaking up and the stimulation to proper functioning that is given by the right kind of physical exertion. Elementary School Conditions Nothing could show more clearly the passive state into which we are falling than the results of the physi- cal tests applied to the boys of the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades of the Detroit Elementary Schools. From a study of the conditions there, the author came to the conclusion that without a systematized and or- ganized effort to perpetuate them, active games, sports, and contests would become obsolete in five years in any large community. At first thought this may seem too 14 HEALTH BY STUNTS radical a statement, but that the conclusion is justified must be apparent from an examination of the facts. Large groups of sports formerly in common use were found to be completely forgotten and discarded. Lack of The old-time ^' stunts " that every boy used to " Stunts " have as a part of his daily activity, and upon which he used to depend for a large share of his amuse- ment, were found to be practically unknown. Only a few of the most common ones had even been heard of. A glance at the chapter on ^^ Stunts, Individual and Combination^' will bring back to the minds of nearly all the men of thirty years or more the recol-§l lection of the splendid hours they used to have in spring- ing one or another of these stunts on their companions. It is almost unbelievable that what was once such a ^ • large part of a boy's existence can so completely have§| been submerged in the short space of a decade or so. A few of the stunts were known by name to some of l j the 5000 boys examined the first year. As a usual ' I thing, however, they seemed to consider that the stunts had no value for them personally. They were simply things they had heard of, not things they could try to possibly accomplish. The circus and the vaudeville stages are practically the only places where the Head Stand, the Hand Spring, and the Shoulder Stand are commonly seen. The sight of these stunts used to awaken and gain the interest of the EXISTING PHYSICAL CONDITIONS 15 average boy, who would take them home in his mind, and practice them in the back yard or in the barn until he became proficient enough to spring them on his playmates. To-day there seems to be lacking the living spark that made the connection between stunts on the stage and the boys in the back yard. The self-confidence and eagerness to try anything new, and the intense competitive spirit aroused by the sight of something new in another's possession, seem almost to have disappeared. It was found that hardly a boy out of the 5000 had ever done such stunts as squatting on one foot and balancing on a chair, or jumping over a stick held in the hands. By far the larger number of boys had never tried to do more than a very few of the stunts listed in Chapter V. The eagerness with which they accepted any of these, when introduced by the Physical Education Department, showed that the breaking away from active sports has not been voluntary, and that under the right conditions the spark of response may be rekindled. Athletic events are more familiar to the average boy of to-day than stunts, probably for the reason that certain chosen ones of these events are f os- jj^^ j^ack tered by our universities and colleges and so of Athletic kept alive. Wherever it is found that an event has been dropped out of college competition 16 HEALTH BY STUNTS during the last ten years or so, it seems to have invari- ably followed that the event has also been dropped by all classes of boys, with the result that it is practi- cally unheard of by the present younger generation. For example, the Hitch-Kick and the Hop -Step- Jump, both old-time college events, were found to be almost completely out of use by the younger boys. In fact, in only a few cases was there a boy found who could even begin the Hop-Step-Jump correctly. Some among them had heard of it, but to the majority the name conveyed not the slightest intelligence. The Hitch- Kick had to be worked on for a considerable time before the boys could use it at all. Both were obsolete events. In every school there were found some boys whoj could not jump off a mark with both feet together. They would hop, or step, or simply fall off, when at- tempting a standing broad jump. In running there were very few boys who could put' much effort into a hundred yard dash for the whole distance. Much determination might be apparent at the start of the sprint, but it seemed to fade from their faces at ten, twenty, or thirty yards, depending on the boy. On questioning them it was found that only a few had ever run that distance as fast as they could go; practically none had any idea how fast they could cover the distance, or even whom among EXISTING PHYSICAL CONDITIONS 17 their acquaintances they could beat. A visit to the play spaces revealed the fact that if there seemed to be the slightest chance of his being overtaken, the tendency was for a boy who was being chased by another to quit. On the other hand, if the chaser lost ground he quit. This was true in wrestling and all the rougher sports. Such conditions need no comment, — they speak for themselves. Records taken by the author of all athletic events tried in the elementary schools the first year showed a pitiful lack of average ability. Of course some boys may be found everywhere who are able to do almost any of the things shown them. These boys either have exceptional athletic ability, or are blessed with fathers who are interested in keeping alive in their sons the amusements of their own youth. The ^^ fighting instincV which has been brought down through all the stages of civilization by physical contests of one kind or another seems to be The Lflck in danger of complete extinction among all of the our present-day youths. With no compul- lighting sory military service in a democracy such as ours, and with every boy allowed to choose his own activities, a very large per cent have failed to avail themselves of the opportunity for keeping this invalu- able instinct alive. The methods heretofore used by the boys in time of peace, such as wrestling, boxing, 18 HEALTH BY STUNTS and all contests calling for actual personal contact, are seldom used by the boys of our modern elementary schools. Such simple, pleasurable methods of develop- ing grit, courage, pep, and stamina as boxing hats, doing the Indian wrestle, or the "badger pull," or ordinary " catch-as-catch-can " appear to have gone out of the life of the modern boy. In our chapter on "Contests," a score or so of the favorite contests of all ages of our history have been described. All these have been tried on boys of the Detroit Elementary Schools, with the most excellent results. The amazing fact is revealed that outside of boxing and wrestling, which have been kept alive by professionals, very few boys had ever heard of any of them, much less tried them. Boys now have few games outside of baseball, football, some form of tag, and a few hiding games. Pom pom pull away, prisoners' base, blackman, high- of Definite spy throw-the-bi, gray wolf, tally-ho, anti- Knowledge I_over, duck-on-the-rock, do2:-and-deer, fox- of Games ^ ; &> ? and-geese, hare-and-hound, wood-tag, tag- in-trees, one-and-two-old-cat, cross-tag, crack-the-whip, bull-in-the-ring, skin-the-devil, wind-the-watch, and many others have completely passed away for the larger number of children. There should be enough games known, and sufficient play spirit in every boy so that no matter what the time of day, time of year. EXISTING PHYSICAL CONDITIONS 19 place or space^ number of boys^ or weather conditions, play would be the continuous program during unoc- cupied hours. In the old days boys had a game for every condition and every season. The first fall of snow was the signal for dog-and-deer, and fox-and-geese. The early spring winds brought out the kites and windmills, while later the running sap and peeling bark suggested the whistles. Boys have little opportunity to climb, though we found more of them familiar along this line than any other. Few could skin-the-cat, go over the -pt^ t i^ bar forward, or backward, hang and drop by of Climb- the knees, do the cut-off or grind, or many ^^^ ^^^ other ordinary boy stunts that used to be done from limbs of trees, from homemade horizontal bars and trapeze, ladders, beams in barns, old houses, mills, and every other imaginable place. Hundreds of boys tested could not chin themselves once ; not twenty boys in the city could bring their toes up to the bar. There was but a small percentage that could do it by swinging, or by any special struggle they might make. City conditions decrease the number of boys who make and fly kites, make and roll hoops, construct windmills and water-wheels that run things, whittle tops, chains, knives, willow whistles and fans, make carts, sleds, baseballs, mitts, bats, boats, bows and arrows, slings, and stilts. 20 HEALTH BY STUNTS Without organized stimulation^ few teachers en- courage games and athletics, and some consider them a waste of the time that should be devoted The Lack ^^ study. These teachers place the subject courage- above the individual, whereas the best will Play**^ use them as a means to develop interest in all work and to get a real hold on the boy. A large per cent of parents do not engage in active sports with their children, or even with adults, and many do not even encourage it. The Types Among the boys examined in Detroit there of Boys were found to be four general classes. Class I. The first is composed of those who, on their own initiative, will put their best effort into whatever they enter in the physical life. They may be either the motor or the mental type. They may also have great natural ability or they may have little. They comprise a small per cent of the total number of boys. They come from moderate homes and in many cases their fathers do manual labor. They have work to do either because they must or because they choose to do it. If boys from wealthy homes are in this class it is due to heredity or home conditions. Class II. The second class is much the largest group. It is made up of boys from homes of all classes. Most of these boys have all the necessary qualifications for plays and games, although these EXISTING PHYSICAL CONDITIONS 21 have not been developed. With sufficient stimulation they will go into things with the energy, perseverance, courage, and grit that every normal boy should have. If they are left to their own initiative, they will drift along the lines of least resistance. On these two classes depend the preservation and progress of the nation. Class III. The third class is recruited from wealthy and also from middle-class homes. When these boys can be stimulated to it, they have endurance, but they lack pep, grit, and courage. They are generally fash- ionably dressed. They do not like to get their shoes soiled. They are afraid of the dirt that goes with healthy play. They are nice. Many times they are called sissy. They have no control of their tempers ; when they lose them they cry, run, hide, and behave abnormally. They do not like to take off their coats and join in natural play activities. They are in- different and lazy. They do not keep their promises to other boys. Class IV. The fourth class is made up of boys coming from the poor, low, and unmoral homes. They are underfed, undersized, and some of them are subnormal. In this class are found boys who get un- clean, unhealthful, greasy food, and who have unclean and un ventilated sleeping conditions. This class, as la whole, has more grit, pep, nerve, and courage than Class II, but lacks in endurance. 22 HEALTH BY STUNTS School captains have given many instances of the failure of Class III boys to keep their promises. Such a boy promises to be on hand at a certain tions of hour to play a game with his team. Motor- ^^®^ ing; a friend; a suggestion^ or a whim may deflect him. He is not dependable. He does not play naturally. He must be forced or coaxed to play. These boys are to be found on almost any school yard. When boys of Class I exhibit certain of these tend- encies they develop into criminals. A certain per cent of the boys of Class III are criminally inclined but lack the force and energy to be of the Captain Kidd type and instead are negative and. subnormal. Mothers have said to teachers and principal when^ their boys were within hearing^ '^Why should John do this or that? He will never have to work for a living." It is not to be expected that boys coming from such an atmosphere would have the qualities a normal boy should have. Recently a member of the Physical Education Department heard a woman on a street car say^ " Dear^ I wouldn't hang on to that strap ; you might strain your side." The boy was attending one of the Detroit Junior High Schools. Such cases need no comment for emphasis. They appear to be good proof of the old saying that ^^It is only three generations from shirt sleeves to shirt sleeves." These things should recall Goldsmith's lines : i\ EXISTING PHYSICAL CONDITIONS 23 " 111 fares the land to hastening ills a prey, Where wealth accumulates and men decay." It would seem that boys are putting less of their real inherent effort into things each year. Their studies are more predigested. They can see _., ^ athletics^ melodramatics, Diamond Dicks^ elusion to and Charlie Chaplins for the few shekels they ® ^^^" can rustle, and consequently it is easier to drift along the lines of passive amusement. They can be stimulated to a greater activity, but the question is, how can this be done so that they are on their own initiative, 80 per cent instead of 20 per cent efficient? When they are given a good ^^once over'' about how little ^^sand" they have, and that they have not grit enough to stick it out for a hundred yards with all their might, they will put much more pep into their efforts. It hardly seems possible that the competitive in- stinct can be completely lost by our younger genera- tion, but that it is in a fair way to being lost seems evi- dent from our examination. If any doubt is felt concerning the general active ability of the boys in your particular community, try to introduce some of the stunts, athletic events, and contests listed here, and satisfy yourselves as to the result. The fact will be found that, without organized effort to perpetuate them, sports and games are going to die out. 24 HEALTH BY STUNTS The most direct cause for the existing conditions is, as we have suggested, the lack of the impulse for physical activity. Back of this lie a num- Sug- ^^^ ^^ important conditions, chief among gestions which is the lack of knowledge of things to Changing play. Directly behind this lack of knowl- Physical g^jg^ jg ^j^g \q^q]^ ^f g^ capable organization to teach the needed activities. And finally, behind it all, is the lack of the individual leader- organizer, who knows the conditions to be met, knows the games, stunts, contests, and athletic- events of past ages, knows how to organize, and knows, besides, the heart and soul of the boy. The problem, then, resolves itself into a question of education. Given the leader-organizer, an organi- zation may be constructed which will direct into the proper channels the necessary knowledge of things to play, which will in its turn bring forth the inherent instinct existing in every child in the form of a natural impulse for play activities. This instinct must be and is present in every in- dividual, brought down through the ages. It can never be killed, but it may easily be submerged. It is a case of the influence of environment being stronger than that of heredity. The chief cornerstone upon which modern physical education builds its hopes is the knowledge that this inherent instinct for play EXISTING PHYSICAL CONDITIONS 25 activities does exist. If any real and lasting good is to be accomplished, it must be made to blossom forth into an impulse strong enough to impel action under any conditions. CHAPTER III ORGANIZATION The practicability of any plan calling for concerted national action depends to a great degree on its sim- plicity, its flexibility, and its insistence on National a few fundamentals. Therefore, in formu- ^ *°^ lating the plan of organization in this chap- ter, we have done no more than outline a skeleton form. In the following chapters we have then given a rather comprehensive and detailed example of how the skeleton may be filled in. From these examples and the possibilities which their suggestion opens up, the plan derives its flexibility. Every locality has its own peculiar circumstances to be met, so that a com- plex, inflexible plan which could not be shaped to meet them would be useless. The suggested organization will apply in any civic, industrial, or military unit. Each unit can install its plan independently of every other unit, but the ideal scheme is the formation of a national organization with identical smaller organizations in the states and thus down to the smallest civic units. 26 (T ..,,gM#^| 27 28 HEALTH BY STUNTS The plan as proposed is in no sense theoretical, as it has been given a four years' trial in the public schools of the city of Detroit and has been found eminently practical. Each pupil is passing through a larger play- field each year and physical standards are being established for all ages. There is no doubt in the minds of the authors that the public school of the United States offers the very best opportunity for giving a fair trial to any School as proposed scheme of physical education. It Basis of ig i}^Q Qj^iy place where practically all boys may be reached. It is the one single place where millions of boys from all walks of life are gath- ered together. By means of the organization already in force under the educational system, every child may be checked up in a way that is impossible on a public playground or under any other of the present systems. Then, too, in the elementary schools the pupils' physi- cal education should begin and continue throughout each year until they have finished. Their interest is readily aroused, their environment and habits of life have not become so firmly fixed that new impulses are difficult to form. Their bones are just in the process of obtain- ing their ultimate characteristics and the whole physi- cal organism is at a point best suited to influence in the right direction ; no grave weaknesses, save those which are inherent, have had a chance to deyelop. ORGANIZATION 29 The opportunity is here given to teach children every- thing that they do not know about legitimate play and to teach them in such a way as to imbue them with an impulse to play. This being done, many more of them will seek the public playground; they will be much more easily handled, a large percentage well qualified to handle themselves, and many more can play on the same space. Those who cannot go to public playgrounds will know how to play in smaller spaces. They will know a large enough variety of activities to fit their various conditions. In short, to gain the maximum efficiency from the introduction of physical activities to the life of a nation, no better place or time could well be found than in elementary schools. •Although the emphasis is laid entirely on the public school in this book, it should be kept in mind that the same scheme would apply to any civic, industrial, or military unit or collection of units. The essentials of the plan as applied to the public schools of Detroit are, briefly : (1) To foster and encourage the more nearly instinc- tive forms of physical activities which boys Essentials take to naturally, — activities which in them- of De- selves are pleasurable and need only to be directed, and in many cases only shown to become popular. - 30 HEALTH BY STUNTS (2) To teach to all boys a large enough variety of such activities to furnish each with at least a few in which he can excel, a wide enough variety so that interest in them never flags, and some of the many can always be found that will be used spontaneously on any given occasion. (3) To teach such activities as require no special equipment, building, or apparatus. Physical educa- tion is in danger of becoming looked upon by those it wishes to reach as a ceremony which requires a fully equipped gymnasium before it can be indulged in, — much the same as religion has come to be looked upon as an afTair which must wait for Sunday and the church. (4) To take advantage of the element of competi- tion to the limit of its capacity for use. (5) To provide an organization for instructing the greatest number of persons with the least number of salaried supervisors, using the squad and captain sys- tem. The test of the efficacy of this plan is its power to develop the life-long impulse for physical activity on which personal efficiency depends. The tested program which follows should serve merely as a sample of how the essentials mentioned may be worked out to the end of stimulating in all boys the active play impulse that, better than any carefully laid out series of gymnastic exercises, will ORGANIZATION 31 give us a nation of strong, capable, red-blooded men always able to uphold their country's honor and work for the advancement of its ideals. Organization in Detail The element of competition, being the strongest single factor in stimulating interest, is the keynote of the whole scheme. The city is divided into leagues with from six to eight schools in Decathlon a league, depending on their geographical location. Each school has its natural division into rooms, and the rooms are subdivided into squads with from six to eight boys in a squad. Thus, by means of actual first-hand competition whenever that is pos- sible, and by means of competition through comparing of records, squads compete against squads, rooms against rooms, schools against schools, and leagues against leagues. Every boy feels himself an integral part of the contest and, no matter how poor, does his best for the sake of the average. At the beginning of the school term the principals are notified through the proper channels that athletic elections are to be held. Under authority . from the superintendent and principal, then. Captain each teacher in charge of rooms included in ^^ ®°^ the athletic program holds an election. An athletic captain to have charge of all the boys' athletic work in 32 HEALTH BY STUNTS the building is selected, usually from the highest room. Then each room selects a lieutenant to have charge of its affairs subject to the direction of the school captain. Immediately thereafter squad leaders, or non-coms, are either elected by the various rooms or are chosen by the lieutenants. The appointive system seems to be more popular in Detroit in the case of these squad leaders. It becomes their duty on selection to form the squads they are to have charge of by alternate choosing from the boys in their own rooms. One of the outstanding features of the plan in effect in Detroit is that teachers are asked to do as little «, active supervision as possible. The respon- Responsi- sibility is thrown on the boys altogether. ^ *^ Certain teachers are loath to believe that the boys have it in them to manage their own affairs, and in- sist on allowing them very little initiative. There is probably no question but that such schools are able to show better reports and have the work better organ- ized than in some of the schools where the boys are left entirely on their own resources, but the fact remains that such teachers fail to see the point that the really big thing is not that the reports are perfect and the work perfectly organized, but that the boys are de- veloping initiative and ability to get things done on their own responsibility. The very best grade of work we have ever had in Detroit has come from the schools \ ORGANIZATION 33 that persistently followed the policy of placing the bur- den of management on the boys, while keeping some degree of control by advice and constructive criticism. Every four weeks the school captains and their lieutenants are called to a sectional meeting. Here they are given a verbal explanation of what ^, is required during the coming month. Each tains' captain is expected to try out the work given ®® ^^^^ and to learn thoroughly the things he is to teach. In addition he is given a printed instruction sheet to which he may refer (see page 34), also a set of record blanks for keeping the results of the month^s work (see page 35). During the month, members of the Physical Educa- tion Department make systematic visits to the schools to- see that the plans outlined at the meet- . The ings are being carried out. Wherever it is Depart- found that the plan of organization has not pental ^ . ° Visits been carried out, elections are held, squads are selected on the spot, and the system is set on its feet. With this organization in effect throughout the city, all that is necessary is to determine on the nature of the work to be given. The plan here suggested, which has been very thoroughly General tested in Detroit, is to classify physical activi- 55*^® ®^ ties of the type we have emphasized and to teach them in groups. The major games and contests 34 HEALTH BY STUNTS Sample Instruction Sheet DETROIT PUBLIC SCHOOLS Department of Physical Education Boys' Athletics Bulletin No. 15, November 1, 1918 Instructions for November Athletics Special note: All soccer balls must be greased immediately to protect the leather from the wet. Unless captains see to this at once, the balls will not last out the season. We recommend Neats-Foot Oil, which can be bought at any drug store for about 10 cents. Standing hop-step-jump : To get the best results in this event stand with both feet on the take-off while swinging the arms for a start; just as the final swing is being taken, lift one foot so that the " Hop " is taken from one foot only. Land on the same foot from which the spring was taken, take a long step onto the other foot, and finish with a big spring, landing on both feet. Do not slow up speed between the Hop, the Step, and the Jump. Forward fall : From a kneeling position reach back with both hands, grasping the ankles. Keep back well arched and head back, stomach rounded to make a curved surface to fall on. From this position fall forward. When done correctly you will roll easily from your knees to your thighs to your stomach to your chest and rock back again. Human rocker: After finishing the Forward Fall keep on rocking on chest and stomach. Wind mill : This is done with three boys. One kneels on hands and knees while two others sit on the floor on opposite sides of him, and each puts both feet up on his back, taking hold of each other's feet tightly, thus locking themselves securely on the first boy's back. The latter then stands up slowly, and placing an arm around each of the others swings them around in a circle by turning rapidly. Knee spring : Boy No. 1 lies on his back with his knees up, feet flat on ground. Boy No. 2 with a little run places his hands on the knees of No. 1 and turns a somer- sault in the air, boy No. 1 assisting by placing his hands on the back of No. 2 as he comes over. Back spring : Boy No. 1 gets down on hands and knees, No. 2, with a little run, places his hands on the ground close up to No. 1 and turns a somersault over his back. Make it as much a handspring as possible, that is, do not use the back of No. 1 any more than is necessary. Signed by Members of the Physical Education Department Approved by Supt. of Schools. ORGANIZATION 35 Sample Record Sheet DETROIT PUBLIC SCHOOLS Department of Physical Education Boys' Athletics LuUetin No. Captain School — -Grade- Date Last year's City Average 16' 4i" Individual Stunts 1. Frog Dance 2. Bear Dance 3. Forward Fall 4. Solid Ivory 5. Human Rocker 6. Human Ball Mail this report to 50 Broadway Wednesday, Nov. 28 Athletic Event -Class (A or B)- Standing Hop-Step-Jump Combination Stunts 1. Wind Mill 2. Knee Spring 3. Centipede 4. Back Spring Last year's Best Jump 25' 4i" Contests Hand Wrestle Elbow Wrestle Games 1. Horse and Rider Record of Standing Hop-Step-Jump Names First Week Second Week Third Week Fourth Week Best Record 11 36 HEALTH BY STUNTS have been separated from the rest and introduced in a sHghtly different manner, as will be explained later. The greater number of physical activities have been classified, however, and by means of the above de- scribed organization, one tenth of each class i^ intro- duced each month to every elementary school boy not physically disqualified by a physician. At the end of the school year, then, the whole field has been gone over by the entire student body. The classification of physical activities used in Detroit and a description of each class tionof 1. Athletic Events. Activit^s ^* Stunts (Individual and Combination) . 3. Contests. 4. Games. An Athletic Event is distinguished from other physical activities in three ways : Anyone can perform the event more or less perfectly ; it is done in competition against time or individuals ; and it can be timed or measured, or both. Stunts include that large group of physical activities which boys used to class under the head of ^^ Stump the Leader." They differ from athletic events in that it is not a question of degree to which each can be done ; they either can or cannot be done. The division headed Contests includes such events ORGANIZATION 37 as boxing and wrestling, where actual physical contact is made by fhe contestants. Usually the contestants work in pairs. Games are, of course, athletic events, and are cer- tainly contests, but they are to be distinguished from these by the fact that groups, rather than individuals, are competing. A yearly calendar, with all physical activities thus classified and divided according to months, was com- piled and used as a basis for the squad work. The calendar is reproduced on pages 38 and 39. Using this calendar as a working basis, five athletic events, six in- dividual stunts, four combination stunts, two contests, and four games are introduced each month at the captains^ meetings, and by the captains are carried back to the elementary school boys. Up to the present it has been found impossible, in Detroit, to expect captains to send in the accurate written record of more than one athletic event and one stunt each month. The ideal is, of course, to reach the point in efficiency of organization where it will be possible for a written record to be taken of each boy's performance in each athletic event ; and a record taken of just how many boys in each squad can do each stunt. This ideal might easily be reached in an organization ivhich supplied a large staff of paid assistants, or Aln a private school. Also it may be pertinent at this CO pq ft o_^ o C o3 tH «^ o o o^ o I O O c3 o o ^-^ 03 ^ ojir* o3 l> c3 > Q Wo TD bO O O' T3 bC W) O 03 mpq OS© ; 03 rt© ,-H © 03 © orv. rfS ft Sa-O S -£ o^g)^ bD ■^ > w^ ft '^ g ft^ i^ 2 «»i3 © © 1^1:3 ftT3:=5 Ch © ft g*M t. 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Sg ■ g'^d.^d^ b.1io: pqQ^pqO Wc^finfflPn OPhWccQ ^ 1 0+3 .d P 0^ u 2 a a d .ssjl w^^ S d •-5 ■T3 Situ] High Back Shou Sack h Over Shot Shot Ham Dog 03 s. pqf h 40 HEALTH BY STUNTS time to say that before long every school board and school head in the country will be brought face to face with the necessity of lengthening the time given out of the school day to physical education, in which case the above ideal would be perfectly possible. Briefly what is accomplished in Detroit each time the boys have their athletic period may be summed up as follows : Under the direction of the g^® lieutenant the boys of a room march down Plan of to the field; gymnasium, basement, or hall, ti^n"^^" ^^ ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^ ^^> ^^^ ^^^® ^P ^^ attention in squads, with the squad leader in front. The athletic events for the month are demonstrated by the captain, and the one for which a written report is required is carefully explained. The captain then designates the exact place in which each squad is to work, and the squads proceed to get busy under the direction of their squad leaders, who measure, time, or judge each boy under them, record- ing on paper the results of their attempts in the re- quired event. Thus with each squad working independently, in addition to the required athletic event, all the boys will get a chance to make at least one try at the other four events, learn what they are like, and perhaps receive the necessary stimulus to take them up as part of their leisure time activities. ORGANIZATION 41 At a signal from the school captain each squad then lines up facing him for instruction in stunts. The idea here is not to try to teach every stunt to every boy and keep at it until they all learn them, but rather to have the captain and leaders demonstrate how they are done, to give everyone in each squad a chance to try them at least once, and then to trust to the awak- ened interest to impel the boys to take them home and learn them. A record of one stunt each month may be taken. Having taken the athletic record and tried the stunts once all around, the contests and games are quickly demonstrated and briefly tried. The boys naturally take to them quickly and will use them at recess and after school. The captain then brings out all squads to attention and marches them back to their room. The recorded results taken by the squad leaders are turned over to the captain, who copies them on the standard form used by the department. This plan is carried out in detail one day each week, so that at the end of the month, when the reports are due, they should show four separate records for each boy. A room contains twenty boys. There will be four squads with five boys in each, including the squad leader. 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"^ rH 00003"^ a^^.B COC^ (M CDt>-^ 00 03 03 03 00 i> X XCCt> X0310C0 OX0303030303X W H O s 1 Wr^ Hrg ^^03^t^^ a i? ^wcL ^« Q ^ ^ d o o (N c3 -* o X s ■^ T3 bJO W .s -^ H p^ o o O p. 'm <^ <1 s ►*i M K (-1 o o ^ > o rO .J 1 ^ _.<^«=>^ r-H 03 -^ '-^ '-I r- fl ri| 00 00 00 ti |> 03 ^rH ^ ^P^ ■-hOSxXXIS.^ -3 02 C<1 rH ,-1 t^ i-H CO "^ O i-lOl>cpTt<0^ 03 O 03 03 03 03 03 03 O X X 00 X X Ph X03cDI> O 03 03 03 03 1-1 r-lrH030 lO (N O 03 03 03 03 03 03 coco X03 o ° CO ■>* 1-H 03 (M CO 003XXX030 w M o a II II ^co X03 T-iiMCDiOCOiM'-'O O H a M F3 a W) O O T-i £ ,-1 X ^ 03 1-1 CO '^^ I I I I I I lO .-H l> X X l> X r-( ^ a S CO 03 CD Tti --H O ^ rHXXXXX-:H a;2lsll5 glllll^ Stillliai ^llsSa -2 ^ga O '^ P, 03 ^^ c«^ II §- *° ^ a Qd 44 HEALTH BY STUNTS the purpose of taking a broad jump record. Each squad leader has his boys numbered. They jump A Concrete ^^ ^^^ order of numbering, each boy having Example three trials. Each leader has at least fifteen Time jumps recorded on his paper. The captain Taken directs and shows the method of measur- ing, where necessary. In a school with a good cap- taiuj the records of twenty boys jumping three times each can be made in five minutes from the time they leave the room until they are back again. After the reports are all turned in to the Depart- ment, one day is taken for the tabulation of results. By intensive labor it is possible to send the tabulated T b 1 ti averages back to the captains and princi- the pals within two days of the time the re- ^^° ^ ports are received (for the sample summary sheet see pages 42 and 43). This policy aids greatly m getting captains to see the necessity of having reports in on time, besides allowing an immediate comparison of merits and ability throughout the city. This whole system of competing by means of records was given the name ^^ School Decathlon." This is The the most important branch of the physical Awards work. Suitable awards are given each year to the school in each league having the highest all-round average. A City Championship Banner is awarded in addition. ORGANIZATION 45 Military Training In order to connect the athletic work more directly with a " Win the War " plan, a strictly military pro- gram was added during the war. As handled during this period the organization was as follows : Each high school military organization, already uniformed and well drilled, furnished enough fully qualified cadets to allow every elementary school in its district at least one officer. This cadet officer, once placed in charge of a school, was held responsible for the military training of all its sixth, seventh, and eighth-grade boys during the school year. The Physical Education Department issued each month a bulletin enumerating a minimum of new tac- tics for the month. Each cadet officer in charge of a school was required to teach these tactics and was allowed to go as much in advance as he was able. Once a month the elementary school boys in train- ing in a given high school district were called together and put through the required tactics for the past month, the high school military director taking charge. The military director, a high school faculty man of experience, held, one day each week, an officers' train- ing school to teach the young officers the ^, best methods of dealing with their many Oflacers' problems, diplomatic as well as military. ^ °° At intervals during the year a meeting of all cadet 46 HEALTH BY STUNTS officers was held under the direction of the Physical Education Department, its purpose being to exchange ideas and to smooth out any defects in the system that might have cropped up. In the spring competitive drills between schools of a section and between sectional champions were itive held to determine the grade of work being " done. Awards to the winners were made. The question of uniforms and arms for the elemen- tary school boys did not become a pressing one in Detroit. Uniforms were encouraged wherever pos- sible, though they were by no means deemed essen- tial. A few schools making the request were allowed to purchase wooden guns out of funds raised by en- thusiastic student militarists. The time for the drill work was an important question. In Detroit thirty minutes once a week is allowed from The Time the study period at the close of the school Allowed (jay^ j^ successful cadet officer, however, is able to hold his boys from fifteen to thirty minutes after school closes. The first thirty minutes is com- pulsory for all sixth, seventh, and eighth-grade boys ; the rest of the time is voluntary. The cadet officers selected other officers as soon as was necessary, and these elementary school officers were expected to drill their boys at least once a week in addition to the regularly prescribed drill. ORGANIZATION 47 Additional Athletics for the Year Besides the military training and the school decath- lon, the Physical Education Department in Detroit has outlined the boys' athletic program for the year as follows : 1. From September to December a soccer schedule keeps over one hundred teams busy each week. 2. In December and January indoor track meets are held in the high school gymnasiums for elementary school boys of each section. 3. At the close of the first semester an individual all-round athletic championship contest called the "Decathlon" is open to every eighth-grade boy in the city. 4. During February and March each school in a section sends out a "stunt team" to participate in huge "Demonstrations" of all physical contests in which both boys and girls take part. 5. In April, May, and June a baseball schedule holds sway. 6. Another "Decathlon" contest is held. 7. A final Field Day athletic program decides the outdoor track and field championship of the city for both boys and girls. In this, sixth, seventh, and eighth grades compete separately and according to weight class. Each of these activities is described in detail in the following chapters. 48 HEALTH BY STUNTS A Discussion of the " Captain " System Generally it has been found most successful for the boys to elect their own captain, with power to recall him and elect some one else when he fails to perform his duties successfully for the school. In a small percentage of cases the boys will choose the wrong boy, but there is not often a second mistake. During the first year, in many cases where teachers and principal thought the boys had made a mistake in their choice it proved to be otherwise. These boys took the responsibility, proved themselves suc- cessful leaders, and did better work in school. ^ Many teachers tell how boys have been kept in school through their athletics ; how some have re- gained their self-respect ; how unreasonable boys have become reasonable and dirty ones cleaned up ; how smoking and swearing have been cut down ; how indi- vidual and collective enthusiasm have been developed ; how lazy ones have been stimulated ; how irresponsible boys have become responsible ; and last, how well they have organized and what a constructive attitude they have taken toward the physical side of life. In this way boys are trained to analyze carefully and judge well those boys in whom they are about to place trust. This training will be valuable to them and their country in choosing men for public office after they have arrived at the voting age. Then, ORGANIZATION 49 too, many of them will be in business and other organi- zations where this ability will be necessary for success. The success of the system depends, first, on a good captain, and, secondly, on the encouragement and support he gets from principal and teachers. -,, „ In most cases when the captain has had this port from support he has handled his school as well dur- ®^^ ®^^ ing the year as it could be done by the average adult. It is a regrettable fact that a few teachers think athletics spells lost time. If they could only realize that they could get nearer to the boys through their play, and get more out of them by taking such interest, they would, were they more than human automatons, avail themselves of the opportunity. School spirit and school entliusiasm need to be encouraged in the elementary school as much as in the high school and college. This part of school life has generally been neglected. The second year, and after a year's experience in choosing captains for the various activities, it was interesting to hear the answers to questions of why they did not elect this or that boy to the office. "He is too lazy"; "He can't make the boys do things"; "He is cranky"; "Boys don't like him"; "He is too changeable," etc., were some of the replies. Before a year closes captains go about their busi- ness as well as men and carry it out much better 50 HEALTH BY STUNTS than many men could. They are not satisfied in half knowing things ; they have to be shown. They ask The intelligent questions. It is our belief that Develop- ^^ ^]^jg ^^^ they actually average better in Executive executive and administrative ability than a ^ ^^ group of average men. They are the best the schools have. They take this responsibility and con- duct themselves accordingly. CHAPTER IV ATHLETIC EVENTS THAT CAN BE TIMED OR MEASURED Athletic events may be divided into the following main groups : I. Running. IV. Throwing. II. Climbing. V. Kicking. HI. Jumping. VI. Unclassified Events. These group's of activities have been the foundation for the very existence of past races of people. To-day they are the foundation for the physical well-being of every nation. How much the mental and the moral conditions are dependent upon the physical may be judged by the reader. For the past decade or more these activities seem to have lost their hold on the larger percentage of our boys. It is most essential that boys have a great variety of events from which to draw. Many given in this chapter will not be used in meets, but will help to furnish new material when they have tired of the old. The more events, the more chance each boy has to 51 Begin Camel Walk (p. 121) Begin Back Flip (p. 134) Twister (p. 122) i lopper (p. 123) 52 EVENTS THAT CAN BE TIMED OR MEASURED 53 excel in one of them. A boy will " stick with the bunch" and take his defeats, if he has only one thing, no matter how minor it be, at which he can excel. He will find a time and a place to introduce his specialty. Running This is the most important of physical activities. It should be participated in past middle life by every individual. From running alone, sufficient exercise can be had to keep the body in good physical condition. The distance and speed must vary with the age and sex of each individual. Running stimulates the heart action and stretches the blood vessels, keeping them elastic, and thus leading away from the encroaching disease so common to-day, — hardening of the arteries. Running calls into play muscles of the legs and arms, and mildly stimulates all the muscles of the upper portion of the body. The organs are made to function properly, thus insuring against poor health arising from stomach and intestinal diseases, liver and kidney trouble, and circulatory affections, as well as respira- tory diseases. Running has many forms and variations, and plays the leading part in many games. Ability to think and to control the muscles during vigorous action is much more highly developed in some forms of running than 54 HEALTH BY STUNTS in others. Dodging^ as in the different varieties of tag ; dodging balls ; dodging in football and baseball ; catching and throwing while running ; running through the woods ; running over logs and rough country, either in daylight or darkness, falling seldom and without hurts, — all these forms of running develop a motor control that most city boys of to-day fail to get. Boys who are able to think and act while engaged in strenuous physical exertion are the ones who are valuable in dangerous emergencies, not only to them- selves, but to others. A tremendous effort needs to be put forth by every community to see that each boy gets this training, not only as an asset of physical ability, but also as a foundation for mental efficiency. Some of the Events Included in Running 100 Yard Dash Backward Dash Potato Race Relay Three-Legged Race Sack Race Hurdles Dribbling Soccer Ball The places fit for running events in most of our cities are very few, the average school yard being too small 1. Hundred ^^^ the hundred yard dash. In cases where Yard Dash ^ straight-a-way 100 yards in length on soft ground cannot be found, the street or sidewalk may be used. Distances from 20 yards up are used. EVENTS THAT CAN BE TIMED OR MEASURED 55 depending on age and sex. One hundred yards is made the standard distance for 7th- and 8th-grade boys. Greater distance is discouraged for sprinting. There are several methods of timing running events, all of which are important to know, so that whatever occasion may arise, a form of timing may be had to fit it. Where large groups of boys have to be handled in a short space of time, one of the following methods may be used : First Method : The timer stands at the finish of the race ; runners line up at the other end. The timer, with uplifted hand, handkerchief, or hat, signals each runner to start. At the finish he announces the time to his captain or his clerk, who checks it up to the runner. In this way three runners may be timed each minute. Second Method: The timer stands at the finish and two or three runners are started at one time. The time of the first runner is taken, and that of the other two is estimated by the distance they are from the finish. To do this accurately, marks five feet apart are made across the track parallel with the finish, each mark to represent one fifth of a second. Two extra helpers may be used at the finish to take the positions of the second and third contestants when the starter signals the finish of the winner. It is suggested that in most cases a better average will be made when two 56 HEALTH BY STUNTS or three boys are running at the same time in com- petition. Third Method: The timer stands at the finish, the contestants Une up to start, one behind the other. No. 1 gets on the mark and is signaled to start by the timer. As soon as he leaves his mark, No. 2 takes his place. As No. 1 finishes, the timer signals No. 2 to start. This continues until all of the group have run. The total time is taken and is divided by the number of boys. In this way the average of a group may be had very accurately with an ordinary watch, by the use of the second hand. ||i In each eighth-grade school generally one or more boys are found who can run 100 yards in twelve seconds. A few in the city range from eleven to twelve, occa- ] sionally one less than eleven. Some of the slower ones range from sixteen to twenty seconds. This distance of 100 yards is sufficient for testing the pep, grit, speed, and endurance of elementary school boys. A very good estimate of a boy's real ability may be had, not alone from timing him for the distance, but from watching him closely during the dash. As most boys nowadays seldom, if ever, run more than 30 or 40 feet at a stretch, they fail to put any rhythm or swing into it. They cannot handle their legs well ; their arms cut back and forth across their EVENTS THAT CAN BE TIMED OR MEASURED 57 chests to the detriment of their speed; and when they approach a 14 or 13 second chp, they lose all control and begin to wobble along as though their legs were numb or asleep. Practice alone will remedy these faults. In each school there are generally a few girls who can run well. They seem to have a natural stride and a better form than most boys. They can also outrun all but the very best. In such cases it will be found that the girls play more than most boys. They have brothers with whom they scuff or box^ and they enter into all good vigorous play. The best of the girls: can run fifty yards in less than seven seconds. Their efforts and ability help in stimulating the boys. For the relay race the distance used is the same as that in the dash. That is, the one hundred 2, Relay yard dash is the maximum for each of the ^*^®" four runners on the team. The place must fit the condition. It may be run as a straight relay, four hundred yards in length ; or if only 100 yards is available, it may be run as a shuttle, on a track, or around a square. Any running event is interesting to contestants and spectators alike. The relay needs no special training or coaching. It can be run off easily and quickly. By using the relay it is possible to enter more boys in a meet. For hurdle racing the standard distance is 100 yards. 58 HEALTH BY STUNTS Hurdles used; 30 inches high (24 inches high for boys under 100 pounds) , are placed 10 yards apart ; 20 yard 3. Hurdle Start; and 30 yard finish. This uses six hur- ^**^® dies. Hurdles may be made in the Manual Training Department. This event should never be run on the sidewalk or on the street. The Backward Dash as a method of competition seems to have gone out of use entirely, as might be expected 4. Back- under present city conditions where it is ward Dash danger ous enough to run forward. There are a few boys in the city who can run 100 yards backward faster than the slower ones can run it forward, but as a rule, 50 yards is sufficient distance for competition. The same rules for timing may be followed as for the hundred yard dash. Much interest and enthusiasm can be developed from this kind of running. The Three-Legged Race is an event seen at carnivals and picnics and seldom used outside of these festivities. ^ „, No records have been made for time, its chief 5. Three- ^ Legged use being to develop fun and enthusiasm. A pair of contestants are required to make a team, the two standing side by side with their arms locked and the right leg of one and left leg of the other tied together at the knee and the ankle. With a little practice this event may be perfected to such an extent that any two boys can win out over competitors, perhaps faster runners, but not so well practiced. |i EVENTS THAT CAN BE TIMED OR MEASURED 59 i In the Sack Race there is much skill, as well as fun and enthusiasm. Very few boys can run any distance without falling unless they have had a good q sack deal of practice. An ordinary grain sack is ^*^® used, the contestant standing inside it and holding up the top with his hands. It is possible to shuffle along with the feet inside the sack or to jump with both feet together. For the Potato Race each contestant starts at a mark. Beside him is a basket containing six potatoes or other objects of similar size. Six other baskets are 7, potato placed ten feet apart, beginning ten feet from ^^^^ the first. Place one potato in each of the ten baskets, beginning with the first empty one and following in order. Only one potato can be carried each trip. On every trip the contestant must go around each basket, including the home basket. In place of baskets, shallow holes in the ground, or merely the space between two lines drawn on the ground may be used. Any num^ber may compete. For the Soccer Dribble four posts are placed twenty feet apart for each contestant. There is no limit to the entries. Each contestant starts with a soccer g soccer ball on the ground on the right of his starting ^"^^^^ post. He must dribble the ball with his feet by the op- posite side of each succeeding post, thus winding in and out and describing continuous figure eights. Two com- 60 HEALTH BY STUNTS plete round trips must be made, and the finish is made when the ball is brought to a stop on the mark from which it was started. This is an excellent event for both indoor and outdoor meets. For outdoors, more posts and longer distances may be used. Almost anything upright may be used in place of posts, such as short sticks, jumping standards, or boys. Climbing This is one of the great events necessary to the life of every boy. Most boys and girls take to it as a fish to i j water, when given an opportunity. Turn a group out in the woods and almost everybody will find a tree he can climb. Some will take to the tallest. Old houses, barns, mills, or new houses under construc- tion furnish climbing places. Many men will recall playing tag in all such locations. Climbing smooth trees without branches is extra hard. At present not many boys can accomplish it. A good opportunity to try is furnished by an ordinary telephone pole 15 to 20 feet high, without steps on it. Never attempt to climb or touch any poles that have chains, wires, or anything metallic extending from the wires at the top to the ground. Never touch anything hanging from them. Often boys are killed or severely injured by electric shocks in this way. When woods were accessible, boys formerly spent EVENTS THAT CAN BE TIMED OR MEASURED 61 many hours a day swinging from branch to branch, crossing from tree to tree, bending over the smaller one and letting them fly back with a boy left hanging on, or climbing around in hay barns and going hand over hand from brace to brace. It was '^Follow the leader/^ and '^I'U stump you'' to do this, and few took the ''stump." Such ability has saved the lives of thousands of boys and men. Because of it they have been able to save not only their own lives, but the lives of others. It has been a big factor in building up a good physical foundation for the boys' after life. Not only that, but it has developed grit, courage, and confidence to a great degree. Climbing is especially good for strengthening the vital organs and keeping the back and shoulders straight. Every adult should participate in some modified form of it every day. Chinning is a well-remembered and old-time event. Not many years ago every boy had his bar or swinging trapeze or both, after seeing his first circus, if i cwn- not before. The old wagon show left these ^^^ monuments to its memory by the thousands for at least twenty miles on each side of its meanderings through rural communities and small towns. What man cannot recall the first circus and the flying trapeze and horizontal bar or ladder on which he did stunts? Every boy had some little exhibition he could put on. 62 HEALTH BY STUNTS Is it possible that the circus arouses no active enthu- siasm in the great majority of present-day boys? Are they going to be satisfied with just seeing things and doing nothing ? A , The writer doubts very much if any man can recall a* single boy of his play days who could not chin himself several times. Is there a man that would now admit that he could not? There was a good bit of pride in the muscle it took and the grit to use it to the limit. What man as a boy has not rolled up his sleeves, and with clenched and tightened muscles displayed with pride that bump on the top side of the arm ? The right spelled ^'Instant death" and the left ^^Six months in the hospital" for anyone mixing up with it. A boy who had no muscle to show and who could not chin himself was called a '^ sissy." He still is in some localities. But the physical powers of boys have slipped. There are hundreds of boys in Detroit who not only cannot chin themselves once but who cannot make a start. The average for the city was slightly over three times per boy the first year. Every school in Detroit now has chinning bars. Some schools have them in every room, including the kindergarten. Jumping Jumping is one of the great general activities. It is closely associated with running. Most running EVENTS THAT CAN BE TIMED OR MEASURED 63 games include some form of jumping. Besides being used as an athletic event, jumping has been a factor in many other activities. Jumping streams, ditches, mud holes, fences, and over logs and other obstructions ; jumping into snow banks, hay, water, out of trees, swing- ing and jumping, and many other forms of this activity have, in the past, played a large part in the boy's life. The fact that many of these natural free-play con- ditions have gone out of his life is just another of the many reasons for helping the boy in his activities. Events Included under Jumping Standing Broad Jump , Standing Hop, Step, and Pole Vault Jump Running Hop, Step, and / Three Jumps Jump Backward Jump Running Broad Jump Running High Jump Standing High Jump Three Hops The half dozen kinds of jumps taken from a standing start may be done on almost any kind of ground. In all but the High Jump, a starting board should piace to be used. The starting board used in the J^"^P Detroit schools has usually been a cement walk. The place of landing should be soft dirt or sand. For the four or more running jumps each boy should have a definite distance for his run so that he 64 HEALTH BY STUNTS : will not have too short or long a step just before the take-off. This latter throws the jumper off his swing and lessens his jump. For the landings of the running jumps, a pit of soft dirt should be used. Every school yard should have a sand pit which can be used. If no such space is avail- able, a corner of the school yard about four by eight may be spaded up. Making these jumps on hard ground lessens a boy's ability to a considerable extent. The boys line up and jump in order, by number. Each boy gets three jumps. Only one squad of from Methods ^o\ir to seven boys jumps from one place at a of Jumping time. A captain, assistant captain, or squad leader checks the record of each boy by number or name. The best of the three jumps is counted. In all the broad jumps the jumper must not touch the ground back of where he lands until after he has stepped ahead. The regular method of measuring jumps is followed. The broad jumps may be measured by fastening the M th d ^^^ ^^ ^ ^^P^ ^^ ^^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^^ board, of The most rapid and practical method is to easuring j^^]^^ several marks on the ground parallel to the toe board, one foot apart, and within the range of the finish of the jumpers. Each jump may then be measured with a foot rule from the nearest mark back of the jump. A yardstick is generally used, as each schoolroom has one. EVENTS THAT CAN BE TIMED OR MEASURED 65 In Detroit many boys were found who could not lift both feet from the toe board at the same time. In other words, they could not jump, but would ^ , either step or hop. Many others had jumped i. standing but a few times in their lives ; 7th- and 8th- ^'^^^ ^^"'p grade boys of all sizes were found who could not jump four feet. A. large number fell back or slid and fell. A normal, healthy boy of nine should be able to jump at least five feet, -e^ The average 7th- and 8th-grade boy should be able to jump over twelve feet.^ In learning any kind of running jump it is important, first of all, to 2. Running get the 'Hake-of!" right, that is, to learn Broad jump to run hard from a distance and strike the ^Hake-off" board with the foot one jumps from, without having to lengthen or shorten to any great degree the last few steps. It pays to learn this well before expending too much energy on the jump. If one has trouble in getting up high enough in the air on the broad jump, put some object, as a chair, in the pit about six or eight feet from the ^Hake-off " and practice clearing that in the jump. Boys will jump higher and gain more rapidly if the landing is in a pit or on a mat. Most of the jumping is done scissors fashion. It is not the object 3. Running of the Physical Education Department in High jump Detroit to develop professionalism by teaching the 66 HEALTH BY STUNTS professional method. Any boy learns the side jump quickly and gets his fun earlier in the game. If any boy wishes to specialize he begins the ^'straight at the bar" method. Even though this jump is more com- plicated and requires more skill and apparatus^ boys have tried it more than any of the other jumps. Four. feet is a good jump for an elementary school boy. II There are generally only a few pole vaulters because not many boys have an opportunity to try this event. 4. Pole It is well liked but requires some time to ^*"^* learn. Not many years back every boy had some kind of pole and did various kinds of vaulting. The form did not count but the fun was great. Pole vaulting ranged all the way from jumping streams, fences, or other obstacles to seeing which one could place his heels highest on the barn. It is good training for boys and an interesting event to watch. Some of the boys get very good form while in the grades and can go from eight to nine feet. This event has also borne the name of hop, skip, and jump, depending on the locality. Few boys in Detroit had ever heard of it. Those who knew how 5. Standing Hop, Step, were those who had moved in from rural ^ localities or small towns or had been taught by a boy who had brought it to the city. The start is made from one foot off a given mark. If made from the left foot, the order of striking the EVENTS THAT CAN BE TIMED OR MEASURED 67 ground is^ first left foot, then right foot, then both feet ; this makes the hop and the step and the jump. No pause should be made at any except the final landing. By throwing the feet far forward as the last spring is made, the body is pulled ahead and a good mark should be recorded. Many fathers watching boys go out for the first time to try this event expressed surprise, saying, ^^I thought every boy surely knew how to hop, skip, and jump.^' It did look strange to men who had known and done it since earliest boyhood to see boys juggling and hesitating on what to do next. They faltered before they began, got mixed and lighted on both feet, or on one, and jumped or hopped twice, or stepped twice and jumped. A few took to it quickly but most had a struggle before they mastered the swing. After that it took some time before they could do it without stopping to think what they were going to do, and could put pep into it. This accounts for the very low average of 13 feet, 7 inches for the first year it was tried in Detroit. This event, as was true of the standing, was known to but few boys of Detroit. The same thing is un- doubtedly true of other cities unless if has ^ „ •^ 6. Running been taken up in some organized way and Hop, step, taught to the boys. As it is faster, faster ^ thinking and more concentration are required to mas- 68 HEALTH BY STUNTS ter it. A running start is taken and the first spring is usually taken from the same foot used to start the standing event. This follows the same rules as the standing broad jump^ except that there are three successive jumps 7. Three without a pause instead of one. It is much Jumps ^ more vigorous exercise for the abdominal muscles than the single jump. Measure the distance from the start to the end of the third jump. After a few good trials most boys will be lame the next day. It is excellent exercise for every individual not too old to be shaken up well. In this event start on one foot and take three con- secutive hops on the same foot with no fall-back at 8. Three ^he finish. It is a good event for diver- Hops g^-j-y^ though not quite so strenuous as the three jumps. Stand with the toes on the starting board. The contestant may swing his arms as in the forward jump, 9. Back- or may hold them at his sides. When the ward Jump j^nip is starting, the arms are swung in the direction of the jump and reversed suddenly before landing. Few boys have any idea how to use their arms for a backward jump or can make any distance at it. After learning, some will reach 6 feet easily. The backward jump furnishes diversity and fun but is not easy to learn. Some boys excel in it who cannot EVENTS THAT CAN BE TIMED OR MEASURED 69 do so in other events. It is because they take the extra time to learn, which proves well worth the while. The jumper stands sidewise to the bar lo. stand- and jumps over scissors-fashion, with a VJfnJp^^^ spring from both feet. Throwing This is another of the great general activities. Man developed it out of striking. Both striking and throwing are included in many games. Striking developed with the others in the ^^ survival of the fittest.'^ These were early steps in civilization. Prim- itive man ceased killing his enemies and his prey with his hands and teeth and began using clubs and stones. As his civilization developed he. used the spring in wood, then in metal, for throwing. In the beginning all kinds of objects were used. Gradually they took on definite shape in wood and stone, finally turning to metal, and reaching their highest stage in destructive civilization in modern, timed projectiles, timed to kill at one throw more people than a whole army of savages could, and more than one savage could kill in a lifetime of throwing. If we expect to keep alive the fighting mechanism in the human body, on which the very existence of a nation or a people still depends, each boy must have 70 HEALTH BY STUNTS his schooling in throwing. Before cities grew up, boys had an opportunity to exercise this instinct almost continuously, and uninterruptedly and non-destruc- tively. For a large percentage of American boys this free throwing of anything at hand at anything in sight has ceased. Even snow-balling is under the ban. Now the objects thrown are made less dangerous by being filled with air or protected with leather, cloth, or rubber. If the object is dangerous by its speed or hardness it is used in competition for distance, is thrown for accuracy, or is caught in protected hands. Events Included under Throwing Baseball for distance ^>^hot Put Baseball for accuracy Overhead Shot Indoor Baseball for distance ^ Front Throw Indoor Baseball for accuracy Under Shot Basket Ball for distance u^ Shot Pitch Basket Ball for accuracy ^ Hammer Throw Football for distance Discus Throw Football for accuracy Javelin Throw The place for these events depends on the object thrown and whether it is for distance or accuracy. Those events should be used which will best The Place fit local conditions. as to space available and time of year. EVENTS THAT CAN BE TIMED OR MEASURED 71 The same methods of measuring may be followed in distance throwing as are used in jumping for distance. The distance in a carefully conducted com- petition is measured with a tape from the Method of front of a circle, or from a mark on the ^®^^""^e ground, or the toe board, to the place of landing. For rapid work in getting averages, the school fence or sidewalk is marked at yard distances or stakes are set. If the trials extend over the period of a week or a month, these distances are measured but once and the marks used are so made as to last the required length of time. In some of the throwing events the 7-foot circle is used and in some a line. If the circle is used, the contestant must not overstep it and must ^, walk out of the back half of the circle after Method of the throw. The contestant must not over- Conducting step the line after the throw if the line is used instead of the circle. This takes the place of the old-time stone throw for distance. Boys have in the past spent time that would add into months throwing stones for distance and height. When they were throw- , ° *^ 1. Base- ing for height, trees and flagpoles were used, bail Throw ' rpi J. , ,-, „ for Distance ihe distance throws were generally across rivers or ponds, or out into large bodies of water. Round stones competed against round stones, and / 72 HEALTH BY STUNTS sailors against sailors. They can be skipped long dis- tances and a stone can be made to skip more than a dozen times with one throw. To-day, boys in the city have lost the art of throwing the sailor stone for dis- tance or of skipping stones on the surface of water. This event can be used on any school ground. It makes a good event with any indoor, base, or play- ground ball. It is also a good event for bau Throw girls. The distance used is 30 feet, with a bull's eye one inch in diameter and' 2, 3, and 4 foot circles, counting 10, 5, 3, and 1. In conducting this throw for distance, the circle, a line, or a toe board may be used. When the circle 3. Basket- is used the contestant may give the straight BaU Throw ^hrow or the turns. When the line or toe V board is used, any length running start may be taken. In conducting this event for accuracy use the basket-ball basket. Use the oval ball and follow the same methods as those for distance throwing with the basket ball. The 4. Football ball must be thrown spirally and from the Throw hand alone instead of from the arm and hand as with the round ball. For accuracy use the same target as that used for the indoor baseball for accuracy. Throw the ball spirally. All the following weight-throwing events are excellent for boys to learn to do in good form. They require EVENTS THAT CAN BE TIMED OR MEASURED 73 patience and persistence to learn, and they develop speed in some groups of muscles generally used for strength. Large groups of muscles are used. Any form a boy may use is good exercise. In the past, weight throwing has taken up a fair percentage of the boy's play time. Beside the impetus it receives by being one of the fundamental activities, it is a good competitive sport. Weights to use and a place to use them have in the past been easily accessible. Any weight from the size of a brick up has been used. Most city boys are not getting sufficient training in this event. Many are getting practically none. They not only have had little to do with weight throwing, but in addition the percentage of boys who cannot play baseball is increasing. In Detroit each 8th-grade school has an 8- and a 6- pound shot ; each 6th-grade school, a 6-pound one. In ffettins; records, the 7th and 8th trades ^ ^ ^ ^5. Shot Put used the 8-pound and the lower grades the 6-pound shot. In outdoor meets the over-a-hundred- weight classes use the 8-pound shot and the under, a 6-pound one. The shot used in Detroit are of iron. They were cast at a foundry for 3^ cents per pound. The model was made in the Manual Training Department of one of the Junior High Schools. The correct form used by college athletes is rather 74 HEALTH BY STUNTS difficult to learn easily and has some variations, depending on the individual athlete. In general and roughly, however, the method in use consists of a half crouch at the back edge of the 7-foot circle with the left foot ahead, the weight held in the right hand close to the shoulder, and the elbow close to the side. This is followed by a swift hop to the center on both feet, a lower crouch, and an immediate, final spring during which the weight is delivered forward and upward. This final spring shifts the position of the body so that at the finish of the ^^put'^ the right side has come to the front of the circle, the right foot close to the front edge, the left foot extended behind, and the right arm reaching as far over the front of the circle as the balance will allow. In this event a shot, basket ball, or soccer ball may be used. Toe the mark. Lift the shot or ball over 6. Front ^^L^ head and throw it forward with both Throw hands. Follow the rule of throwing the ball or shot straight over the head as in the "throw in'^ in soccer. The feet may be lifted from the ground but the contestant must not overstep the Hne and must step backward after the throw. The same weights are used as in the shot put. The 7. Over- Contestant stands with heels on the mark or ^®^ ^^°* against a heel board, takes the shot in both hands and throws it over the head and in the opposite n« ■ EVENTS THAT CAN BE TIMED OR MEASURED 75 direction from which he is facing. Before throwing he swings the shot back and forth between his legs for a good swinging start. He must not fall back or step back of the line^ but must walk ahead after the throw. The contestant heels the mark as in the Overhead Shot, takes the shot in both hands, and throws it between his legs in the opposite direction g. under from the one in which he is facing. The ^^°* shot may be swung the same as it is in the Overhead Shot, or it may be thrown backward without the swing. Toe the mark as in the Front Throw. Pitch the shot forward from a swing backward between the legs. Face in the direction of the throw, take a half g shot squat position, and hold the weight behind the ^^*^^ legs with both hands and arms around the outside of the legs. The weight is thrown forward between the legs from this position. Do not step forward dur- iq ghot ing or after the pitch. Some boys swing the ^^^^ weight several times before throwing ; others get good results with one big swing and a throw at the finish. Generally a boy taking a big swing for a good throw will trip himself with his hands, not knowing just when to let go of the weight. A brick may be used for this event. This is an excellent event but has never been popular in boys' play because of the lack of a discus or some 76 HEALTH BY STUNTS natural object near its shape. At least the event has 11. Discus liot seemed to be sufficiently popular to de- Throw velop the manufacture of an object for throwing. A flat, circular, 4-pound weight is used and is ^'sailed'' through the air for distance. This also is an excellent field event and has, in the past, been participated in to a small extent in some 12. Javelin localities. Poles of various weights and Throw lengths have been used. Sometimes they were thrown at a mark instead of for distance. With primitive man this developed from striking into spear- ing and spear throwing. This field event has generally been popular at local fetes. The old and original method was to get from a 13. Ham- near-by blacksmith shop a sledge hammer mer Throw ^Jxich might Weigh anywhere from 8 to 16 pounds. This was thrown sometimes with one and sometimes with both hands from a mark or a board instead of from a 7-foot circle. The sledge was gener- ally whirled over the head and thrown mostly by main strength and awkwardness and not by the modern double or triple turn. Good form is excellent train- ing, but of fundamental importance is the good, whole- some fun, the enthusiasm, and the intense and strenuous competition any such event or contest may develop. The hammer throw should be conducted with care on account of the danger to spectators. EVENTS THAT CAN BE TIMED OR MEASURED 77 Kicking This general activity played a fair part in man^s early fight for existence. It is rather bad form to use it in either offense or defense to-day^ though it still has some opportunities and was taught during the recent Great War. The high kick seems to have gone entirely out of the play of the present generation of boys. There cannot possibly be a man past thirty who has not, as a boy, tried many times and many ways to see how high he could kick. Is it possible that boys nowadays are content to see the acrobat, the contortionist, or the female vaudeville star do all the high kicking, without attempting to try it at home ? Kicking a football or whatever may be serving in its place is the most noticeable remnant of the kicking art that is left. The method most commonly in use is to stand on one foot and kick with the other, leaving foot Number 1 on the floor. This stretches out some body High Kick, and leg muscles which need exercise. It is ^®* ^ good for all ages and both sexes and everyone should be able to kick at least as high as his head. Like the ^^ somersault'^ and ^^hang by hands or knees," this is a good before-going-to-bed and early-morning exercise. 78 HEALTH BY STUNTS This is the jump kick or hitch kick. The kicker is permitted to stand still or to back off a few steps and High Kick, ^^ke a run at it. In this kick the contestant N°-2 ' kicks the highest with the 'Hake-off" foot. He gets his impetus by swinging the other foot, but kicks the object used for the test with the 'Hake-off" foot. Many wonderful stories are told by old-timers of kicking 7 , S, or 9 feet by this method. It is good, vigorous exercise and often good for a fall or two when made too strenuous. In this event the kicker stands, starts, and kicks with one and the same foot. Boys cannot kick very High Kick, liig^ ^"t first. A few of the best will run ^®'^ it up to 4 or 5 feet as soon as they get the swing. In this event the kicker starts off both feet at the same time, kicks with both, and lands on both. It High Kick, requires some practice to kick very high. ^^- * It is more of a jump than a kick at first. This is a backward kick. Stand on one foot and kick, for height, backward with the other foot. It High Kick, ^^^ never been used much as an event and ^°* ^ few have ever tried it. It is most excellent exercise. It stretches out some of the body and leg muscles that are almost entirely neglected. One needs only to try it to verify this statement. In this event the soccer or oval ball may be used. EVENTS THAT CAN BE TIMED OR MEASURED 79 A target or temporary goal may be set up if the regu- lation goals are not accessible. When using the oval ball; use the drop or place kick. Football The soccer ball is always kicked from the i. Accuracy Kick ground. In this event the ball may be kicked from the penalty kick mark. A goal keeper may de- fend the goal. With the oval ball any method of kicking may be used. When using the soccer ball, any method of kicking may be used. Contestants may 2. Distance overstep the line in all kicking for accuracy ^^^ or distance. Unclassified Events These events are put in as unclassified because they come indirectly or in part only under the big, general activities. Swimming is undoubtedly the best single event for all-round physical development and also for exercising the intestines, heart, lungs, stomach, kidneys, 1, swim- liver, and all other internal organs. Swim- °""^ ming should be learned at an early age, — breast, back, and over stroke. The boy should learn all kinds of diving, and how to conduct himself in all positions over and under the water. He should keep his eyes open under water, always breathe through his mouth, and grab the air quickly. If a boy has 80 HEALTH BY STUNTS any kind of ear trouble, he should wear ear plugs and a rubber cap. Often supposedly good swimmers drown. If they do J it is because they " lose their heads " from excitement and from being thrown in unusual positions. They may have been good swimmers but they should have been ^^at home in the water." When a boat overturns, never try to hold on to the side ; get to the end. One could not climb up on the side of a round log. A boat that will float when turned over or water logged will hold up just as many people as it did before it capsized. A good swimmer can save a whole party by keeping his wits. A swimmer should be in no danger of drowning by breaking through the ice or falling into a hole while skating. In the first place he should not go below the surface on account of the fall beginning from so near the surface. To prevent this he should know the methods used to prevent sinking deeply in the water when falling in. Second — the ice is a very easy thing to crawl on to out of the water. From the time that the swimmer has begun his crawl on to the ice with arms straight out at the side and kicking the water with his feet to work himself ahead, his shoulders and back should not be under water again no matter how much or how far the ice continues to break. Special mention is made of this as it seems to EVENTS THAT CAN BE TIMED OR MEASURED 81 be quite generally understood that a person who falls through the ice is expected to drown. With swimming every boy should know the best life saving methods and also methods of resuscitation. In 1915; in Detroit; thirty-one per cent of the boys in the 7th and 8th grades testified that they could swim distances ranging from fifty feet to two and one-half miles. Most boys and girls learn to skate on ice or roller skates. In 1915 eighty per cent of the 7th and 8th grades said that they could skate for- 1 • . 1 • 1 1 2. Skating ward on ice skates and sixty per cent could skate backward on ice skates. One advantage of this exercise is that one or the other may be used all the year in cities. If children are taught to skate on ice it helps to break up the modern city tendency toward passive indoor amusement. There are many games that can be played on ice which add to the attractiveness of ice skating and which keep boys at good, clean, healthy sport. In this event the body and neck must be held straight and rigid. If any part of the body bends, do not count the time but let the contestant 3. Floor Dip go on and count just those times done according to form. The hands should rest on the floor straight down from the shoulders. The direction of the hand is optional. Parallel to the body or nearly 82 HEALTH BY STUNTS so, with fingers toward the head, seems to get the best results. The average for Detroit in 1915 was 7.5 times; in 1916, 11.83; in 1917, 15.5. This is also called ^^ Trunk Lifting." The contestant sits on the floor with a boy holding his feet. He locks his hands behind his neck and with head bent 4. Sit Up well back, bends his trunk backward until his head — and head only — touches the floor, and returns to a sitting position, repeating as many times as possible. To insure correct performance, it is a good plan to have the contestant sit on a raised platform or table and bend the trunk backward across the vacant space between that table and another one placed just far enough away so that the head — and head only — will touch it, thus making it impossible for the contestant to find support for any part of the back (see detailed description in Chapter VII). This is a good measure of the abdominal muscles. These muscles can be developed more rapidly than any others of the body and they also deteriorate most quickly. They are poorly developed in adults and also in boys who are not strenuously engaged in many play activities every day. It is most essential to good health to have these muscles well developed. They require daily exercise. This exercise is easily taken, at any time of the day. Trying it and doing one's best the first time will cause lame muscles for several days. EVENTS THAT CAN BE TIMED OR MEASURED 83 Use three sharpened pegs about the size of a lead pencil. Use a mark or starting board as with the broad • iump. The boy hops on one foot as far , , , 1 5. Set Pegs as he can, sets one oi the pegs, takes a second hop and sets second peg, takes a third hop and sets third peg. During the three hops he must not touch the ground with any part of the body other than the foot from which he started. If he loses his balance or hops out of place to retain it, he may hop back and place his heel in the same place and continue his trials. The pegs are left in the ground and each boy has three trials to set them further out. This event is contested on the ratio basis between height in inches and the lung capacity in cubic inches. The method used has been to divide the e. Lung \/^ height in inches into the lung capacity. Capacity Every normal boy's ratio should be at least 3 to 1. 3|- to 1 is good. Some boys go over 4 to 1. The Physical Education Department in Detroit has been led to believe that there is a direct relation between lung capacity per height and brain capacity. One point has been definitely shown, and that is that a boy or girl whose lung capacity doesn't increase in proportion to his height or weight during the adolescent period becomes subnormal. There are many reasons to believe that efforts should be made to stimulate interest in this event. 84 HEALTH BY STUNTS This was never a contest in the usual way of thinking, but it always has stood for a great deal. A boy always 7. Chest tias been and should be proud of a good chest, Expansion ^^^ ^^^ ^^y ^Jiq has a good One to ^Hhrow out" has more back of it in the shape of good health than one who does not. A compressed or rigid chest much more easily develops tuberculosis. People who have good chests and whose bones are not bowed or out of shape seldom die of chronic diseases.^ This is hardly a fair contest on account of the varying size in shape of chest and condition of bones. It should be stimulated, however, and every boy should be encouraged to get at least a 3-inch chest expansion. Many good athletic types of boys examined did not have a 3-inch expansion, while some had nearly 5 inches. The amount of arm expansion does not always indicate the amount of ^^ wallop" up the sleeve. Some- 8. Arm times a good expansion is not good muscle, Expansion ^^^ ^^ generally can be made so. No one will be mistaken in both the looks of the muscle and the size, when it is a good one. The more boys are interested in these particular muscles the more they are apt to grow. The boys examined in Detroit ranged from 1 inch to 2-J- inches expansion, with arms from 8 to 12 inches in girth. 1 Dr. Joel E. Goldthwaite's " Anatomic and Mechanistic Concep- tion of Disease.'' EVENTS THAT CAN BE TIMED OR MEASURED 85 This event consists of lifting a heavy weight to a perpendicular position over the head. Some standard weight should be decided upon and records 9 putting made for the different grades. In ordinary ^p Weight : play activities boys have used any weight rock that i was handy, often going on to those so heavy that I only a few of the strongest-armed boys could put ; them up once. A good event is made by using a rock from 15 to 30 ; pounds in weight and finding out who can put it up over his head the greatest number of times. In the near I past every boy had a pet rock, ranging in this vicinity , of weight and sometimes extending to 50 pounds or over, which he kept about the back yard and with which he used to perform the ^^ strong-man act." If it was not nesting with those finely-proportioned duck- egg hard heads, which he kept closely guarded for ^^duck on the rock," it would be found somewhere about. In this event the school shot or a rock is used. This is a grip and triceps test. It is the test of the arm in a peculiar position. The event is to see how 10. Shoui- many times the shot can be lifted from the ^^^ ^^°* right shoulder with the right hand, placed on the left shoulder and returned, without resting the arm on the head. In country and village stores, when muzzle loaders 86 HEALTH BY STUNTS were in vogue and bird shot came in 25-pound sacks, the bags of shot were used for this event. To see who could hold out the heaviest weight in the right or left hand or both at the same time was one 11. Hold often-tried event. The arm had to be Out Weight straight and at a right angle with the body. Sometimes the start was made with one or both hands holding a weight or weights extended straight over the head and lowered to a horizontal position as many times as the contestant's strength and endurance would permit. In ^^Grip the Stone'' any weight may be used that can be gripped and held with the weight below the 12. Grip hand. One heavy enough to be just barely the stone lifted by, the average boy is about right. With a starting line see who can carry the weight farthest before dropping it, or can carry it the most times around some object. For many winters, when every community had its horseshoeing shop and the store kept horseshoe nails in 25-pound boxes, these were used for the gripping event. In one of these stores each winter this box occupied a prominent place. It had to start from a certain keg of nails and circumnavigate the old box stove until the grip gave out. Each time counted one, but the last one, in order to count, had to end with the returning of the box to the keg. EVENTS THAT CAN BE TIMED OR MEASURED 87 Time spent indoors in such places, when not used for physical activities, was bent on problems of the ^^Fox, Goose, and the Sack of Corn,'' ^^Fox and Hound," '^Grindstone," or politics. There were, nevertheless, continuous strenuous activities in contrast to the great amount of passive activity of a large per cent of boys to-day. Boys are not playing as hard to-day and are spending only minutes in play where their fathers spent hours and even days. Such a condition is certain to have its results. The slogan of some schools in Detroit is ^'Play, " — and they do it. No boy or girl is caught standing around the building at any time. It is the ^'keep moving" idea and keep moving fast. The result is that few are absent on account of sickness. The nation is surely in need of boys and girls with abundance of energy, a place to use it, and proper guidance. / CHAPTER V STUNTS, INDIVIDUAL AND COMBINATION Twenty years ago nearly every healthy, wide-awake boy who was allowed to follow his own ideas in play The Value knew how to jump through a stick held in of Stunts y^[q hands, how to turn cart wheels, stand on his head, do the handspring on the grass, and a hundred other stunts or tricks that required strength and skill and kindred physical virtues, such as balance, speed, quickness of movement, limberness, and agility ; and such moral virtues as perseverance, nerve, pep, and grit. These stunts formed an excellent basis for com- paring the physical ability of boys of all ages. That the swiftly changing modes of living have nearly lost to the modern boy the knowledge of such a valuable set of activities is indeed a regrettable fact. In this chapter individual stunts and combination stunts are explained in detail and many of them illustrated by photographs, so that, once more, children of all ages and men of all walks of life may learn them and be able to test their own skill, endurance, muscle, and, perhaps most important of all, their sense of balance. 88 89 90 HEALTH BY STUNTS Beside having the virtues already mentioned, stunts call into play a very great range of muscles without The causing too severe a strain on any one set or abimv'of niaking too great a demand on the vital Stunts organs. Their adaptability to any group of people and to nearly any occasion makes them exceed- ingly valuable. It is safe to say that everybody can do some of the stunts, and equally safe to say that scarcely anyone can be found who is able to do them all. Thus one is assured of interest easily awakened and indefinitely held. Some of them have been taught to boys and girls beginning at the age of two years. A child beginning at that age may have learned a hundred or more stunts by the time he is ten or twelve, and still will gain rather than lose enthusiasm in the mastering of new ones and the perfecting and demonstrating of the old. Those stunts to be found in this chapter by no means cover the whole field, for new ones may be and are being invented every day, and more old ones, long forgotten, are being dug up. A boy who has never been able to excel in the athletic line may be the inventor and for a time the sole performer of some new stunt, to his own intense satisfaction. It is not difficult to see how initiative and self-confidence arise from this. To the individual person, many stunts may at first seem impossible of execution. Perseverance and grit STUNTS, INDIVIDUAL AND COMBINATION 91 alone will bring success in such cases. When tried in a group and under the stress of circumstances; very often success comes suddenly^ and with it pleased surprise and great personal pride^ which lead, naturally, to further attempts, further success, and greater self- respect. Muscular development and improved health, being incidental to the joy of accomplishment, far from suffering on that account, take on an added significance. In Detroit the stunts are introduced into the schools by first teaching them to the captains who, in turn, teach them to the boys in their squads (see -iwr ^.i^ j r Chapter III). So successful have been such Intro- efforts during the four years of their use ^^ *^^ here that the continuance of the organized attempt to reach every boy in the schools is assured. In making the arrangement of material the stunts have been divided into two main classes : one including all which are to be done by the individual alone, called "Individual Stunts,'^ and the other including all stunts done in couples or by more than one boy at a time, called "Combination Stunts." These main classes are then each grouped in four divisions. Group A describes those stunts which are the simplest and which require the least natural ability. It is safe to say that anyone, boy or girl, should be able to do any in this group. 92 HEALTH BY STUNTS The stunts in the remaining groups (B, C, and D) are so arranged that each successive group requires more natural ability, or, if this is lacking, more con- sistent practice. This grouping opens up several possibilities with regard to the assignment or scoring of the stunts when used in a school system : (1) If so desired, only stunts in Group A may be introduced in the fifth grade ; Group B in the sixth grade ; Group C in the seventh grade ; and Group D in the eighth grade. (2) In a test of ability, twenty-five points may be given for any stunt demonstrated in Group A; fifty points for any in Group B ; seventy-five for any in Group G ; arul oru; hundred for any in Group D. (.3) Or, in a test of ability, all stunts in Group A may be required for a passing mark ; seventy-five per cent of all those in Group B ; twenty per cent of those in Group C ; and ten per cent of those in Group D. After some thought on the matter other possibilities of using the grouping will be evident. INDIVIDUAL STUNTS Gkoup a While not, strictly speaking, a stunt, the taking of the test for posture requires a certain amount of knowl- STUNTS, INDIVIDUAL AND f ;OMliIXA'IION 03 ('(Ific to h(; }i,'i,(J only \)y ri('S(;rif)tiori. Tiikc, a rv^^ular f,;ui(Jin^ f)ositj'on, (;h(;st, out., stornncfi in, with ;i,rrnH ;i,t side. Sf^ruJ tfir; arms forw.*i,r(J n,n(J \i\)W;\.r(l i Posture to jj, vcrilcn] f>ositiori, fioUJin^ ihc corrccA, ^^^^ position of \.\\(', [;OfJy. It is [>(;st to stjind in front of ;j, mirror for litis test. If the cliest ^o(;h in jiikJ tfic; st,orri;icJi out, or if tJi(;r(* is di[n(;ult,y in ^cttin^ \,\\<) arms str;i,i^;})t uf), the fiosturo is [)Oor. Stand witfi [iJinrJs on hif^s. do to a full squjittin^ position witl") h(;(',Is off tjic f/rownd, kccfiin^ tfic body Htr;j,ifrht u.j\<\ pcrpr'nrjiftuh'ir. Kc,t,urn to ;i, .2. Squat tn.ndiriff; [)Osit,ion slowly wit-hout, losin^f; balance;. K(;(;p tho, knofis strai^fit Jtrid Ix^rici forwjird, touoliin^ tin; j^rourul with botli fuirids. Arms and h^^s sliould both \)() Htr'dijfht. Hold this [position for 3 Human several Hcconds. V wicket Take, tho position of tfie irnmjin Wickcit, nrid w;i,lk on all fours, k(;(;pinf/; thf; kn(;(;H strai/^fit. 4 wickct '^Iry r;u;in^'; in t,his [>osit,ion. '^ ^^"^ '^riiis h;j,s }>(',(;r] f;ommofily known by suf;h n;i,rrM;s n.s ''SomerHault," '^ K(;(;l-ov(tr," and ^Mlcr^s-ovcr-hr^ad.'' It is donr; |'>y puttin^^ tho haruJs and hon.d on 5 Forward th(; j^rrjund, tjjrnirif.'; tfio h(;ad ijnd(;r, kicking **^'* / up tlir; fV;(;t, rollinfi;on \,\\(' bn.ck, ;i,nd f;ominM up on to tjio f(;f;t a^^;i,in. To fiiu.kc ;i, Lie face downward, take hold of the ankles, and attempt to rock the body backward and forward. In 3. Human Order to do this successfully ' a rigid curve Rocker ^ must be made of the chest and abdomen. Failure to succeed in this stunt at first trial should not discourage, for the exercise to be had simply in attempting it is worth a great deal. The rocking may be aided and increased if a second person takes hold of the feet and helps rock. The body, neck, and legs must be bent backward and held rigid ."{^^This ig an excellent exercise to straighten the shoulders, lift up the chest, and keep the upper back straight'. Place a handkerchief on the seat of a chair, with a corner of it hanging over the right-hand edge of the 4. Chair chair. Sit down o'n the chair, with the legs Creeper ^^^^ ^^ right-hand edge, then grasp the back of the chair^ and lie down on your right side on STUNTS, INDIVIDUAL AND COMBINATION 105 the seat. With head and shoulders in advance^ creep around the back of the chair, attempting to reach far enough around to pick up the handkerchief with the teeth and return to a sitting position in the chair without tipping it over or touching the floor. To make this stunt harder, place the handkerchief nearer the front of the chair. Any hold on the chair may be taken as long as the hands do not touch the floor. Drop to a full squat, with knees bent and spread, arms crossed in front of the body, upper part of the body erect, and weight resting on toes. 5 jumping From this position spring immediately to a ^^^^ standing position, with the knees straight, weight resting on heels, toes pointing up, feet about eighteen inches apart, hands extended sidewise. Repeat the squatting and rising motion several times rapidly, without losing the balance. Hold a round stick or broom handle in front of the body with both hands, palms down. Holding the stick firmly, cross arms, with palms up and put the g Human head through the triangle formed by the stick ^^°* and the arms so that the right hand rests on the left shoulder, the left hand rests on the right shoulder, and the stick across the back of the neck. Work the stick down over the back without losing the -original hold, until it is possible to step back over the stick 106 HEALTH BY STUNTS with both feet. Reverse by stepping into the loop and going through in the opposite direction. Hold a light, small stick in the fingers in front of body. Jump over the stick without letting go of it or touching 7. Jump it with the feet. Jump back. Try to go ^^^^^ back and forth rapidly several times. In learning this, limber up the legs before trying, and on the jump raise the knees as high up under the chin as possible. This exercise will develop a good spring. Practice by bringing one knee up against the chest hard several times and stepping over the stick and back. Jumping the stick is mostly a question of pep and doing the right thing at the right time. One form of the Head Stand has already been described under ^^Tip Up." This is probably the 8. Head simplest Way of learning. Another form of stand Head Stand is done by kneeling and placing both elbows on the floor and the head in both hands. From this position push the feet to a vertical position and hold for at least ten seconds. Still another form is done by kneeling with arms folded and placing the elbows on the floor, the head several inches in front of them, and pushing the feet up as before. This is an excellent event from a good many stand- points. There is keen enjoyment for one who executes it well. It holds the interest, is spectacular, and is of STUNTS, INDIVIDUAL AND COMBINATION 107 much physical and mental value. It is distinctly different from the high dive into water. It 9. High is done over a bar set on standards as in the ^^^® high jump. Put the bar down low to begin with. Do a small somersault over the bar without knocking it off. Then raise the bar gradually until it is necessary to spring well up into the air in order to clear it. If no standards or bar are handy, try having another boy get down on his hands and knees and dive over him. Let him raise himself higher and higher as the contestant becomes more proficient. In learning, a gymnasium mat or an ordinary mattress or hay should be used to light upon. Take a running start, and to clear the bar spring from both feet as one would from a spring board when diving in the water. Land squarely on both hands with arms straight out at full length. The moment the hands strike the mat, duck the head and bend the elbows, thus allow- ing the wrists and shoulders to take the force of the fall. If the head is not ducked quickly enough it is apt to be bumped. On the other hand, if the head is ducked too soon and too violently, one will miss landing on his shoulders and will be thrown down farther on his back. With a little practice this stunt should be easily perfected. Some boys dive over fences, hedges, or almost anything that obstructs 108 HEALTH BY STUNTS their path. One may learn to do it so well that hard ground has no terrors. One group of boys at a demon- stration in a high school gymnasium dived more than three feet high with nothing but the hard floor on which to land. Other boys have been able to dive more than five feet high, with mats to land on. A per- son should be able to dive higher than he can jump. This is learned in much the same way as the high dive only instead of trying for height , try for distance. 10. Dis- Dive first over one boy, then over two, and tanceDive g^ ^^ ^^ ^^j. g^g ^^^ jg ^-^^e tO gO. Some boys in the elementary schools of Detroit are able to dive over fourteen boys kneeling side by side. It is important in both of these dives that the arms hold one up a fraction of a second after lighting on the hands, so that time may be given for ducking the head. The final landing is squarely on the shoulders, after which the roll over on to the feet is completed. When done correctly, there is no bump or jar. Stand erect with left hand at the side, fingers spread, palm down, and right hand raised over the head. 11. Cart Incline the body directly to the left side, Wheel throw the right foot in the air, the left hand striking the ground. Follow immediately by the right hand and then by the right foot, the left foot striking last. When done correctly, the body has the appear- ance of a wheel ; the arms and legs are the spokes. STUNTS, INDIVIDUAL AND COMBINATION 109 The more rigid the body is kept, the better is the appearance of the stunt ; feet must travel straight up in the air over the head. Take a squat position, grasping a stick in front of the body with both hands, palms a foot apart and turned upward. The feet also should be 12. under about a foot apart. Keep the balance and ^^^^^ turn, placing one end of the stick on the ground, straight behind the back and about half the length of the body from the feet. The lower hand should be less than one foot from the ground. Then, arching the back, try to turn the head under the lower arm, twisting upward to an erect position without moving the stick at its base or losing the balance. Learn to do this first with the stick pressed against a corner or something that will hold it securely. Work on it until it can be done with the stick resting on a smooth floor with no support. This is almost entirely a question of balance. If one is able to keep the stick firmly upright in an absolutely perpendicular position during a complete turn, there will be no trouble about the balance. This is like base sliding. It makes a good stunt anywhere and especially when done on a smooth, hardwood floor. Take a running start and 13, KeUy throw the body headlong, keeping the head ^^^^ up and sliding on the arms and stomach. By placing no HEALTH BY STUNTS two boys facing each other^ with their arms locked and legs straddled; an opening is made for a boy to slide through. A group of six or eight boys, tearing into this stunt as hard as they can, makes an interesting per- formance. A group of six or eight boys can slide from twelve to eighteen feet on an ordinary schoolroom floor. This may be done feet first as well as head first. It takes nerve and good motor control. Very few boys know how to slide bases, fall on a football, or tackle a tackling dummy. Kelly Slide is a very good exercise to lead up to these things. It is a good thing to begin practicing this running dive and to slide where the ground is soft, or on a hard, smooth, polished surface. Boy No. 1 kneels down on the ground. Boy No. 2 sits on or holds firmly the heels of Boy No. 1, who then 14. Body leans forward slowly, and reaches as far Reach / forward on the ground as it is possible to extend the body and still be able to return to the original position. This may be used in competition by marking with a piece of chalk as far out in front as it is possible to reach. Stand on the hands, arms straight, feet against the „ , wall. The head should be bent far back, and 15. Hand ^ Stand the feet should be straight up in the air. Bend the arms slowly, letting the body down until the head touches the ground. Push up again immedi- STUNTS, INDIVIDUAL AND COMBINATION 111 ately until the arms are straight. Do this several times. This is done the same as the floor dip, excepting that the hands are near enough together for the four fingers and thumbs to be touching it. From le. jwo- this space left between the hands pick up a ^^"^ ^^^ small object. Lie on the back with arms to side. Kick the right foot up hard enough to bring the body up on to the right shoulder and turning over face down- 17 pjsh ward, with the head pointing in the opposite ^^°p direction. This can be done so that the body will land in almost the same original place on the ground, only it will be turned over and pointing in the opposite direction. Group D Grasp the left foot at the toes with the fingers of the right hand, bending the knee outward as far as possible. Jump over the left foot with the 1. Toe right foot without letting go with the fingers. ^^^^ Jump forward and backward rapidly. Stand beside a chair and grasp the front part of the seat with one hand and the top of the back of the chair with the other. Bend forward and ^ „. , ^ 2. Right balance the body on the elbow over the Arm chair hand which is on the seat. From this bal- ance position, extend the feet upward. 112 HEALTH BY STUNTS Grasp the seat of an ordinary low, straight-back chair with one hand and the back with the other. Spring up with the feet extended over the 3. Left Arm Chair head as in the Head Stand. Keep rigid the arm extended to the seat. Flex the other arm so that part of the weight of the body rests on the shoulder, touching the back of the chair. Hold the hands, palms up, low, in front of the body so that only the ends of the middle fingers touch each 4. Finger other. Jump forward and backward over Jump ^Yie fingers without pulling them apart. This is similar to Under Stick, but is much more difficult to execute. Clench the left fist, and grasp 5. Under ^^e wrist with the right hand. Come to a ^^ full squat, turn, placing the fist directly behind the back on the ground, and try to turn the head under the lower arm. The back must be kept arched and the chest well up. Place both hands flat on the floor. Slide the feet straight back with the body extended and rigid. 6. One- Remove one hand from the floor so that the Hand Dip weight rests mostly on the one arm. Let the body down by bending the arm until it is possible with the lips to pick up a handkerchief or other object held between the thumb and fingers of the hand on the floor, and push back to arm's length again. This stunt will take a good deal of practice but it is worth while. STUNTS, INDIVIDUAL AND COMBINATION 113 This may be done on the ground or on a table. The object is to hold the weight of the body on one arm with the body extended horizontally. Place 7, Hand one hand firmly on the edge of the table or on ^^^^^ce the ground with the elbow in tight against the ribs. Raise the feet and lower the upper part of the body until the horizontal position is acquired. The im- portant point is to keep the elbow in close and slightly under the body at the ribs to afford a purchase. It is best to learn to do the hand spring on soft ground, sawdust, or on a mat. Some boys learn more easily by turning over a boy who is on his g. Hand knees. In doing this take a short run and Sp"^s place the hands on the ground close up against the body of the other boy. Throw the feet up sharply over the head, keeping the arms rigid until almost the last moment before going clear over. Then bend them slightly at the elbows and straighten them out quickly, thus giving enough spring to force the feet over on to the ground and bring the body upright. If one fails to make it completely, the boy underneath will save him from a fall on his back. Gradually one gets so that he can do this without the aid of any- one underneath. If the spring with the arms is given at just the right second, as the feet are traveling at their fastest, one should be able to make a complete turn and come up standing on his feet. Grit and Back Spring (p. 119) Sack of Wheat (p. 124) 114 > STUNTS, INDIVIDUAL AND COMBINATION 115 perseverance will help to master this stunt in a very short time. The contestant should place his hands and head on the ground as in the Forward Roll and throw his feet up exactly as though he were going to 9. Head roll over on to his back. Just as the feet Sp"^s arrive at the right position over the head, a flip or a spring with the arms, as in the handspring, will bring him on to his feet without having touched his back to the ground. In this the head, shoulders, hands, and feet are the only parts of the body to touch the ground. After the head spring has been done two or three times, it is possible for some boys to learn to do it in a little different manner. Start by lying 10. shoui- down on the back with the hands beside derSpnng the head and rolling the body up on to the shoulders. By giving a quick flip forward and down with the feet, pushing upward with the head, hands, and shoulders, it is possible to land on the feet without touching any other part of the body to the ground. This is a stunt very often seen on the stage as a basis for part of the tumbling. It is also called the snap up. This stunt needs very little description as its name tells what must be done. Go to a hand n Hand stand with the feet above the head and used ^^^^ as a balance. Attempt to walk on the hands. If 116 HEALTH BY STUNTS the head is used in connection with the first method of balance, this stunt may be learned very easily, i.e. keep the head bent far back. Take an ordinary stick about four feet long, the size of a shovel handle. Toe a mark and place one 12. Gorilla 6nd of the stick in front of the feet at a Swing distance equal to the height of the body from the feet to the shoulders. Take a firm hold of the top of the stick with the right hand and swing the body forward, making a mark on the ground with the left hand as far forward as you can reach. Bring the body to a standing position again without resting any part of it on the ground. A perfect performance of this stunt would be to reach a distance in front of the mark equal to the height that can be reached on a wall from the tiptoes. The stick must be firmly braced at the lower end. Lean over and take hold of the toes of the shoes, grasping them between thumb and fingers. Keeping 13. Heel ^ tight hold, jump over a lead pencil or other Jump object on the floor. The stunt is to see how far one can jump without letting go of the toes. It is unusual to find anyone who at first can jump at all in this manner. The contestant measures on a stick the length of 14. Back- liis arm. Holding the stick straight up in ward Bend ^^yq air in front of his face and over his head he bends backward, feet well apart, until the stick STUNTS, INDIVIDUAL AND COMBINATION 117 touches the floor behind him. The distance from the end of the stick touching the floor to the point held in front of the face should equal the length of the arm. Lie on the back, then arch it and lift the hips so that the weight rests only on the back of the head and on the feet. With the head as a center, run 15 Merry- around in a circle with the feet. To learn, <^o-Round and before the neck is strong enough, use the hands placed by the side of the head to assist. It is impossible to do this stunt unless the neck has been more than usually developed. In going around the head the body will have a roll- ing motion alternating with front and back upward. The steps will vary in length. Come to a hand stand with the feet straight up over the head, balance perfect, the head well back — then, by bending the arms swiftly at the elbows, iq chest drop to the floor, striking on the chest and ^^^® rocking from chest to abdomen, to thighs, to knees, and up on to the feet so that the finish is in a standing position. This is practically a reverse of the ^'Forward Fall." Boy No. 1 lies on the ground face downward with neck, body, and legs rigid. Boy No. 2 clasps 17 buU his hands under the forehead and lifts boy ^®^^ No. 1 to a standing position as though he were made 118 HEALTH BY STUNTS of wood. The muscles used in doing this stunt are poorly developed in most people. Those in the neck are almost entirely so. Very few can do this stunt. Most neck muscles are so weak that one finger pressed against the forehead will push it backward. COMBINATION STUNTS Group A Combination stunts are those in which two or more boys participate. The groups and the stunts in each group are described as follows : Two boys stand facing each other. Boy No. 1 puts his right foot in the right hand of boy No. 2 ; 1. Wheel- turns his back^ and drops down on his hands,- Barrow ^^ ^]^g Same time putting his left foot in the left hand of boy No. 2 ; then the wheel-barrow is ready. Boy No. 1 walks on his hands and boy No. 2, by taking hold of his ankles^ pushes him along as he would a wheel-barrow. From the wheel-barrow position, the first boy backs up and locks his legs around the body of the wheeler, with his heels pressed a2;ainst the 2. Jumping ^ . . Wheel- back of No. 2, which assists boy No. 1 to jump with his hands. Boy No. 2 assists the barrow to go by lifting No. 1 at the hips. Boy No. 1 bends forward with arms between thighs. STUNTS, INDIVIDUAL AND COMBINATION 119 Boy No. 2 pretends to strike him vigorously on each cheek with the palm of his hand, alter- nately with right and left, using full swing of the arm, but stopping each blow as it reaches the face of No. 1. As each hand reaches the face, boy No. 1, whose hands are between his legs and can- not be seen, spats them loudly. This makes it appear that boy No. 1 is getting the full force of the blows. Boy No. 1 takes a position on the ground on his hands and knees. Boy No. 2, with a running start, throws his hands to the ground, as in turning 4 Back a handspring, close up beside the first boy, ^^"^^ "^^ and turns a flip over his back. To learn this well, the boy underneath should raise his back slightly just as he feels the pressure of the first boy going over him. This will give sufficient spring to throw him up on to his feet in good form. As No. 2 progresses, he will learn to use the spring in his own body, and in this way will learn to turn a handspring. This stunt is not at all dangerous. Boys of any age or size may do it. It is always fun, and one boy on his hands and knees can handle almost any number of boys, — that is, they can run and flop over him just as fast as they can without being in each other^s way. It is good for the kindergarten as well as for the eighth grade. Boy No. 1 stands in front and facing in the same 120 HEALTH BY STUNTS direction as boy No. 2, who grasps the top of the trousers of boy No. 1. Boy No. 1, with 5. Tandem ^ ^ ' the assistance of boy No. 2, jumps and locks his legs around the body of No. 2, and leans forward until No. I's hands touch the ground. Then they walk in this position. Two boys stand facing each other ; boy No. 1 grasps boy No. 2 by the top of the trousers. Boy No. 2 at 6. Elephant ^^^ Same time jumps and locks his legs high ^^^^ up under the arms of No. 1, then lets his arms and the upper part of his body fall backward, swinging back between the legs of boy No. 1. After passing through the legs, he grasps No. 1 by the heels with both hands. No. 1 falls forward on his hands and walks on all fours like an elephant. Boy No. 2 pushes up until his arms are straight, his head high, and his back arched. When two boys go along rapidly this way, it quite resembles the walk of an elephant. Boy No. 2 may assist in the walk by lifting alternately on the ankles of boy No. 1 as he steps. Boy No. 2 returns to the first position simply by swinging back through between the legs, assisted by boy No. 1, unlocking his feet as he completes the swing and dropping to his feet. This is very similar to the Elephant Walk except that boy No. 1, instead of jumping up and locking his legs around No. 2 from a position facing No. 2, turns' STUNTS, INDIVIDUAL AND COMBINATION 121 around and jumps up backward and locks his legs high up under the arms of No. 2. Then he crawls through between the legs of No. 2^ and takes 7. camei hold of his ankles as before. This time he ^^^^ will be looking up over boy No. 2's back instead of away from him. No. 2 falls over on to his hands and walks on all fours as in the Elephant Walk. Boy No. 1 stands ready with hands clasped and rest- ing against left leg. Boy No. 2^ with a running start, places his right foot in the locked hands, 8. Hand grasps No. 1 by the head and vaults over J^™p his shoulder, aided by a lift from the hands of No. 1. Two boys get down on the floor side by side, a boy's length apart, with their fronts turned upward, their bodies supported by their feet and hands, and 9, Human their stomach muscles rigid. Boy No. 3 ^ndge^^^ then lies, face up, across their middles, with his head resting on one and his feet on the other, his body straight and rigid, his hands locked across his chest. This position should be held several seconds. This human bridge can be built two and even three stories high. Form a circle with one boy standing rigidly in the center with his whole body stiff and his arms held stiffly at his sides. In this position he is easily tipped over as though he were wooden. He does nothing to catch himself at any time, being kept from falling by the other boys, who catch 122 HEALTH BY STUNTS him as he tips toward them and then give him a push in another direction, thus keeping him in constant motion. Each time he is to be turned while perpen- dicular so that his back will be toward the boy who is to catch him. At last he may be laid out on his back and four boys carry him away on two broom handles with one under his neck and the other under his ankles. Group B Two boys stand facing each other about three feet apart; with their right hands clasped. Boy No. 1 throws his right leg over locked hands and 1. Twister head to a straddle position, with his back to boy No. 2. Boy No. 2 follows with his left leg to same position, so that they are back to back. Boy No. 1 follows with his left leg, returning to his original position. Boy No. 2 follows with his right leg. This should be continued indefinitely and very rapidly. It may be done on the same spot or may have a rolling motion. The hands must be clasped throughout. Boy No. 1 faces boy No. 2 and leans forward toward him, extending his hands backward between his own 2. Front legs. Boy No. 2 leans over him and grasps straddle ^-^^ extended hands. A quick lift by boy No. 2 will flip boy No. 1 over on to his feet. Both boys should be facing each other at the finish, stand- ing in an upright position. STUNTS, INDIVIDUAL AND COMBINATION 123 The boys stand as before except that boy No. 1 faces in the same direction as boy No. 2, leans forward; and extends his hands backward 3_ Back between his legs toward boy No. 2, who straddle grasps the extended hands and lifts him over on to his feet. They will finish in the position from which they started. Two boys stand facing each other. Boy No. 1 grasps the right hand of boy No. 2 with his left; and the left hand of boy No. 2 with his right. •^ ^4. Flopper A third boy, with a short running start, thrusts his head over the first barrier of arms and under the second ; that is, he starts to dive through the opening made by the two sets of arms. Boys No. 1 and 2 lift up on set of arms No. 1 and force boy No. 3 to turn a somersault in the air, landing him on his feet on the opposite side from which he started. He may be flipped completely clear of the arms or he may be held with his head still in the opening and flipped back to his original position. Try lining up a group of boys and flipping one through after another as fa^ as they come. v\fi/This stunt is . done by one boy turning a hand- ^ spring from another boy's knees. Boy No. 1 lies on his back with his knees up and his feet flat 5. Knee)/^ on the ground. Boy No. 2 takes a short run Sp""s ^.^ toward him, placing his hands on the knees of boy- ^ 124 HEALTH BY STUNTS No. 1; and flipping his feet up over his head. Boy No. 2 aids him in landing by placing his hands so that the back of boy No. 2 will strike them as he comes over. This holds him from falling and gives him the spring necessary to turn completely over on to his feet. ^ Boy No. 2 bends forward, grasping the ankles of boy No. 1; who falls backward; lying at full length on the 6. Bobbin back of boy No. 2. The latter lifts straight Back yp^ letting boy No. 1 slide down until his hands touch the ground, when he releases his feet, letting them fall easily to the ground, from which posi- tion No. 1 grasps the ankles of No. 2 and repeats the operations. Boy No. 1 faces boy No. 2 ; leans over, placing his head in the stomach of boy No. 2, who grasps him 7. Sack of around the middle like a sack of wheat, and Wheat lifting, throws him up over his shoulder. The landing is made by boy No. 1 turning over No. 2's shoulder, and sliding down his back on to his feet. This can be done effectively with several boys in succession and is a very good medium-strength exercise. This is a popular and useful form of amusement. It is one of the competitive stunts adopted by boy 8. WaU scouts and military organizations. A group ScaUng q£ from two to twenty or more boys start at a given wall high enough so that the top cannot be reached from the ground. The boys are to get all STUNTS, INDIVIDUAL AND COMBINATION 125 their number over the wall in the shortest possible space of time. The method usually adopted is to have the largest and strongest boy stand with his back to the wall, his hands locked in front of him, palms up, and to have the others run at him, in suc- cession, step in his hands, and spring to a hold on the top with his aid. When all but two have dropped down on the other side, these last two lean over from the top and pull over the boy who has done the lifting by hoisting him by the arms. Two or more squads can compete and cut the time down to a minimum. It is good exercise and a valuable accomplishment. Two boys clasp both hands facing each other. Boy No. 1 bends left knee ; boy No. 2 places left foot on the bent thigh, just above the knee, springs, 9. straddle and lands astraddle the neck of No. 1, both ^^^^ boys facing in the same direction. Get a boy to stand limply as though he were unable to stand or walk a step. Take a firm hold of him by grasping his right wrist with the left hand, and leaning down, throw your right arm ing between his legs, and around his right thigh with your right shoulder in the pit of his stomach. Draw his right arm across over the back of your neck, then by simply standing up to a nearly erect position you will have the injured one across your shoulders in a fairly comfortable position for carrying. Make «,3Si Jump Foot (p. 99) Front Straddle (p. 122) 126 STUNTS, INDIVIDUAL AND COMBINATION 127 the adjustment before you stand erect so that his weight is well balanced and not all on one side. This is a good thing to know how to do. ^ Group C Boy No. 1 jumps on the back of boy No. 2 and locks his legs squarely around No. 2's body. Boy No. 2 leans forward until both boys can place i cen- their hands flat on the floor. They walk *^p®^® in this position. There will be two sets of hands and one set of feet on the floor. After trying this^ have another boy dimb on boy No. 1 and clamp his knees against his waist with a foot along either hip^ placing his hands on the floor^ ahead of the other two. Then there are three sets of arms and one pair of legs. Try to walk all together. This can be extended indef- initely if some care is taken to get the extra boys clamped on in the right position. Boy No. 1 lies on his back^ boy No. 2 standing over him facing toward his feet^ one foot on each side of No. I's head. Boy No. 1 grasps the ankles 2. Eskimo of the boy standing over him and brings his ^°^^ feet up in the air so that No. 2 can grasp his ankles. Keeping this exact position, boy No. 2 dives forward, using the feet of boy No. 1 as a bumper, ducks his head, and rolls over on to his back, pulling boy No. 1 with him. This reverses the position of the two boys 128 HEALTH BY STUNTS and No. 1 dives over No. 2. This may be continued rapidly five or six times in one direction and later it may be tried backward, the boy in the standing position sitting down rapidly and pulling the other boy back over his head on to hi« own feet and so on. This is a stunt very often seen in comic acts on the vaudeville stage. It can be made to look very spectacular if the dive is made as high as the full length of the arms and legs will allow. At no time is the grip originally taken on the ankles to be changed. This is just the reverse of the Eskimo Roll. After 2(a). Back ^wo boys have made several revolutions in Eskimo Roll ^^^ direction from the same position they roll backwards, back to the original starting place. Two boys lock elbows with backs together in a standing position. Boy No. 1 leans forward, pulling 3. Elbow boy No. 2 off his feet and rolling him over ^°^^ his back so that he lands on his feet facing i boy No. 1. This should be done carefully at first ' and care should be taken not to let boy No. 2 slip at all as he comes over. He should be held tightly to the back of No. 1 so that no fall will result. Two boys stand facing each other. Boy No. 1, M palms turned upward, clasps the hands of boy No. 2. ■ They then turn their backs together, hands 4. Arm Roll still clasped and extended above their heads. Boy No. 1 leans forward, pulling No. 2 off his feet and STUNTS, INDIVIDUAL AND COMBINATION 129 i rolling him over his back^ as in the Elbow Roll. By- giving a slight lift to the hands of No. 2 as he goes over, he will be flipped on to his feet in perfect safety. Boy No. 2 throws boy No. 1 over his head and the stunt is continued without letting go of the hands. Boy No. 1 lies on his back with his knees up and his feet on the ground as in the ^^Knee Spring." Boy No. 2 places his hands on the raised knees, 5. shoulder rests his shoulders on the hands of boy No. 1, ^*^^^ who pushes upward to support them, then slowly raises his legs until he comes to a balance in a per- pendicular position. He should hold this position for a few seconds before falling back to the original position. Two boys stand facing in the feame direction and several feet apart. Boy No. 2 stands on his hands, close up to the heels of No. 1, and throws ^ Bobbin his heels up over the shoulders of No. 1, ^^^^^ who grasps his ankles and, by leaning forward, bobs him up on his back, from which position boy No. 2 slides down over his neck and lands on his feet. Imme- diately boy No. 1 stands on his hands, throwing his feet over the shoulders of No. 2, and the operation is repeated. In this stunt a sack of wheat or a boy with muscles limp is used.. It requires some skill as well as strength to shoulder an object weighing within three quarters 130 HEALTH BY STUNTS of the weight of the individual doing the shouldering. It is also quite a stunt to be able to keep oneself limp 7. Shoui- while another is trying to do the shoulder- dering ^^^ q^j^^g gj^ould require no further explana- tion ; the boy being shouldered simply is lifted across either shoulder and carried. Boy No. 1 lies on his back with his knees up. Boy No. 2 grasps his hands and stands with a foot on either „ _ side of his head, facing toward the feet of Stand No. 1. With arms rigid; boy No. 2 swings to Balance _-^ a squat position^ feet on the knees of boy No. 1. Boy No. 2 leans forward and pulls No. 1 to a half squat position, balances for several seconds, returns to original position, or jumps from balance to neck- straddle position. Boy No. 1 lies on his back, with knees up and feet against the stomach of boy No. 2, grasps No. 2 by 9. Front the slioulders or hands and uses toes against Foot Flip ^Yie stomach of boy No. 1, flipping him over his head, boy No. 2 landing on his own feet. This is done the same as the Stomach Flip, excepting that boy No. 1 leans backward and sits on the feet of 10. Back boy No. 2, who grasps him by the shoulders Foot Flip Qj. hands, and flips him over on to his feet. Two boys stand facing in the same direction, with a third boy facing them at a distance of about six feet. The middle boy (No. 1) turns a somersault toward STUNTS, INDIVIDUAL AND COMBINATION 131 the third boy (No. 3)^ who dives over him as he is coming up. The remaining boy (No. 2) then dives over No. 3 as he is coming up. In the mean- n xripie time, No. 1 has come to his feet and turns ^^^® ready to dive back over No. 3 while he is down. No. 2 then goes back over No. 1 and No. 3 over No. 2. This is kept up indefinitely, each boy diving over the one who is down in turn and coming to his feet, turns, and dives back again. Thus all three are diving, turning, and diving as fast as they can travel. The diving is done as described in the ^^ Distance Dive.'* It simply amounts to turning a somersault over the other boys. Boy No. 1 gets down on hands and knees. Two other boys sit down,, one on each side of the first boy, and place their legs across his back in such a manner that 12. wind- boy No. 2 can grasp the feet of boy No. 3, ^^^^ one with each hand, and boy No. 3 grasps No. 2's feet in like manner, thus locking each other securely across the back of No. 1. The first boy then stands up slowly, being careful to keep his balance, and throws his arms backward over the heads of the other two boys, grasping them so that they will not slide down. The windmill is now ready to turn. Boy No. 1 turns round and round, twirling the other two as he does so. By revolving rapidly he can give the others a sensa- tional ride. 132 HEALTH BY STUNTS Two boys stand facing each other and clasp hands (No. I's right in No. 2's left and vice versa). Boy 13. Rocking No. 1 then sits down astride No. 2's feet Horse ^^^ raises his own feet up so that it appears as if No. 2 is sitting or resting against the toes of his shoes. The rocking horse is now ready for operation. Boy No. 2 sits down quickly, which brings No. I's feet to the ground under No. 2's and at the same time No. 2's feet come up helping to lift No. 1 to a standing position. The two boys have thus re- versed positions. Boy No. 1 then sits down rapidly, almost falling backwards. He is kept from bumping by the feet of No. 2, which are pressed upward by keep- ing the knee and hip joints rigid and which ease No. 1 down gently. This brings No. 2 to his feet and so they rock back and forth. To add a thrill to the stunt each boy as he comes to his feet keeps up his forward motion until he almost goes head first over the other boy, stopped only at the last second by the pressure of the other's hand on his. At the finish of the rock- ing, one boy may go clear over the other boy, turning a somersault beyond. Group D This stunt is done the same as the Back Toss 1. Front except that boy No. 1, in starting the stunt, '^^^^ lies face down along the back. Two boys stand facing in the same direction about STUNTS, INDIVIDUAL AND COMBINATION 133 two feet apart. Boy No. 1 bends forward toward boy No. 2. Boy No. 2 lies backward on the 2. Back back of No. 1 and grasps his belt. From, ■'•^^^ this position boy No. 1 gives boy No. 2 a toss over his head, No. 2 landing on his feet behind No. 1. This may be done without grasping the belt. Two boys stand facing the same direction, one behind the other and close together. Boy No. 1, in front, reaches his right arm over his left 3 ^eck shoulder, grasps the back of the neck of boy ^^°p No. 2, and flops him over his shoulder on to his feet. This can also be done from the side by using the arm on the same instead of the opposite side of the head. Boy No. 1 lies on his back and lifts his body up until he is resting on his head and hands at one end, and on his feet at the other. He curves his 4 Human body well upward, and makes it rigid so that ^^^ it will hold the weight of another boy. Boy No. 2 places his hands on the knees, and his head on the middle of boy No. 1, who is the Human Arch, and proceeds to a head stand. Two boys stand facing in the same direction about two feet apart. Boy No. 1, who is in front, leans backward with arms above head and grasps 5^ Giant No. 2 about the waist. No. 2 grasps No. 1 ^°^ about the waist at the same time ; then No. 1 kicks up his feet and is lifted up over the shoulder of No. 2 134 HEALTH BY STUNTS and down to the ground on the other side. Continue with boy No. 1 Hfting boy No. 2. This is the same as ^^ Straddle Jump/' except that boy No. 2 lands on the shoulders of No. 1, standing in 6. Shoulder ^n Upright position instead of sitting straddle Jump q£ ^Yie neck. After getting his balance, boy No. 2 should be able to release his hold on the hands of No. 1 and balance himself upright on his shoulders. From standing on the shoulders of boy No. 2, both boys clasp hands, and No. 1 dives forward and flips 7. Shoulder i^ ^^^ ^^^) landing on his feet in front of boy ^*^® No. 2. By giving the right jerk on the hands, No. 2 may easily assist him to land squarely on his feet. Boy No. 1 stands braced with both hands locked in front of him, palms up. Boy No. 2 runs toward him, 8. Hand ^^^ placing one foot in the locked hands of ^^P boy No. 1, springs up and turns a back somersault in the air, assisted by boy No. 1. Boy No. 2 should have snugly tied around his middle a strong rope with an end extending three feet on either side and one assistant on each side holding an end to prevent a fall. Boy No. 1 grasps the hands of boy No. 2 while both 9. Double are facing in the same direction. Boy No. stand ^ jumps, assisted by boy No. 2, and lands on the latter's shoulders. STUNTS, INDIVIDUAL AND COMBINATION 135 Pyramids may be formed in a great many different ways and with a varying number of boys. This subject has been treated extensively in other lo. Pyra- books and will not be developed here, except ^^^^ to mention the simplest and most common form. One good feature of this kind of stunt is that it provides a field for the inventive genius of the boy. Any number of different arrangements and combinations can be thought up and tried out. In the regular pyramid a base is formed of any number of boys, say four, who get dowA side by side on their hands and knees with their backs straight and horizontal and heads on a line to make a rectangular base. Then three boys climb up on them. Each kneels with one knee and one hand on one boy and the other knee and hand on the boy next to him. Two others then climb up to a similar position on their backs, and finally one boy climbs to the top and finishes the pyramid. After the last boy is up, and at a given signal, all boys straighten out, thus letting the whole pile collapse suddenly. Have one boy get down on his hands and knees and another one in a similar position, just far enough away for the diver to get his hands on the H- Diving Hand- floor between them. A third boy, the diver, spring with a running start, dives over boy No. 1 and turns a handspring over boy No. 2, using the back of the 136 HEALTH BY STUNTS latter to assist him in his spring. Try having two boys in place of boy No. 1 to dive over^ leaving boy No. 2 as he was. This may be worked up to the point where eight or nine boys are dived over before turning the handspring over boy No. 2. This stunt was worked up by the boys in one of the Detroit elementary schools entirely on their own initiative. Boy No. 1 stands erect and grasps the ankles of boy No. 2, who stands on his hands in front of him. Boy No. 2 then takes hold of the first boy's ankles 12. The ' , .... Human and holds his body rigid. A third boy kneels Teeter down on his hands and knees close up to the head of boy No. 2. No. 1 then pushes No. 2 over backward across the back of No. 3 so that No. 2 comes up on his feet on the other side and No. 1 is upside down. This operation is then reversed so that No. 1 again is upright and No. 2 is upside down. They rock back and forth in this manner across the back of No. 3, who continues to hold his original position. Two boys shake hands. Boy No. 1 gives a quick downward jerk on the hand of No. 2, leaning slightly 13. Friend- forward as he does so. No. 2 with a strong ship Spring gppjng, assisted by his grip on No. I's hand, turns a flip in the air and lands on the back of No. 1, who then stands erect, letting him slide to his feet. This is very effective with an audience when worked STUNTS, INDIVIDUAL AND COMBINATION 137 smoothly. Both boys' feet must be well apart and firmly set to brace the body in starting the stunt. Boy No. 1 bends forward from the hips and braces 'himself as he would for leap-frog. Boy No. 2, with a running start, comes from behind, places his 14 piying hands on the first boy's back at the belt, and Somersault with a good spring ducks his head under and turns a somersault on his back, rolling off over No. I's head, and landing on his feet in front of him. This may also be done by having three boys bend over with their heads together and their backs close enough together so that the boy who turns the somer- sault has three backs to support him instead of one. This is exactly the same as the Cart Wheel except that it is done by two boys instead of one. They face each other and are tied together at the 15 Double waist by two belts or a piece of rope. They ^^^ wheel should stand as close together as possible. At a given signal they begin the cart wheel simultaneously, both of course going in the same direction. Thus one will turn a right-handed cart wheel and the other a left. This is very neat when done smoothly. Naturally a fall will result if both do not turn in unison. This is very similar to the triple dive ; not so hard to learn but rather more difficult to do with ig Triple good iorm. Three boys start out by getting ^°^ down on their hands and knees with their sides to 138 HEALTH BY STUNTS each other and their heads all in the same direction. Boy No. 1 is in the middle and starts the stunt by rolling sidewise toward boy No. 2, who is about five feet away to the left. As boy No. 1 rolls up to boy No. 2 the latter leaps upward from all fours to avoid being bumped by the rolling body of No. 1. As he falls he lands on his side, on the other side of the first boy, who rolls under him, and rolls toward No. 3. No. 3 leaps upward in his turn falling over No. 2, and rolling back towards No. 1, who has stopped his roll and come back to his hands and knees. No. 1 then jumps up and over No. 3, landing on his side and rolling toward No. 2, who repeats his first performance. This process of rolling, jumping upward, falling over the first rolling body, and rolling toward the next boy is repeated over and over as rapidly as possible. This is an excellent exhibition event and is strenuous exercise. The art of leaping and allowing the body of the boy rolling underneath to graze his own with just enough force to assist his own roll is a difficult one to master, but plenty of fun in the trying. There should be no cause for slowing up at any time, every boy jumping or rolling every time. DEMONSTRATIONS On a given night the schools in the district of .each of the high schools in Detroit send to them delegations STUNTS, INDIVIDUAL AND COMBINATION 139 of boys chosen by their captains. Here the boys 11 demonstrate the work done during the year in stunts 1' and contests. The captains are in complete charge of t their squads, and every incentive is given each group to I work up stunts which are original and new. The de- , partment attempts to see that there are as few dupli- ^ cations of stunts as possible, but as a rule the captains j are allowed to follow their own initiative. It is extraordinary what qualities of leadership and originality are brought out. A program is arranged telling simply the order of appearance of j^^^^^^ each set of boys. A time limit of ten ^ent: . Leadership minutes is set for each group, into this short and Organi- interval the boys are urged to crowd as much action and as many events as is humanly possible. It is the author's idea that many fair demonstrations, or exhibitions, as they are commonly called elsewhere, are spoiled by attempting to stretch them over too long an interval of time. Any average group of boys should be able to put on all the stunts allotted their school in ten minutes or less. The shorter the time, the greater the speed speed , and the more intense the action achieved. ^^^ Action [ It is inspiring to see a group of representative school enthusiasts simply tearing into things for all they are worth in order to demonstrate in the allotted time all the stunts they have planned. In the in- 140 HEALTH BY STUNTS tense excitement of the moment^ feats have been performed that the boys themselves never reahzed they could do. Action is the keynote of all these demonstrations. An admission fee is charged^ and usually the gymna- siums or auditoriums are packed with contestants and spectators. The profits are used to defray the expenses of the year incurred in the various meets. Of the one hundred twenty stunts and contests available for demonstration, nearly all are chosen by one captain or another. Very often some new group of stunts, entirely original with the boys of a particular group, and in some cases new to the Physical Education Department, are ^'sprung" at these meetings. There are, of course, some few favorites that appeal to all boys, and that all the schools like to put on. The high dive and the dive for distance are especial favorites. Some boys, with very little practice, were able to dive over a bar held five feet from the ground, landing On ordinary gymnasium mats two deep. Other boys made astounding leaps in the distance dive, clearing the bent backs of seven, nine^ eleven, and even fourteen of their companions. CHAPTER VI CONTESTS Ceetain activities are fundamentally necessary to the existence of each group of animals. Running and ivrestling stood first in the existence and developing of the human race. These, with striking, throwing, and climbing, were the most essential in the ^^ survival of the fittest." It is necessary for the continuance of a vigorous race of people that each boy complete his schooling in these contests. It is essential that ffirls, ^^ ® ^ Necessity also, have some experience with them. The for Corn- larger the percentage of both boys and girls ^* who have never practiced these contests, the more rapid is the social decay. Contests are too fundamental to neglect. Every boy needs the kind of competition that gets him into personal contact with his opponent. When a boy is boxing, wrestling, playing football, or when he is engaged in any of .the rougher kinds of play and is excited, his enthusiasm runs high. His atten- tion is centered only on the accomplishment of some- thing, and not on self, or the bumps that are bound to come. Even the breaking of bones is hardly noticed immediately under the stress of extreme excitement. 141 %M^ •*%j Eskimo Roll (p. 127) Human Rocker (p. 104) Under Stick (p. 109) Human Ball (p. 94) 142 CONTESTS 143 If a boy, by his interest and enthusiasm, cannot get away from noticing all but the worst of the jolts and bumps, it is because he is more or less cowardly. In the great struggle against death between animals and between men, they become insensible to incon- venience and pain. Think how men have lived in this huge world war in trenches of mud and snow and death, with poor food, impure water, disease, vermin, and wounds ! Enthusiasm, excitement, stress of the hour, — these triumph over man's sense of pain. It is this ^^ fighting mechanism" in the body, accord- ing to Dr. Walter Cannon,^ that makes it possible for men to survive the conditions imposed by such conflict. How quickly any one of the "Fighting nations would have succumbed had one lacked Mech- anism " this element to any greater degree than the other ! This is the mechanism that we must keep active in each generation in this country. It is more fundamental than even drilling, battleships, or coast defenses. Without it men could not defend their country or fight for her. Only through strenuous physical activities for every boy up to and through the adolescent period can this mechanism be main- tained. The mechanics of any army is nothing com- pared to the stuff of which it is made. It is this fight- ing mechanism which sustains the individual through 1 " Bodily Changes in Fear, Hunger, Pain and Rage.'! 144 HEALTH BY STUNTS all the stress and strain of an active life and prevents him from quitting the fight when he gets the jabs that hurt and the knocks that smash; such jabs and knocks as come to many during the short span of the human life. Wrestling Every boy needs the kind of competition that gets him in personal contact with his opponent. In wrest- ling muscle is rubbed against muscle, brawn and skill work together against other brawn and skill. The senses of touch and pressure are stimulated ; sweat flows and mixes ; one feels for his holds, listens to the breathing, and determines the endurance of his adver- sary. The human body is trained to work from every angle, in every position and instantly, under direction of the mind. Wrestling is the greatest kind of training in developing body control, grit, courage, and every other element that makes for the best in a real, true, normal boy or man. Some of the old-time, popular forms of wrestling follow. This is the outgrowth of the old-fashioned ^^ Rough and Tumble Wrestle." It may be the ''flying fall" of two points down, that is, the two shoulders X • v/£ltCil as Catch touching the ground ; or it may be three Can points down, meaning the shoulders and one hip. In one of the old ways the boy had to be held down on his back long enough to leave no question CONTESTS 145 about it; either to himself or to the onlookers. No special hold is taken to start with. Either contestant catches wherever he can. Two boys stand facing each other. Boy No. 1 grasps one arm of his opponent near the shoulder and the other arm near the elbow. Boy No. 2 2. square takes the same firm hold on boy No. 1. This ^^^^ has been also called ^^ Shoulder and Elbow" wrestling. It requires much skill and is practically unknown by the younger generation. All old-time and Civil War veterans can tell many stories about this hold and how it worked to advantage. Sparring and feinting for an opening with the feet to catch the opponent off guard or balance open the way for a fall. One of the old tricks was' to fall backward and at the same time place the foot on or above the opponent's knees and throw him over the head. The original hold must be kept as long as both boys are on their feet; if pos- sible, even after the fall. The boys stand side by side. Boy No. 1 puts his right arm around boy No. 2, over his left shoulder, and grasps him under the right arm. Boy 3. side / No. 2 puts his left arm around boy No. 1, ^^^^ under his right shoulder, and grasps him under his left arm. Boy No. 1, with his left hand, grasps the right hand of boy No. 2. Both wrestle from this start until one wins a ^^fall." 146 HEALTH BY STUNTS The boy having the under hold has the advantage. Consequently, the stronger or larger boy takes the upper hold. — - — "■ ""=* Two boys stand facing each other. Boy No. 1 puts one arm over one shoulder of boy No. 2, the 4. Back opposite arm under the other shoulder, and ^°^^ clasps his hands behind the back of boy No. 2. Boy No. 2 takes the same hold on boy No. 1. This is the hold for boys of equal strength. If one boy is larger or stronger than the other he should take the upper hold with both arms. The smaller boy has both arms around under and clasped behind the back of his opponent. It is possible for the weaker boy, after his back has been bent and he is falling to the ground, to turn his opponent under him. The method of breaking this hold is to let go with one hand, grasp the opponent's chin, and push his head backward. Strange to say, a large per cent of boys know some- thing about hand wrestling. It goes to prove how 6. Hand we are losing the more vigorous forms of Wrestling wrestling. Possibly even the milder ones will pass away. A good grip in the hand is one of the essen- tial qualifications, as well as good balance and the ability to anticipate what one's opponent is going to do, . Two boys stand facing each other, grasp right hands, place the outsides of their right feet together, CONTESTS 147 and step backward about 30 inches with each left foot. The object of the contest is to pull the opponent off his balance. When either foot of an opponent moves out of position it counts one fall. The original hand grip must be held, but the body may be twisted and turned in any direction as long as the feet remain stationary. This wrestle may be done also by stand- ing on the right foot only and holding the left one in the air. In this case a fall is counted when the foot on which the opponent is standing moves out of place, . or when the other foot or any part of the body touches the ground. -— — -^ Two boys lie on their backs with their feet in opposite directions and lock their right elbows. They then lift their right feet up over their heads to- e. Indian gether three times, slowly counting one, two, Wrestle^ three, and lock their right knees on the third count. One of the contestants will be made to turn a back- ward somersault and is the loser. Two boys sit facing each other across a desk or the corner of a table, or both lie flat on their stomachs on the ground, placing their right elbows near 7, Elbow each other on the table or ground and lock- trestle ing their thumbs together. The object of the contest is to force the back of the other fellow's hand down to the table. The elbows must be kept stationary and in contact with the table. 148 HEALTH BY STUNTS Boxing Boxing is a great mental as well as physical training for every boy. If every boy would learn well the 1. With ^^ manly art of self-defense/' there would be Gloves jggg pgsort to guns, swords, knives, stones, clubs, and every other available instrument of bodily injury or death. Every boy or man who has not wrestled or boxed and who cannot fight when he must, either plays the part of a coward and runs, or else resorts to the first available thing he can use for injury, and stops at nothing if his temper is uncon- trollable. There are in all groups boys who cannot run or fight, but who get uncontrollably mad and cry, scream, strike, bite, and scratch when practical jokes are played on them. They are the ones generally called ^^ sissy." Some of them have not enough fire to fight and just cry. A boy who takes good hard bumps in boxing and keeps it up until he is tired, with- out losing his temper, is getting a mental training in control that nothing will give quite so well as boxing. Before the regular boxing gloves were as accessible as to-day, it was quite common to see the homemade ones stuffed with feathers and often with real goose down. This form of boxing, once so popular, has also gone into disuse. When it has been introduced in Detroit, i CONTESTS 149 boys have taken to it with enthusiasm. The contest- ants wear caps and the object is^ by boxing and sparring for an opening with the open hands, 2. Boxing to get a chance to knock off the cap of one's ^^^ opponent. When two boys are evenly matched it takes cleverness and skill to accomplish this. This requires an even greater control of the temper than boxing with gloves. Many hard bumps are received. Good Ions; and deep scratches are ° ^ 3. Boxing sometimes made by missing a blow by all but with Open a finger nail. Having on only a thin shirt or being bare above the waist makes the event both hot and interesting. There are no rules to this contest except that the hands must be kept open. The object is to land as many slaps on the opponent as possible. This is a form of contest that stood for many years as an accomplishment to be proud of. It is used to some extent to-day in our university and high school gymnasiums. It is an exercise of form and grace of movement, but it fails to get the two contestants into actual bodily contact. It requires too scientific a knowledge for the average layman to get a great deal from its pursuance. Miscellaneous Contests There are a great many miscellaneous wrestling con- tests which develop considerable enthusiasm, create 150 HEALTH BY STUNTS full; and serve to enlarge the repertoire of sports each boy has to draw from. The following are the few from which the most gratifying results have been ob- tained; after their introduction to different groups. Two boys stand in a circle about six feet in diameter. Each boy^ with his right hand, takes hold of his own 1. Rooster 1^^^ ^00^ behind his back and clasps his right Fight No. 1 ^^.j^ behind his back with his left hand. Each contestant is then standing on one foot with both hands out of commission. At the signal "go" they hop at each other and attempt to force each other out of the circle or to force a fall. The same rules govern this fight except that each folds his arms. A fall is called when either boy un- 2. Rooster folds his arms, is forced out of the circle, or Fight No. 2 touches the ground. Two boys sit on the ground facing each other, with knees up, feet flat on the ground, and hands clasped 3. Cock together at the ankles. In order to help hold ^^^^* this position, thrust a broom-stick or a wand under the knees but over the arms. Holding this position, on the signal "go'^ each^ contestant tries with his toes to lift the feet of the other high enough from the ground to make him lose his balance and roll over on his back. Draw a seven-foot circle on the ground. The two contestants bend forward and each grasps his own CONTESTS 151 rankles. On the signal ^^go" each tries to crowd the other out of the circle. A fall is called when either h forced out of the circle, lets go his ankles 4 chicken with either hand, or touches the ground ^^^^^ with any part of the body other than his two feet. Two boys sit on the ground facing each other, knees up, and the soles of the feet of one against the soles of the feet of the other. They grasp each 5 p^n other's hands or grasp a stick held crosswise ^**^^ between them and hold the stick straight above the toes. On the signal ^^Go" each tries to pull the other up to a standing position. A fall is called when a contestant is pulled up, pulled over on to the other contestant, or when one pulls the stick out of the other's hands. ' This, with the Pull Stick, will be remembered by most men as a very common wrestle. Both, with many other contests, were common at all g Twist "auction sales," "bees," "loggings," "barn ^tick raisings, " and community gatherings of all kinds. Two boys stand facing each other about a foot apart. Each extends his arms above his head and grasps a round d stick from one to four inches in diameter. The palms of each are held, facing in the same direction as the contestant. The boys grip the stick tightly and on the signal "Go," each contestant backs up and the stick is pulled down between them. The object 152 HEALTH BY STUNTS is to have so strong a grip on the stick that it will slip or twist in the opponent's hands but will not in one's own. The loser is the one whose hands slip. Two boys stand facing each other, about a foot apart. Each extends his arms above his head and 7. Bend clasps the other's hands; the two interlacing Fingers their fingers. On the signal "Go," each con- testant backs up and brings his hands down. The boy having the stronger fingers will make the other kneel. Making a contestant kneel wins a fall. Two boys stand facing each other. They place the outside of their right feet together with the left 8. Pull l^gs back as in the Hand Wrestle and hook the Fingers ^^^ middle fingers together. On the signal "Go," they start pulling. A fall is called when a contestant's finger straightens out or when he is pulled out of position. Each finger on the right hands may be pulled against each of the opponent's. Reverse the feet and pull the fingers of the left hands against each other. Two boys get on their hands and knees, hold their heads up high, and face each other with faces about a 9. Badger ^oo't apart. A strap that is buckled together ^"^ is placed around the back of the heads of the two boys and a line is drawn between the two. On the signal "Go," each tries to drag the other over the line. A fall is called when a contestant is pulled over CONTESTS 153 the line, or when one contestant pulls hard enough to bend the neck of the other and make the strap slip off over his head. Two belts may be buckled together and used for the head strap. Two boys sit on the ground with their backs toward each other and about a foot apart. Around the foreheads of the two boys is placed a strap iq. Neck I that is buckled together, and a line is drawn ^"^^ half-way between the two. On the signal ^^Go/' each tries to drag the other over the line. A fall is called when either is pulled over the line or the strap slips over his head. Two belts may be buckled together for the head strap. This contest is a test of the front neck muscles. These, like the' abdominal muscles, are poorly developed in most boys. By taking hold of the average boy's shoulders it will be found that by placing only the first three fingers on his forehead, his head can easily be pushed back. The muscles of the back, the back of the neck, and the biceps are far better developed than their opposites. Boy No. 2 jumps on the back and locks his legs around the body of boy No. 1. Boy No. 1 holds the legs of boy No. 2. Boy No. 2 uses his n Horse horse (boy No. 1) and his arms to dismount ^^^^* another boy similarly equipped. Any number of horses and riders may engage in this contest. This is 154 HEALTH BY STUNTS an excellent ^^ rough" sporty and will furnish plenty of excitement for the contestants. Two boys grasp with both hands a stick held between them, and at a given signal each attempts to twist 12. stick or pull the stick away from his opponent. Wrestle rpj^^ contest is not won until one or the other gains complete possession of the stick. It is possible to work up considerable fight in this contest, for any means at all may be taken to shake off an opponent and force him to let go the stick. Some mention should be made of this great old-time contest. It has always been popular and has been 13. Tug of present at every gathering until the last few ^" years. At many rural and small-town gather- ings it still plays as important a part as pie eating, slippery pole, and greased pig. Ten on each half of a heavy rope is a team. The side wins which first pulls past the six-foot mark the handkerchief tied at the center of the rope. CHAPTER VII THE DECATHLON CONTEST Most of the physical activities dealt with in the pre- ceding chapters are meant to include practically all the boys in a school system. At least the idea has been to introduce activities of such a nature or in such numbers as to give the largest possible number of boys something in which they can become vitally interested. Because there is a certain varying proportion of boys who can never find complete expression for their inherent ability in the wider class and school individual competition, there has been devised in the Compe- Physical Education Department of Detroit a method of competition that will select the best -all-round athletes in the city and bring them together in a meet to determine individual supremacy. A great deal of care and thought have been expended in working out the Decathlon Card by means of which all scoring for the contest is done. The card is repro- duced at the end of this chapter. The Decathlon Contest is in part a revival of the old Greek idea. Although the events differ ^ there is 155 \, s^- t ii 156 THE DECATHLON CONTEST 157 an adherence to the spirit of the days when valor and physical perfection were looked upon as the first essentials to a healthy mind and spiritual Decathlon greatness. The gold Decathlon medal is Medals meant to be to the public school boy what the laurel wreath was to the Grecian hero, and the same ideals of fair play and sportsmanship are meant to prevail. The boys of Detroit do feel that this medal is the high- est possible award for which they may strive. It takes the place with them of the high school or college "letter." The winning of it is, in fact, more signifi- cant than the university letter, from a physical stand- point, for it means that the boys' prowess extends in a score of different directions instead of one only. The rules of the contest call for participation in any ten of fourteen athletic events by those boys fortunate enough to qualify in their preliminary tests. The medal is given on the basis of the number of points won in these ten events, the points to be figured as shown on the Decathlon Card. In Detroit the contest is held twice a year, at the close of the first term and again in June. Early in the season cards are distributed among the captains at their regular monthly meetings. An announcement of the coming event is given out a month in advance of the date set. Placards are also distributed in the schools advertising the place and the date of the try-outs. 158 HEALTH BY STUNTS This preliminary test is held usually in the gymnasium of the most centrally located high school. The rules Prelimi- 0^ the contest are such as to assure the Depart- nary Tests nient that only the very pick of the boys in the city come into the finals. The events required are of a nature to make it certain that a boy possessed of only one or two favorable attributes^ even if these be com- bined with luck, cannot win enough points for a medal. Only eighth-grade boys may enter. Each contestant must have a certificate showing that he has no organic weakness. On the day set for the preliminaries, the whole physi- cal education force, together with as many good assist- ants as they can press into service, take possession of the gymnasium and arrange the necessary apparatus so that the contestants may be handled as rapidly and with as little confusion as possible. Entering the room ready for the test, each boy is first required to give his name, school, grade, and age, at a table near the door. He is then presented with a Decathlon Card on which this information appears. Next he finds the chinning bar awaiting him, with a man in charge to see that the pull-up and let-down . are properly done. The usual hold taken 1. Chinning ^ ^ ^ is with the palms in toward the body. The chin must clear the bar on each pull-up, and no swing or snap is allowed. Going down, the arms must be THE DECATHLON CONTEST 159 completely uncrooked. Should the contestant fail to chin six times, he is immediately barred from further competition in the meet. In order to qualify for a silver medal, he must chin seven times, — for a gold medal, eight times. No matter how high his average in the remaining events may be, each boy must receive the required number of points in each of the first three events here described, in order to be in line for the gold, silver, or bronze medal (see lower left-hand corner of front of the Decathlon Card). Following the test in chinning, the boy next finds himself at the place set aside for the ^^sit up." This test calls for a demonstration of the strength 2. The Sit of the abdominal and lower trunk muscles. ^^ The contestant sits on a board two or three inches from the floor, with his feet securely held either by another boy or by placing them under straps arranged for the purpose. A rowing machine is an excellent place for taking this test. Another board, an equal distance from the floor, is placed behind the first one, and within a foot or two of it, so that the boy, bending backward with his hands locked behind his neck, may touch it with his head before returning to an erect position. His back must be kept arched so that no part of it touches the board or the floor. The number of times the trip down and up again is made determines the points in this event. The minimum in order to 160 HEALTH BY STUNTS qualify for continuance in the contest is sixteen. To qualify for the silver medal the number is eighteen, for the gold; twenty. While the contestant is resting from these two exer- tionS; his grip, lung capacity, height, and weight are tested. Should his average grip be below sixty 3. Grip and Lung pounds, he fails to go further in the try-out. ^ " ^ Seventy pounds qualifies for the silver medal and eighty pounds for the gold. The lung capacity must be at least two and six tenths times his height in inches ; two and eight-tenths is required for the silver, and three times for the gold. The ^^ floor dip" is the third athletic event of the ten which must be taken as a preliminary test. This 4. The is done by lying face down on the floor, placing Floor Dip ^Yie hands just as close as possible to the shoulders on the floor, and keeping the body perfectly rigid, pushing straight up at arm's length, so that the body is resting on the hands and toes only. The number of times this push up can be done determines the points made. Instead of returning to a resting position on the floor each time, the body is let down only far enough to allow the chest to strike a small desk bell which has been placed in the proper position. No sagging or humping the body is permitted. Ten times qualifies for the bronze medal and the finals, twelve times for the silver, and fourteen for the gold. THE DECATHLON CONTEST 161 Making the rounds of the gymnasium^ the contest- ant comes next to a table presided over by the Physical Education Department member best able to 5 p^e- draw from the boy his ability and experi- p^redness ences in the way of what we call ^'Preparedness.'^ (See back of card under that heading.) He is encour- aged to tell all he has ever done in the way of camp- ing, hunting, scouting, hiking, military training, wrest- ling, boxing, boating, resuscitation, first aid, breaking holds, and keeping up his personal cleanliness. He is marked accordingly. No requirement is made in this department, but there is an attempt to make the boy feel that anything he may have done is noted and approved. At the same table he is asked to present a report from his principal or teacher on scholarship, scholastic effort, conduct, attendance, and punctuality, g schoiar- The fact is also noted if he has acted as a cap- ^^^^ tain or leader. By this time he has had sufficient breathing space to be able to demonstrate what he knows of the '^ stunts" taught during the term. Ten of those listed 7 x^e on the reverse of the card must be done per- ^*""* '^^^^ fectly in order to qualify him for the finals. Fifteen are necessary to give him a chance at the silver medal, and twenty for the gold. Any boy must be well muscled, supple, and have a well-developed sense of 162 HEALTH BY STUNTS balance in order to do any fifteen or twenty of these stunts. It is safe to say that when a boy passes all these pre- liminary tests in one afternoon, he realizes that he has earned the right to finish the competition. Once safely through the try-outs, he may rest in peace until the following week, when the final seven athletic events are staged either in some large gymnasium or out on an open field, depending on the time of year. The first three listed on the card are already disposed of, and out of the remaining eleven the contestant may 8. Final choose any seven. Enough officials are Contest pressed into service so that there is at least one in charge of each event during the day of the meet. The competitors are allowed to choose the time and sequence of their trials, and every effort is made to give everyone a fair chance to do his very best. More than one trial at an event is allowed, pro- viding enough time is taken between trials to assure no over-exertion. It has always been the experience of the Department in Detroit that the finest sort of spirit prevails among Th S • "t ^^^ contestants. The boys usually have come of the Con- to know each other through athletics during the year, and invariably they are all pulling for each other. ^^ Come on, Pete, make her one better'' is a form of speech constantly overheard during the THE DECATHLON CONTEST 163 day. No bitterness of rivalry seems possible under the method of conducting the meet. Each boy is timed and measured separately, and there is every inducement to make him do the best that is in him. The relative value in points of the different marks made in the event has been worked over constantly, until it would appear that we have arrived at The Point a very fair conclusion. There are, of course, "^^^^^ possible changes that could be made, but the advantage of making them is not at present apparent. In judg- ing the point table as reproduced on the card, it must be borne in mind that to a man especially proficient in some one or two of the events, the points awarded for certain performances in them will seem too large in comparison with those given for other events in which he is not so proficient. For example, a good high jumper will say at a glance that to give 860 points for a jump of four feet and to give only that same num- ber for a shot put record of thirty feet is unreasonable. Taken as a whole, however, it seems likely that a fair relative value has been hit upon. The main feature of the point table is that it furnishes an incentive to bring oneself to an average of ability in each of the ten events rather than to over-exert in any one or two. It will be noticed that this effect is achieved by making the increase in points from ten 164 HEALTH BY STUNTS to one thousand non-uniform. The table has its greatest increase at about the average performance in each event. Above this average the increase is \ respectively decreased and as it approaches the pro- fessional it is very small. On the other hand, the poor jumper is encouraged to become average by having his points increase per each advance in performance as he approaches this standard. For example, in chinning, — for an increase from six times to seven times, one hundred points are made (from 460 to 560), but from fourteen times to sixteen times, only ten points are given (from 930 to 940). This means that the greatest award comes from an effort to bring up to average an event in which one is weak. Very small reward is given for keeping on beyond this point. This table as used in group competition prevents a few special athletes from raising the average of the group very materially in making their school win. It means that 20 average performers will make a higher average than 10 at the top and 10 at the bottom of the scale. Another feature of this table is that it is applicable to any boy or man, regardless of his ability or previous records in one or more events. There is scarcely a boy who would fail to make a few points and there is hardly an athlete living who could win a thousand points in each event. THE DECATHLON CONTEST 165 In Detroit this Decathlon Contest has brought to light some remarkable athletes. Every year the boy who wins the highest total is bound to ^^ *^ ° Uncovering be, and is, wonderfully well developed. It is Natural safe to say that this method of selection ® ®^ points out the very best all-round grammar-school boy in the city. We have found that in all-round ability, the boy who won in the spring of 1917 was superior to the best athletes the high schools could produce, tested on the same basis. He won over 9500 points in the ten events. Few men can be found who can equal this record. Each year just such a record is made by at least one boy, and the number of boys that get above, the gold medal average is increasing with each try. 166 HEALTH BY STUNTS til! \ i 1 2 iJll H © siii 1 <§ll «>o ^rvi'O^io'oNCOasO o'O'O'otoiOHiTj. tsss SS«S?R^S i 5 ki l: 5;^ ^^^.0 < c Ill ^^ t in t >o • r- « as o - CM (VIM ni oj !\j lO <0 10 (Oji^tt WCUMtMWtMcv OXTJ J lii b 3 or ■4. luit 1^ Si 5 S -tf^"0«3ka oS:;^ III 1^ !::t^«t;?«2NS^Sti o)Sr;s;'2t'2? IO(O^00 o-wio5- -Ko© 1^ IS 1 IllfeSiS Ujkkj *.cMio*'o9:;a ^•^l»l'^«0«^-<0 -ajNiv -fviini'«o«)N '-cuirj 1 THE DECATHLON CONTEST 167 ill S£§ o tn o o> O O o o eo r- (o lo 0> O 0) 0) O O O 0) o o o (O 0) eo (Mlo^^^o-,aJ|fi^^l. O (O 0) o «o cu cvj cvj ru p ')•;''« t^>ta (o-*g IO•^M <1-^ O 0) <0 »00)0) , o O o O O O o fvj vo -< t^ -, cu ~< cu -, -. ~ •o T}« (0 '^i cu lO 'J^ N O O to 'i- OJ (0 , cu 'J- -, to ^ K' o o o -^ ~ cvl c^ •0 10 10 »o »o to "^ cu •n O 0) o *^ CU OJ cu ~i ~. -» -, (0 to (0 "0 (0 1- 10 00 S (0 "0 1- to cu »< ^ OO ^ N 0) (0 10 to -N O O =0 <*• 0) oO "♦- oo <0 ffl CO 10 If) 0) T}. 10 •-. ftl 10 V 1}- CVl IT) > CUOOO NtOlO^IOcU <0<0^cvJ OaDcom^hiOcu •"I •-« 'l <> »^ t- <0 <0 > 10 cu •«, Po^SOoooooo $ K i< ^■^55 3 5.5 tig Ml ^^;i' '.«§ 168 HEALTH BY STUNTS Sample Record of Decathlon Contest DETROIT PUBLIC SCHOOLS Department of Physical Education January 1917 Decathlon Indoor Meet Marked by Standard Test Card Table Bulletin No. Date Joe 7 OVER 22 21 18 TOTAL CORSO 9000 GOLD SILVER BRONZE AVER. Age 15-11 15-9 15-8 15-2 15-2 15-6 Weight 120 132 132 119 112 121 Height 67.5 66.7 65.7 64.7 63.25 64.8 Scholarship 8 8 8 7 7 7.3 Scholastic Effort 10 9 9 8.1 8 8.4 Conduct 10 9 9 8 8 8.3 Attendance 10 9 9 9 8 8.6 Punctuahty 10 9 . 9 9 9 9 Posture 95 99.2 98 97 97 97.6 Lung Capacity 200 223 222 194 175 198.5 9th Rib Expansion 2 3.5 3.3 3.2 2.92 3.15 Grip — right 100 114 103 84 83 91 Grip — left 90 95 88 77 75 81.4 Arm — right 1.5 1.75 1.95 1.5 1.3 1.6 Arm — left 1.5 1.25 1.4 1.25 1.1 1.26 100 Yard Dash 12 11-3 12 12-3 13-1 12-3 Standing Broad Jump 8-8 8-4 7-7 7-5 7-1 7-5 Running Broad Jump 15-9i 15 14-11 13-2 12-4 13-6 Running High Jump 4-5 4-3.3 4-2 3-11 3-10 3-11.8 Standing Hop, Step, Jump 23-5 22-9 21 20-2 18-10 20-i Running Hop, Step, Jump 31 31-5 29-6 27 24-11 27-3 Shot Put 38-5 35-6 32 27 25-5 28-1 Overhead Shot 36-9 35-3 31 27-1 25-5 27-9 Floor Dip 34 28 25 20 20 20.8 Chinning 12 12 10.8 8.8 9 9.6 Sit Up 38 28.9 30 25 23 26.2 The preceding chart contains the records of Joe Corso, Decathlon Cham- pion ; the average of the seven boys who passed over 9000 ; the averages of the twenty-two boys who passed the gold "Standard Test" (over 8600) ; the averages of the twenty-one boys who passed the silver "Standard Test" (between 7300 and 8600) ; the averages of the eighteen boys who passed the bronze "Standard Test" (between 6500 and 7300) ; and the averages of the total number, sixty-one. THE DECATHLON CONTEST 169 What these boys did, many others can do. These are boys of good physique who got out and tried. More than that, they are the boys who have practiced stunts and athletic events and have got themselves ready for the test. We shall hold another Decathlon Meet in June. At this time we hope to have, and should have, representatives from every school in the city, The Decathlon medal and the Decathlon diploma are the highest athletic awards given to any boy by the Detroit Public Schools. They are to the Grammar school boy what the block " M " is to the Michigan athlete. They represent balanced physical efficiency ; they stand for scholarship, as the gold medal is given only to the.SA. Unlike an ordinary competitive medal, they stand for a definite record, a certain standard, and not for fir^t place in a contest, regardless of whether the competition be good or poor. CHAPTER VIII THE MAJOR SPORTS OF THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 6000 CONTESTANTS IN ONE FIELD MEET Just as in the universities certain sports, such as football; basket ball, and track meets, are best adapted to the conditions, so in the. elementary schools it should be possible to find some one or two games that by virtue of their popularity and adaptability can be made to answer the same purpose as the major sports of the college. As a rule there is far too slight a bond between the grade school and the average boy. When school is merely a place where law and parental pressure force a given amount of attendance, . and the school itself holds nothing in the nature of a bid for strong and loyal allegiance, numbers drop out at the earliest possible moment. Play is inherently so strong a factor in every child's existence that an appeal to instinct, made through the School channels of play in connection with studying Teams Qp ^j^y other ^'necessary evil'' cannot but meet with response, and in so doing will strengthen the interest in the work. 170 I Back Toss (p. 133) Front Toss (p. 132) Arm Roll (p. 128) Flying Somersault (p. 137) 171 172 HEALTH BY STUNTS Although the ordinary child may find many forms of individual or small group play to interest him dur- ing vacation time^ it is organized play, group competi- tion, and team work that the normal boy of nine years or older craves. If the school can furnish him that, it is doing a tremendous amount toward holding his interest in all its activities. So, in addition to the various athletic events, stunts, and contests advocated and fully described in previous chapters, it is most essential that each school be rep- resented by a team which will compete for the honor of that school against other picked teams. A great deal is being said and written at the present time against competitive team play as it now exists . in most of our colleges and high schools. The ization in weakling, the one who needs it most, we keep out entirely, the middle or average we do little with, but we do specialize on the specialists. However, to attack and attempt to destroy the custom of conducting inter-school competitive games seems to be going a step too far. It must not be forgotten that we live in an age of specialization, and to be consist- ent, we may not attempt to destroy the tendency toward specialization in athletics. . It is true that we must do more than has previously been done, physi- cally and for health, for the ^'80 per cent'^ that have been neglected athletically, but there is too much of MAJOR SPORTS OF THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 173 value in maintaining teams that represent the best in the school to destroy the custom completely. These teams should be an outgrowth of inter-class teams which are competing within the school. This inter-school system should be the basis for develop- ing intra-school teams. Baseball is of course the game of most appeal in the springtime. Besides feeling that they are emulat- ing the heroes of the big leagues, the boys^ Baseball instincts are probably better satisfied by this particular game by reason of the fact that in it so many of the elemental and primitive motions are kept alive. Throwing^ striking, and running are all natural accomplishments brought down to us from our savage ancestors. Psychology advises that the craving for these elemental things be satisfied. The lack of places to play games such as baseball is a difficulty not easily met, but boys with the average school spirit will travel long distances to meet other schools in competition. In Detroit baseball is the game adopted as the major spring sport. After four seasons of trial, the Physical Education Department in Detroit believes that it has found a game for fall competition that far surpasses all others both in popularity, after it is once learned, and in adaptability to conditions. Soccer football, when introduced in 1914, was practically 174 HEALTH BY STUNTS unheard of among the boys in that city. Before the season was over they had almost unanimously adopted it as a major sport, and the contests that have resulted since have constantly increased in enthusiasm and high spirit. It has proved to be an unqualified success. The great advantages of the game over any other of its kind lie in the fact that it requires little coaching, that any number can play it, that it can be played on a space of any size, and on ground of almost any degree of roughness. The Detroit Public Schools began soccer football during the fall of 1914. A few schools had played it the year before, but the game was practically unknown to the boys, teachers, and principals. The methods and the results of the first season follow. With only a limited amount of money at its dis- posal for athletics, the Physical Education Depart- ment was forced to depend on the awakening of suffi- cient interest on the part of the individual schools to impel the buying of soccer balls out of their separate funds. Members of the Department visited all schools and by means of "pep" talks and individual instruc- tion in the rudiments of the g^me aroused the necessary enthusiasm. In November, 1914, seventy-six schools started the series to determine, by the Round Robin system, the champion of each league. In the majority of cases MAJOR SPORTS OF THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 175 the leagues were arranged to include eight schools. There were two hundred fifty-four games scheduled. Two hundred twenty-one were played ; thirty-two were forfeited or not reported. The league champions met at the close of the schedule to fight out under the Bagnall-Wyle system the cham- pionship of the city. Each year since more teams have been added to the list; more interest has been shown^ and a higher grade of soccer has been demonstrated. In order to leave the members of the Physical Edu- cation Department free for other duties^ steps were taken to secure outside officials in all cases. The City Soccer Association furnished a list of men who were willing to help with the games free of charge. Each captain was given his list for reference. After a year or more of play, referees may be picked from boys who have graduated. It has always been the policy in Detroit to designate in the schedule the week during which each game is to be played, and to leave the actual arranging of time, place, and referees to the captains of the teams, thfe object being to teach the captains management and to develop a sense of real responsibility in them. This policy was in the nature of an experiment. The alternative is, of course, to name the day and hour, the place, and the referee in the original schedule. 176 HEALTH BY STUNTS The latter plan has been most successful for Soccer Schedule, 1918. In other cities the policy would have to be selected which would best fit the individual case. The games are reported on post cards addressed to the Physical Education Department and mailed in immediately after the game by both captains. Dis- crepancies in results found on these cards are investi- gated and adjustments made. As a final wind-up of the athletic seasons the Physical Education Department in Detroit stages a track meet ^^ ^ , at the close of the winter term and a huge The Track ° and Field track and field meet at the close of the spring ®® ^ term. These meets constitute the third and final "major sport" used to develop special interest in athletics. The winter indoor meet allows teams from all the schools of a league to meet in the nearest high school gymnasium to determine the league cham- indoor pionships in the various weight classes. ®® Each school may enter one boy in each event in the two sixth-grade weight classes (over 90 pounds and 90 pounds or under) and in the four weight classes of the upper grades (over 115 pounds, 101 to 115, 86 to 100, and 85 pounds or under). A minimum of events is used in these meets for obvious reasons. Those usually chosen are : Thirty MAJOR SPORTS OF THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 177 Yard Dash, High Jump, Soccer Dribble (see Chapter IV, page 59), Relay, and Shot Put. The winners in all weight classes are given badges entitling them to enter the final meet for the champion- ship of the city, which is held a few days later. The spring meet in Detroit is an affair of such huge proportions as to warrant mentioning some of its details. Over 6000 contestants have to be The Out- handled during the day of the meet. A brief ^°°^ ^®®* description of some of the most salient features follows : Four plots of level, grassy ground each 120 yards long and 80 yards wide are laid out. These spaces are roped in and only contestants and officials are allowed on the inside. The morning is devoted to running off the prelimi- naries in each league, while the afternoon is taken up with the finals between league winners. All schools are notified in advance that tents may be rented for the occasion. As many as are able to get the necessary money together have tents set up for dressing rooms and general headquarters. One of the main features of the meet, designed to save the hopeless confusion likely to arise from the scattering of the boys of a given school dur- ing the day, is the use of the huge official Official clock in connection with the specific state- ^^ ment of time in the program of which each boy has 178 HEALTH BY STUNTS a copy. This clock is a simple affair of wood with painted figures and movable hands, set high enough above the heads of the contestants to be visible to all. A man is kept in constant charge to move the hands as directed by the chief clerk. For example : The first event of the day starts at 10 : 00 a.m. according to the program. Should a delay in starting be absolutely unavoidable and all events ready to start at 10 : 13, the official clock can still be made to read 10 : 00 a.m. and from then on it can be advanced regularly each minute. If, during the course of the day, any time can be gained by the speeding up of events, the clock can be manipulated to bring it again into harmony with the actual time. The point is that the contestants fully understand that the time of an event as listed on the program means that that event will start when the official clock designates that particular minute. This is another feature. The program has every contestant's name. Each contestant enters but one „, event. He locates his name and the exact The Official time at which he will compete in the following rogram manner. Each boy locates his league and school ; his weight class and event ; and last his name ; which gives the exact time that he will compete ac- cording to the program and official clock. A sample page of the official program is shown on page 180. MUOR SPORTS OF THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 179 These are put up eight feet from the ground so they can be seen from all parts of the field. On these signs are printed starts and finishes of races ; sign starts of other events and other necessary in- Boards formation. In this way each contestant can easily locate his event on the field. Each contestant wears on his shirt a felt cloth insignia which indicates his league, his place at the start of the event, and his weight class. In , . . ^ ° Insignia this way any starter can tell at a glance for whether or not the boy has his correct place, ^® ^°^* clasS; and event. Each winner in the preliminary is given a ribbon with finals printed on it. This with the original preliminary insignia makes it possible for the . . starter to know the place, class, and event of for the contestant in the final. ^"^ ^ The winged head of Mercury is the insignia on all trophies for individual, class, league, and city champions. This idea is carried out on banners for league champions, bronze plaques for city champions, and gold, silver, and bronze buttons for individual champions. This is also true for girls' events. A picture of the Decathlon Button is shown on page 167 with Decathlon Card. The button for other events does not have the ten points on the outer edge. The girls' Pentathlon pin has five points. 180 HEALTH BY STUNTS Class C Hundred Yard Dash Color Blue Class D Color Yellow League I Time 11:08 A.M. Time 11:42 A.M. 1. Burton Steven Mock William Betke 2. Franklin Warren Schlegelmich Hamilton Miller 3. Houghton Roy McLean Earl Killick 4. Tappan Percy Riddler Alfred Seibold 5. Webster Peter Smith Ernest Brown 6. Wilkins Chnton Shook Will Mich League II Time 11: 10. A.M. Time 11: U A.M. 1. Barstow John Sohl Allan Moody 2. Berry Daniel Huff Fred Hamel 3. Bishop Edward Kitten Daniel Budintosky 4. Capron Charles Cohen Marvin Ressler 5. Duffield Cornellious Reyrt Thomas Laketch 6. Washington William Patterson Herman Avney League III Time 11: 12 A.M. Time 11:46 A.M. 1. Bellevue Ernest Seymore Loyal Waterworth 2. Field Stuart Spalding Adelbert Toepfer 3. Ives Edwin Johnston Edmund Cuthbertson 4. Montieth Raymond Mallony Stanley Brusmaster 5. Scripps Harry Watson JuHus Van Stulant 6. VanDyke Karl Wilmer Herbert Schultz League IV 1. Chandler 2. Hely 3. Marcy Time 11: 14 A.M. Alfred Clyma George Aronen Howard Gould 4. Marxhausen Herman Kersten 5. Rose Alex Schmartz 6. Stephens Ellwood Wirth Time 11: 48 A.M. Gus Zielke Francis Gerds John Auch Joseph Linicayi Alexander Mason David Davidow i Knee Drop (1) / ^ A ^4# m *" / ^ -^^as:s«*«r> - Head Stand (p. 106) Jump Stick (p. 106) 181 CHAPTER IX By Esther Sherman, in Charge of Girls' Athletics STUNTS ADAPTED FOR GIRLS There has grown up in our modern civilization, especially in this country, a false notion of the capacity of women for physical development. It has been assumed, not only by the majority of the general public, but by many medical men as well, that physical training for girls must be confined to calisthenics, carefully planned out gymnastic movements, and gymnastic dancing. All of the more vigorous forms of play and exercise have been looked upon with more or less disapproval. In view of this rather widespread opinion, especially among the parents of girls in the public schools, we General ^^^^ ^^^^ ^^ would be a mistake to outline a Public plan of girls' stunts and the more strenuous pinion athletic activities without covering briefly the main points for and against such a plan. It has been introduced in the public schools of Detroit so recently that the results — the general effect on the girls — cannot yet be estimated with any degree of assurance. Naturally the Physical Education Depart- ment would not have adopted the plan now in us^ 182 i STUNTS ADAPTED FOR GIRLS 183 had it not been reasonably certain of avoiding all harmful effects. It is to emphasize the considerations that led to its adoption, as well as to suggest the form that athletics for girls may safely take, that this chapter is added to a book intended essentially for boys. A careful study of the objections raised to vigorous activities for girls will show that they are based on two quite different assumptions, namely, (1) the unalterable physiological make-up of objections woman which, it is claimed, makes strenu- *° ^^^^' 11. 1.11-1 . Athletics ous athletics undesirable in that it interferes with her greatest function — child bearing ; (2) the delicacy of structure, general motor inferiority, rela- tive lack of strength, and frailty as compared with man make the attempting of athletics inadvisable if not impossible. In connection with this idea goes the fear that the rougher sports will destroy ''femininity." All the statistical evidence gathered in the last few decades seems to bear out this second point of the relative frailty of women, the difference being very marked between the strength strength of tests of boys and girls. The ratio of strength ^^^^ ^^^ varies in different tests from three to two to two to one, the ratio increasing with the age. That these statistics should actually be used in attempting to show that girls have not the capacity to engage in vig- orous :ictivities that boys possess, shows a deplorable 184 HEALTH BY STUNTS lack of reasoning power. These figures prove nothing at all regarding the capacity of women for physical en- deavor. All they show is that under our modern ways of living girls are only two thirds as capable physically as boys. In no way do they lead to the conclusion that girls have not the capacity for a more complete and more perfect development. As a matter of fact, these figures are just the ones that lead naturally to speculation as to why this condi- tion has come to pass, and whether, quite possibly, girls do not need the more energetic type of play and exercise above everything else. This is, indeed, exactly the interpretation that the Physical Education Department in Detroit and the authors of this book have put upon the statistics, — ■ i.e. that to the end that they shall be less frail and better able to meet the emergencies of life, there is a vital need of stimulating in girls the love of free and vigorous athletic activities. As for the physiological characteristics of women, which are unalterable and which are said to Causes of prohibit anything of a strenuous nature, the Woman's simple fact of the existence of these charac- Unfitness for teristics does not, when all the evidence is Strenuous considered, seem to lead to any such conclu- Exercise ^ ^ sion. If woman were fundamentally, through sex characteristics, unfitted for muscular exertion, it STUNTS ADAPTED FOR GIRLS 185 would have to be shown that in all periods of civiliza- tion she was thus unfitted. That is to say, it would not be sufficient proof to take as examples women liv- ing under a given set of conditions, and to say that it is their fundamental sex characteristics which make them unfit for strenuous exercise. We would have to show first that it was not the living conditions themselves that had brought about the unfitness. The two facts that point most strongly to the col- lapse of the physiological unfitness theory are, first, that there are plenty of historical evidences to show that, under proper environmental conditions, women may be equally as strong as men, i.e. may work, hunt, and fight as creditably as they. There is conclusive proof that in animals and in the lower races of men the motor or muscular superiority of the male is far less marked than in civilization. And, secondly, it can be all too easily demonstrated what inhibitory effects pres- ent civilized customs have upon physical development. In connection with the first point it is interesting to note that the women who hold the enviable reputa- tion of having the most grace and beauty of all the ages are among those showing the greatest physical energy and strength, namely, the old Greeks. Further, it is interesting to find that illustrations of muscular exertion, combined with health and strength, are not confined to the ancients. The modern Japanese 186 HEALTH BY STUNTS woman is a type of wonderful physique and form of body, together with a normal functioning of all organs, as a result of, or at least significantly coupled with, exercise of the most vigorous kind. At the present time unnumbered books are being turned out which deal in the most thorough manner Artificial with the defects of modern customs of dress Living and the average artificial and unhealthy conditions of growth among girls. These will not be dwelt on here. Suffice it to say that if, as we have pointed out in Chapter II, the swift progress of events in the last few years has left the American boy without the incentive to, or means of, adequate physical expression, it has served equally to accentuate the supremely false notion of the harm of physical exertion for girls. It is quite conceivable that girls brought up under our usual customs should be unable to take part in energetic sports. In fact, the authors can call to mind any number of girls of the ^^ protected," ^^ hot-house" variety, who would faint at the mere suggestion of playing a hard game, and others who would become so excited and unstrung in the playing of a simple compet- itive game that considerable harm might result. It is from such cases as these that parents and medical men have reasoned that "girls are not built for athletics." It is regrettably true that generations of bad dress- STUNTS ADAPTED FOR GIRLS 187 ing and pampering have resulted in a physical handi- capping of the race that it will take years of careful training to overcome. It is admittedly unwise to select girls who have passed into the adolescent period and start them in with highly strenuous activities. Although the adaptability of the human mechanism is a wonderful thing, and the degenerating influence of soft living might be overcome without damage to it, still the safer way would be to build up more slowly than could be done by means of the rougher sports. The plan adopted in Detroit takes cognizance of the factor of age-long false thinking and evil customs. Corrective work, mild games, gymnastic Meeting dancing, and joyful movements of the most the approved character still form the main pro- gram of physical training for school children. But in addition it is recognized, as it is bound to be uni- versally recognized in the near future, that the younger generation of girls must gradually be weaned away from the idea of constitutional frailty, and that it can best be done by introducing stunts, games, and athletic activities of such a character as to bring out all the best of the girls' physical nature. There is here no question of attempting competition with boys, and as far as possible it is probably best to avoid using games which have always been peculiar to men. 188 HEALTH BY STUNTS All danger of an attempted emulation of mannish attitudes and mannerisms is thus to be avoided easily, and experience with competition purely between girls in girls' games will show that, far from a loss of ^^femi- ninity/' there will be an added charm gained from a sense of confidence and a better control and coordina- tion of muscles. From all recent statistics it will be found that the normal rate of growth of girls differs quite markedly from that of boys. From the age of nine or ten on, for a period of from three to four years, the normal growth of girls is very rapid and marked. During this period they are ahead of boys in both height and weight. This is their period of greatest growth, and after this time their growth falls off sharply, while that of boys begins to show its greatest increase. It is also a matter of record that the average modern girl has her greatest points of weakness in the respira- tory muscles of the chest, the flexors of the arm, the pronators and supinators of the forearm, and the muscles of the back. If at some period during the greatest natural devel- opment of the girl, before the inhibitory processes begin to show themselves, these weak points could be strengthened and the normal growth supplemented and guided, she would have gained an advantage which it would be difficult to overestimate. It is during this STUNTS ADAPTED FOR GIRLS 189 period, before artificial conditions have had a chance to leave their mark, that athletics can best be in- troduced. Just as with boys we believe that the most important thing in their physical education is to develop in them the impulse that through life will lead them jjeyeiopine to keep up sufficient physical activity to a Valuable insure the proper functioning of their whole ^ organism, so with girls we must place the development of that impulse on an equally high plane. We believe that we are safe in saying that strenuous, joy-giving sports and games are better qualified to develop such an impulse and give expression to it than any other activity on record. In summary, we point out that vigorous play taught to girls during their period of physical supremacy leads to a confidence in self, a control and coordination of muscle, and a general energizing of the whole sys- tem that can be developed in no other way quite so well. It alone can develop and store up in the girl a reserve strength which will stand her in good stead through the emergencies of her life. Self-preserva- tion may depend on her ability to run, jump, vault, climb, and swim, and the learning of these things will of necessity develop a strong, vigorous heart which is ever the foundation of courage and exultation. The method used so successfully with the boys, -:- 190 HEALTH BY STUNTS that of introducing and teaching the selected activities Captains' ^y means of the captain and squad system, — Meetings ^^g adopted for the Detroit girls also. The leaders are chosen and sent to regular meetings and then given the responsibility of carrying out the pro- gram just as the boys are. There was some doubt about finding in girls of this age the quality of leader- ship, and the results were therefore all the more en- couraging; for they showed that they could rise to the occasion equally as well as the boys. The development of leadership , initiative, and self- confidence in the girls who are to have the tremendously increased responsibilities that women must carry in another generation is surely of vast importance. If they can be encouraged to think, judge, and act on their own responsibility, they gain an asset that should prove of great future value. In Detroit the girl leaders are surprisingly reliable and efficient, and with the support of the teacher and the Physical Education Department, are getting most satisfactory results. In attempting to introduce an athletic program for girls in Detroit, it must be kept in mind that the plan Program ^^ entirely in the nature of an experiment. in ^ The type of activities to be used was chosen arbitrarily and is in the process of being thoroughly tried out this year. Changes undoubtedly will be made, but on the whole the results gained up STUNTS ADAPTED FOR GIRLS 191 to this time seem to indicate that a fortunate choice was made at the outset. Thirty schools were included in the program at the beginning and these were almost ' immediately increased to fifty-six because of the popu- larity and demand for the work. In the case of stunts, certain ones used by the boys were chosen. Naturally those were selected which were best adapted to the conditions under which the girls have to work. Also, in determining the all-round test of efficiency, use was made of the pentathlon, modeled upon the decathlon, which has been used with such good results for boys. In place of baseball and soccer, we have a game tourna- ment for girls which will be described in detail. The idea of having a monthly athletic event, as in the boys' work, is also closely followed. We shall describe as briefly as possible each one of the branches of the athletic activities for girls, which include : — 1. Monthly athletic events. 2. A game tournament. 3. The stunt test. 4. The Pentathlon. Athletic Events Up to January, 1919, the athletic events in which the girls were tested were : — 192 HEALTH BY STUNTS Sept. — Standing Broad Jump. Oct. — Game Tournament substituted for athletic events during this month. Nov. — Fifty Yard Dash. Dec. — Baseball and Basket Ball Throws for Dis- tance. Jan. — Deep Knee Bending (endurance event) and Dash and Throw. Game Tournament The Game Tournament was worked up during the month of October and run off by elimination during November. At this time forty-eight schools had organized work. Each one entered a team and played according to schedule. To the Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth grades, city championship banners were offered, and also three banners for League championship. In each of the contests in the tournament the four follow- ing events were used and scored as below : — Zig Zag Ball Six Points Post Ball Eight Points ^ Combination Pass Ball Ten Points 11 Stunt Speed Series Fifteen Points The rules and regulations governing these contests were sent out to the girls who had charge of the work in each school and are reprinted on pages 193 to 200 1 STUNTS ADAPTED FOR GIRLS 193 The instructions given out, and explained at the Captains' meetings, were the following : Rules and Regulations 1. This tournament is open to girls in the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. 2. One girl may enter three events but not four. 3. No girl who is a member of a Corrective Gymnastic Class is eligible to play unless she be given permission by the Director of Correctives. 4. Any school failing to play at the scheduled time and place shall forfeit the game to its opponent. 5. There will be a special gymnasium teacher in charge of each school contest. She is to be responsible for the successful running off of the contest. She will appoint judges and assign their duties. 6. There shall be four judges, not including the teacher in charge. In each event the judges shall be assigned as follows : — one referee, two judges of fouls, and one timer. 7. The referee shall act as starter and as judge at the finish. She shall decide which team is the winner. 8. There shall be one judge of fouls for each team. These judges shall consult the special teacher in charge as to all possible fouls before the event is played off. 9. The timer shall be responsible for recording the time for the event. 194 HEALTH BY STUNTS 10. It shall be the duty of the special teacher to record and send in to the Department of Physical Education the complete report of the school contest. 11. In any one event, three fouls against one team shall cause that team to lose the event, regardless of the fact that it may have made faster time than its opponent; providing the opposing team shall have made less than three fouls. However, in case each team should make three fouls or more, the event shall be \ played over. 12. All contestants are strongly advised to wear bloomers and rubber-soled shoes. In Zigzag Ball each team shall consist of twelve 1. Zigzag members. The arrangement of the team must be as indicated in the following figure. Zigzag Ball BaU X -c Q. CO X ^ 8 ft. apart x STUNTS ADAPTED FOR GIRLS 195 Each player shall stand on a white chalk mark large enough to be easily visible. The first player, standing on the starting line, throws the ball diagonally across to the next player. The ball then travels down the line in a zig- p^i^ts of zag direction until it reaches the last player, ^^^^ standing on a line 33 feet away from the starting line. The two lines face each other and are 8 feet apart. If any player fails to catch the ball thrown her, she must get the ball, return to her place, and then make her throw. When the ball reaches the end of the line the last player immediately returns it to the one from whom she received it, and it goes back down the line to the starter, who holds it high in the air to show the judge that her, team has finished. The following are defined as fouls: starting the ball before the whistle blows; throwing the ball from any position except the assigned spot on the floor. It does not constitute a foul to step off the mark in any direction in order to catch the ball, but the player must be sure to step back on the mark before she throws. Each team in Post Ball shall consist of ten mem- bers, standing in single line formation. The distance between the teams is ten feet. The lanes in which the girls stand are ten feet long and two feet wide. For position of post, see diagram on page 196. 196 HEALTH BY STUNTS 2 ft. 10ft. 2 ft. 5 ft. w w — 1_ s- .— o CJ o o When the whistle blows, the first player on each team runs around the post without touching it, and back to the end of the opposing team. She throws the ball diagonally across to the second STUNTS ADAPTED FOR GIRLS 197 player on her own team, who has moved up to the starting hne. The second girl then repeats the performance of the first. If the ball is ^Z^' '^ not caught; and rolls over the starting line, the player missing the ball must get it and return to the starting line before running around the post. The race is run as a relay race, and that team wins which is quickest in getting all its players around the post and in the places of the opposing team, without ^ making three fouls. All girls except the runner must stand with both feet within the lanes, hut the runner need not get inside the lane before throwing the ball up to the next player. The runner must be at the end of the lane and must not when she throws the ball step over a line, which shall be a continuation of the inside line for the lane. If she fails to observe these regulations it shall consti- tute a foul. A girl shall not be considered a runner until the ball has left the hands of the team mate who is throwing it to her. It is permissible to step out of the lane in any direc- tion in order to catch a poor throw, and if the ball is fairly caught it is not necessary to get inside the lane again. The rules for fouls may be stated as follows : start- ing the race before the whistle blows ; running into 198 HEALTH BY STUNTS or interfering with an opponent ; touching the post (or chair) ; throwing the ball before reaching the end of the opponent's team ; failing to return to the starting line before circling the post, — in case the ball has been missed. Each team in Combination Pass Ball shall consist of twelve members, standing in single line formation. 3 Combi- ^^^^ ^^^^ player shall stand on the starting nation Pass line. Ten feet in front of this Hne another line shall be drawn. The third or finish line shall be drawn forty-five feet in front of the second line, that is, fifty-five feet from the starting line. The positions of the players change as follows : — Combination Pass Ball I II III IV V I — — t i 1 -^ ^ ! ■ Start I ^ I (Arrows represent direction in which players must all be facing when playing the ball.) The leader holds the ball in front of her, below shoulder height, until the starter's whistle blows. 1. She then passes it over her head to the next girl, and it continues down the line over each girl's head. The arms should be kept r STUNTS ADAPTED FOR GIRLS 199 high above the head, and the ball should not be brought fi down below the overhead level. I After each player has passed the ball^ she gets into the next position by facing to the right. (With the whole line in this position the spacing should be such ' that the players stand shoulder to shoulder.) I 2. When the last player at the end of the line receives : the ball she herself must get into position and then pass ' it to the player at her left side. ) 3. When the ball reaches the leader she faces about ) (turning toward the front) and sends the ball down the left side. 4. The last player faces to the left and passes the ball over her head to the girl behind her^ who passes it between her knees to the next girl. The ball is passed first ^^over'' and then ^^ under" down the line. 5. When the ball reaches the head of the line the first player must turn completely around to face the front and throw the ball/so that it ^^ skims" the floor, straight down through the lane made by the girls' h stride positions. Each player should see that she is I directly behind the girl in front of her and that her ^ feet are far apart. The ball should not be stopped unless it is going t'l out of line, in which case it should be stopped entirely land then sent along. If the ball is moving too slowly, liit should be given an extra push. 200 HEALTH BY STUNTS ^ 6. When the end girl receives the ball, she must run with it past her team to the finish line. The following are noted as fouls : starting before the whistle blows ; failure of any girl to touch the ball as it is passed ; failure to return to proper place before passing the ball, in case it has been missed ; stepping over the line, drawn ten feet in front of the starting line. The Stunt Speed Series team shall consist of five members, standing in single line formation. The first 4. Stunt player shall stand on a plainly visible start- Speed jj^g }jj^g^ Apparatus consisting of a stick, oeries chair, and a mat are necessary. When the whistle blows the first player runs ahead five yards (see diagram), goes through the stick, and Stunt Speed Series Start 5 yds. X Stick 5 yds. X Chair 10 yds. X Stick Mat STUNTS ADAPTED FOR GIRLS 201 [' then replaces the stick on the chalk mark. She then goes ahead five yards and does the Chair Creeper ^' stunt. She replaces the pencil^ sees that the p^^-^^^ c/ 51 chair is on the mark^ and runs to the next ^^^^ 3^ stick, which she jumps through. She then turns a '! forward somersault and runs back to tag the hand of 3 the next runner, who is waiting on the starting line. If in doing any stunt a mistake is made when the 5 stunt is partially completed, it is necessary to begin i at the beginning of the stunt and do that particular I stunt over. It is not necessary to return to the start- ' ing line and repeat from the beginning of the series. If the stick slips out of one hand as the girl goes ^ through it, she starts the stunt over. It is not neces- ' sary to put the stick down on the floor and pick it up again. In doing the Chair Creeper stunt, if the stick falls off the chair it is permissible to pick it up and put it back in place and continue the stunt without getting up from the chair. However, if a mistake is made in doing the stunt, such as touching the hand to the floor, it is necessary to get up and repeat the stunt, or a foul mil be counted against the team. If a stick is broken in doing the Jump Stick stunt, there shall be another stick provided. Two extra sticks shall be placed at the side of the mat to provide for this emergency. If after as many trials as she 202 HEALTH BY STUNTS may wish, a player is unable to jump the stick success- fully, one foul shall be counted against her team. It is allowable to place the mat at the edge of the mark where the second stick is placed, or a distance ; may be allowed so that the player, instead of jumping over on to the mat and immediately turning a somer- sault, has a run of any distance desired. Do not make the mark for the stick on the mat. The Stunt Test was held during January. The stunts in which the entrants were tested are to be found on the Pentathlon card. Below are Grade given instructions which were issued at a Stunt special meeting for sixth-grade captains. (A detailed explanation of the stunts used in this text are given in Chapter V.) All sixth grades are to compete against each other for a Stunt Banner. The rules to be observed are briefly : 1. This test shall be open to any girl in the 6A or 6B grades and shall be voluntary. 2. Only the stunts listed in Bulletin No. 21 may be offered. (Substitute the AVheel Barrow for the For- | ward Fall.) 3. Every girl must name correctly the stunts which she offers and must do them in the manner described in the bulletins. 4. Each school is to take its own record, and mail or send it in by Friday night, January 24th. STUNTS ADAPTED FOR GIRLS 203 5. For the three schools sending in the highest records a special test will be conducted by the Depart- ment to determine finally the winning school. 6. The records will be considered on a percentage basis. First, there shall be determined the per cent of the total number enrolled in the sixth grade (A and B) who take the test — the entrance percentage. 7. Secondly, there shall be determined the ability percentage, which is found in the following way : — (a) Find the school average by getting the total number of stunts done by all of the girls and divid- ing this number by the number of girls competing. (6) Divide 25 (the greatest number of stunts possible to do) by this result. 8. Finally, in order to give equal credit for entrance and ability, the two percentages found shall be aver- aged to determine the school's final record. You are to work for three things : — 1. Get every girl in the sixth grade to enter the test, so that your percentage of girls entering will be 100 per cent. 2. Get every girl to practice until she can do Directions^ as many of the 25 stunts as are possible for her, so that your percentage of ability will be high. 3. Be sure that you mail or (much safer) send your report in by Friday night, January 24th, for late re- ports will not be counted. 204 HEALTH BY STUNTS The Pentathlon, held during January, was open to seventh and eighth grades. Eight hundred seventy-five girls — from forty-five schools — entered. Of this number eight hundred 6. The qualified for the finals, and eighty-eight won Pentathlon medals, — thirty gold, twenty-nine silver, and twenty-nine bronze. Two hundred fourteen won arm bands. THE PENTATHLON Date. M' ^^' ^^^^ Name, School, /s yi/ffl/. Grade, 8 Events Record Points 1. Deep Knee Bending . . . . 2. Standing Broad Jump . . . 3. Dash and Throw 4. Basket Ball Throw .... 5. Baseball Throw f06 6'8" 66^2" //2 7" f7^5 /60 /70 6. FiPty Yard Dash ^at. 665 /f6 Weight, Height, ^ ^2 Lung Capacity, Scholarship,. /^^l ^W. Wl. / Posture, ^^% Chest Exp.,^ j>3^/ Grip R., 85 Grip L., 76 STUNTS ADAPTED FOR GIRLS STUNTS 205 1. Ankle Somersault . 14. Jumping Jack 2. Bear Dance . . . 15. Jump Foot . . 3. Cart Wheel . .. . 16. Jump Stick . . 4. Chair Creeper . . 17. Knee Dip . . . 5. Cork Screw . . . 18. Single Squat . . 6. Crane Dive . . . 19. Skin Cat . . . 7. Dog Run . . . . 20. Stiff Leg Bend . 8. Eskimo Roll . . . 21. Stiff 9. Fish Hawk Dive . . 22. The Top . . . 10. Frog Dance . . . 23. Through the Stick 11. Front Somersault . 24. Wheel Barrow . 12. Full Squat . . . 25. Wicket Walk . 13. Heel Knock . . . The system of conducting this test was practically the same as that used in the boys' Decathlon. The preceding bulletin of information was issued at a meeting for seventh- and eighth-grade captains. The Pentathlon is an individual test of all-round athletic ability. Gold; silver^ and bron2e medals will be awarded according to the degree of proficiency shown in five athletic events Un Bulletin and a series of stunts. Every girl in the city who is eligible is urged to begin 'draining" immediately , and to be ready to take the test by January 20th. In regard to the Endurance event and the Stunts, the requirements will be stated and should be clearly understood before the Pentathlon is conducted. 206 HEALTH BY STUNTS In regard to the other events, the records which are considered very high are given here. Every girl is to attempt to reach as nearly as possible these per- formances : — Standing Broad Jump ... 5 ft. 8 inches Fifty Yard Dash 7 seconds "^ Basket Ball Throw .... 55 feet ( Baseball Throw 95 feet Dash and Throw . . . . . 19 seconds Pentathlon 1. The Pentathlon is open only to girls tw es ^j^ ^-j^g seventh and eighth grades. 2. Any girl who is a member of a corrective gymnas- tic class is not eligible unless she has a permit to enter. Appointments for examination on Tuesday from 3 : 30- 4 : 30 may be made through the corrective teacher. This rule applies only to the following schools : — Bishop Lincoln McGraw Higgins Logan Van Dyke 3. As the word ^^ Pentathlon" implies, this is a test in five athletic events. Every girl must be partic- ularly proficient in five events. One event, Deep Knee Bending, is required. From the other five events any four may be chosen. 4. The athletic events are as follows : — 1. Deep Knee Bending — Required. 2. Standing Broad Jump. STUNTS ADAPTED FOR GIRLS 207 3. Fifty Yard Dash. 4. Basket Ball Throw for Distance. 5. Baseball Throw for Distance. 6. Dash and Throw. 5. It is necessary in order to qualify for the remainder of the test; the finals, that a girl shall be able to make a record in the endurance event — Deep Knee Bend- ing — of at least 30, • 6. To win a gold medal it is necessary, as far as the stunts are concerned, to do 15 stunts ; to win a silver medal — 10 ; and to win a bronze medal — 8. Choose 4 out of these 5 events. (Stunts and Endur- ance test required.) For a gold medal 580 points are required. For a silver medal 560 points are required. For a bronze medal 545 points are required. For an arm band 445 points are required. The points given for Pentathlon events, as shown on page 31, were chosen more or less arbitrarily after a study of the results of the regular monthly tests in the same events, and with reference to the Girls' Branch of the Public Schools' Athletic League and the Badge Test of the Playground and Recreation Asso- ciation of America. It would appear from the results tabulated here that the girls are better at running and jumping than at ball throwing, where arm movements are required. 208 HEALTH BY STUNTS PENT. iTHLON EVENTS (Tabulate! Results) Standing Broad Jump Dash and Throw Basket Ball Throw Baseball Throw 50 Yard Dash Points 6'-8" 18 75 ft. 115 ft. 6 175 A 6'-4" 6'-2" B 6'-0" 5'-10" 18-1 18-2 18-3 18-4 71ft. 67 ft. 63 ft. 59 ft. Ill ft. 107 ft. 103 ft. 99 ft. 6-1 6-2 6-3 6-4 170 165 160 155 5'-8" 19 55 ft. 95 ft. 7 150 C 5'-4" 19-1 19-2 19-3 19-4 54 ft. 53 ft. 52 ft. 51 ft. 93 ft. 91ft. 89 ft. 87 ft. 7-1 7-2 7-3 7-4 145 140 135 130 5'-3" 20 50 ft. 85 ft. 8 125 5'-2i" 5'-2" 5'-l 20-1 20-2 20-3 20-4 49 ft. 48 ft. 47 ft. 46 ft. 83 ft. 81ft. 79 ft. 77 ft. 8-1 8-2 8-3 8-4 120 115 110 105 5'-0 21 45 ft. 75 ft. 9 100 4'-lU 4'-ll 4'-10i 4'-10 21-1 ^21-2 21-3 21-4 44 ft. 43 ft. 42 ft. 41ft. 73 ft. 71ft. 69 ft. 67 ft. 9-1 9-2 9-3 9-4 95 90 85 80 4'-9 22 40 ft. 65 ft. 10 75 4'-8i 4'-8 4'-7i 4'-7 22-1 22-2 22-3 22-4 38 ft. 36 ft. 34 ft. 32 ft. 63 ft. . 61 ft. 59 ft. 57 ft. 10-1 10-2 10-3 10-4 70 65 60 55 4'-6" 23 30 ft. 55 ft. . 11 50 4'-5" 4'-4 4'-3 4'-2 4'-l 23-1 23-2 23-3 23-4 24 sec. 29 ft. 28 ft. 27 ft. 26 ft. 25 ft. 54 ft. 53 ft. 52 ft. 51 ft. 50 ft. 11-1 11-2 11-3 11-4 12 45 40 35 30 25 City Champion. B — Gold medal girls' average. C — City Average (all entrants in finals) . STUNTS ADAPTED FOR GIRLS 209 It will be several years before enough statistics will be available to lead to any positive conclusions, but there can be no doubt that just such experiments and statistics are vitally needed. Aside from the question of measurable develop- ment it needs but a first-hand acquaintance with the work the Detroit girls are doing to confirm the opinion that its complete satisfaction to them has a definite and very real value. Summary of Activities Soccer Ball. This sport has increased from year to year until in 1918 and 1919 over 130 teams from as many different schools played more than 500 games. The next season nearly double this number of teams and games will be played. Baseball. In this sport the same progress has been made. Field Meet. For the season of 1919 over 6000 contestants were entered in this meet. The total time for conducting was 2 hours and 14 minutes for preliminaries, and 45 minutes for finals. In any one event, not more than 8 contestants compete at one time. 210 HEALTH BY STUNTS Indoor Meet. For the 1919 meet more than 3000 boys competed. Decathlon. For the individual Decathlon and Pentathlon events for 1918 and 1919 more than 1200 contestants pre- sented themselves. Of this number over 400 won gold, silver, and bronze medals. School Decathlon. Records have been taken of more than 10,000 dif- ferent boys during one school year. A large per cent of these boys were tested in ten events besides the stunts. The records secured in the past few years have passed the million mark. From these, records of average ability have been secured. Demonstrations. Besides the major sports, more than 8000 pupils have taken part in regular public demonstrations during the year ending June, 1919. This summary covers only work regularly organized and conducted by the Department of Physical Edu- cation. These activities are duplicated many times over in the intra-school work. This summary does not cover formal physical work, nor the work done in high schools. INDEX Activities, 36 Arm Roll, 128 Athletics, 47 Athletic Events, 36, 51, 191, 192 Back Foot Flip, 130 Back Hold, 146 Back Spring, 119 Back Straddle, 123 Back Toss, 133 Backward Bend, 116 Backward Dash, 58 Backward Jump, 78 Backward Roll, 104 Badger Pull, 152 Baseball-Accuracy, 70-72 Baseball-Distance, 70-71 Basket Ball-Accuracy, 70-72 Basket Ball-Distance, 70-72 Basis, Public School, 28 Bear Dance, 102 . . ^-«» Bend Fingers, 152 Bobbin Ahead, 129 Bobbin Back, 124 Body Bounce, 103 Body Reach, 110 ' - Boxing, 148 Gloves, 148 Hats, 149 Open Hands, 149 Fencing, 149 Boys, Types, 20, 21 Broad Jump, 65 Bull Neck, 117 Calendar, Yearly, 38-39 Camel Walk, 121 Captain System, 31, 33, 40, 41, 48, 49. 50. 190 Carrying Wounded, 125 Cart Wheel, 108 Double, 137 Catch as Catch Can, 144 Centipede, 127 Chair Creeper, 104 Chair Stand, 102, 111, 112 Chest Dive, 117 Chicken Fight, 151 Chinning, 61, 158 Classification, 36 Climbing, 51, 60, 61 Clock, Official, 177 Cock Fight, 150 Combination Pass Ball, 192, 198 Combination Stunts, 118-139 Conditions, Existing School, 13 Contests, 148 Boxing, 148 Miscellaneous, 149 Badger Pull, 152 Bend Fingers, 152 Chicken Fight, 151 Cock Fight, 147 Horse Fight, 153 Neck Pull, 153 Pull Fingers, 152 Pull Stick, 151 Rooster Fight, 150 Stick Wrestle, 154 Tug of War, 154 Twiat Stick, 151 Necessity of, 141 Wrestling, 144 Corkscrew, 99 Crab Walk, 96 Crane Dive, 103 Dash, 56 Backward, 58 211 212 INDEX Dash — Continued Dash and Throw, 192 Hundred Yard, 54-57 Decathlon, 31, 155-165, 210 Card, 166, 167 Contest, 155 Medals, 157 Points, 163 School, 31, 210 Tests, 158 Records, 168 Deep Knee Bend, 192 Demonstrations, 47, 138-140, 210 Discus Throw, 70-76 Distance Dive, 108 Diving Hand Spring, 135 Dog Run, 95 Double Cart Wheel, 137 Double Stand, 134 Drill, Competitive, 46 Elbow Roll, 128 Elephant Walk, 120 Eskimo Roll, 127 Expansion, 84 Arm, 84 Chest, 84 Field Day, 47 Field Meet, 176 Fifty Yard Dash, 192 Finger Jump, 112 Fish Flop, 111 Fish Hawk Dive, 96 Floor Dip, 81, 160 Flopper, 124 Flying Somersault, 137 Football Kick, 79 Football Throw, 70, 72 Forward Fall, 99 Forward Roll, 93 . - ^- Friendship Spring, 136 Frog Dance, 100, 102 Front Foot Flip, 130 Front Straddle, 123 Front Throw, 70, 74 Front Toss, 132 O Games, 39 Game Tournament, 191, 192-204 Giant Roll, 133 Girls' Athletics, 182 Gorilla Swing, 110 Grip, 160 Hammer Throw, 70, 76 Hand Balance, 113 .--vV^-^ Hand Flip, 134 Hand Jump, 121 Hand Spring, 113 Hand Stand Dip, 110 .>V"^ Hand Walk, 115 Head Spring, 115 Head Stand, 106 Heel Jump, 116 Heel Knock, 98 High Dive, 107 High Jump, 65, 69 High Kick, 77, 78 ^•^- Hitch Kick, 96 Hop, Step, and Jump, 66, 67 Horse Fight, 153 Human Arch, 133 Human Ball, 94 O Human Bridge, 121 Human Knot, 105 Human Rocker, 104 -V^ Human Teeter, 136 Human Wheel, 103 Human Wicket, 93 Hurdles, 54, 58 Indian Wrestle, 147 Individual Stunts, 92-118 Indoor Baseball, 70 Indoor Meet, 176, 210 Insignia, 179 Introduction, ix Introduction of Stunts, 91 Javelin Throw, 70, 76 Jump Foot, 99 Jump Stick, 106 Jumping, 51, 62-69 Backward, 78 INDEX 213 ■Jumping — Continued Broad, 65 Running, 65 Standing, 65 High, 65 Running, 65 Standing, 69 Hop, Step, and Jump, 67 Running, 67 Standing, 66 Measuring, 63 Methods of, 63 Place, 63 Pole Vault, 64 Three Hops, 68 Three Jumps, 88 Jumping Jack, 105 Jumping Wheelbarrow, 118 Keg Kick, 102 Kelly Slide, 109 Kicking, 51, 77-79 High (1), 77 High (2), 78 High (3), 78 1- High (4), 78 ; High (5), 78 t Football-Accuracy, 79 [ Football-Distance, 79 f Knee Dip, 96 \ Knee Spring, 123 Knee Stand Balance, 130 t Lungs, Capacity, 83, 160 Meets, 175 Clock, Official, 177 1 Field, 176 Indoor, 176, 210 Insignia, 179 Outdoor, 177 Program for, 178 Sign Boards, 179 Track, 176 Trophies, 179 Merry-go-round, 117 lilitary Training, 45, 46 Mule Kick, 97 Neck Flop, 133 Neck Pull, 158 Neck Spring, 100 Officers' School, 45 One Hand Dip, 112 One Hundred Yard Dash, 54, 57 Organization, 26 Outdoor Meet, 177 Overhead Shot, 70, 74 Palm Spring, 95 Pentathlon, 191, 204 Physical Conditions, 10-25 Plumb Line Test, 97 Point Table, 163 Pole Vault," 64 Post Ball, 192, 196 Posture Test, 93 Potato Race, 54, 59 Preparedness, 161 Program, Official, 178, 180 Pull Fingers, 152 Pull Stick, 151 Pyramids, 135 Races, 54 Potato, 54, 59 Sack, 54, 59 Three-Legged, 54, 58 Record Sheet, 34, 35 Relay, 54, 57, 58 Reports, 42 Rocking Horse, 132 Rooster Fight, 150 Running, 51, 53-60 Backward Dash, 58 Hurdles, 54, 58 One Hundred Yard Dash, 54, 57 Potato Race, 54, 59 Relay, 54, 57, 58 Sack Race, 54, 59 Soccer Dribble, 54, 59 Three-Legged Race, 54, 58 Sack of Wheat, 124 Sack Race, 54, 59 214 INDEX Scholarship, 161 Set Pegs, 83 Shot Pitch, 70, 75 Shot Put, 73 Shoulder Dive, 134 Shoulder Jump, 134 Shoulder Shot, 85 Shoulder Spring, 115 Shoulder Stand, 129 Shouldering, 130 Side Hold, 145 Single Squat, 99 '-^ ^ Sit Up, 82, 159 Skating, 81 Soccer, 173 Soccer Dribble, 54, 59 Solid Ivory, 95 Somersault, 98 Sports, 170 Major, 170 Teams, 170 Square Hold, 145 Stick Wrestle, 154 . Stiff, 121 Stiff Leg Bend, 103 Straddle Jump, 125 Stump Walk, 94 Stunts, 34, 88 Adaptability, 90, 182 Arm Roll, 128 Back Foot Flip, 130 Back Spring, 119 Back Straddle, 124 Back Toss, 133 Backward Bend, 116 Backward Roll, 104 Bear Dance, 102 Bobbin Ahead, 129 Bobbin Back, 124 Body Bounce, 103 Body Reach, 110 Bull Neck, 117 Camel Walk, 121 Carrying Wounded, 125 Cart Wheel, 108 Double, 137 Centipede, 127 Stunts — Continued Chair Creeper, 104 Chair Stand, 102 Left Arm, 112 Right Arm, 111 Chest Dive, 117 Combination, 118-139 Corkscrew, 99 Crab Walk, 96 Crane Dive, 103 Distance Dive, 108 Diving Hand Spring, 135 Dog Run, 95 Double Cart Wheel, 137 Double Stand, 134 Elbow Roll, 128 Elephant Walk, 120 Eskimo Roll, 127 Backward, 128 Finger Jiunp, 112 Fish Flop, 111 Fish Hawk Dive, 96 Flopper, 124 Flying Somersault, 137 Forward Fall, 99 Forward Roll, 93 Friendship Spring, 136 Frog Dance, 100, 102 Front Foot Flip, 130 Front Straddle, 123 Front Toss, 132 Giant Roll, 133 Girls' Stunts, 182 Gorilla Swing, 116 Hand Balance, 113 Hand Flip, 134 Hand Jump, 121 Hand Spring, 113 Hand Stand Dip, 110 Hand Walk, 115 Head Spring, 115 Head Stand, 106 Heel Jump, 116 Heel Knock, 98 High Dive, 107 Hitch Kick, 96 Human Arch, 133 INDEX 215 Stunts — Continued Human Ball, 94 Human Bridge, 121 Human Knot, 105 Human Rocker, 104 Human Teeter, 136 Human Wheel, 103 Human Wicket, 93 Individual, 92-118 Introduction of, 91 Jump Foot, 99 Jump Stick, 106 Jumping Jack, 105 Jumping Wheelbarrow, 118 Keg Kick, 102 Kelly Slide, 109 Knee Dip, 96 Knee Spring, 123 Knee Stand Balance, 130 Merry-go-round, 117 Mule Kick, 97 Neck Flop, 133 Neck Spring, 100 One Hand Dip, 112 Palm Spring, 95 ' Plumb Line Test, 97 Pyramids, 135 Rocking Horse, 132 Sack of Wheat, 124 Shoulder Dive, 134 Shoulder Jump, 134 Shoulder Spring, 115 Shoulder Stand, 129 Shouldering, 130 Single Squat, 99 Solid Ivory, 95 Somersault, 98 Backward, 98 Flying, 137 Stiff, 121 Stiff Leg Bend, 103 Stomach Foot Flip, 130 Straddle Jump, 125 Stump Walk, 94 Tandem, 120 Through Stick, 98 Tip Up, 100 Stunts — Continued Toe Jump, 111 Top, the, 95 Triple Dive, 131 Triple Roll, 137 Tuff, 119 Twister, 122 Two Hand Dip, 111 Under Stick, 109 Wall Scaling, 124 Wheelbarrow, 118 Jumping, 118 Wicket, Human, 93 Wicket Walk, 93 Windmill, 131 Stunt Speed Series, 192, 200 Stunt Tests, 161, 191, 202 Summary of Activities, 209 Summary Sheet, 42 Swimming, 79, 80, 81 Table of Contents, xi Tandem, 120 Teams, 170 Tests, 158 Chinning, 158 Floor Dip, 160 Grip and Lung, 160 Preparedness, 161 Scholarship, 161 Sit Up, 159, 82 Stunt, 161 Three Hops, 68 Three Jumps, 68 Three-Legged Race, 54, 58 Through Stick, 98 Throwing, 51, 69 Throwing Events, 69 Baseball-Accuracy, 70, 72 Baseball-Distance, 70, 71 Basket Ball-Accuracy, 70, 72 Basket Ball-Distance, 70, 72 Conducting, 71 Discus Throw, 70, 76 Football-Accuracy, 70, 72 Football-Distance, 70, 72 Front Throw, 70, 74 216 INDEX Throwing Events — Continued Hammer Throw, 70, 76 Indoor Baseball-Accuracy, 70 Indoor Baseball-Distance, 70 Javelin Throw, 70, 76 Measuring, 71 Overhead Shot, 70, 74 Place, 70 Shot Flip, 75 Shot Pitch, 70, 75 Shot Put, 70, 73 Under Shot, 75 Timing, 55, 57 Tip Up, 100 Toe Jump, 111 Top, The, 95 Track Meet, 176 Triple Dive, 131 Triple Roll, 137 . - Trophies, 118 Tuff, 119 Tug of War, 154 Twist Stick, 151 Twister, 122 Two Hand Dip, 111 Unclassified, 51 Chest Expansion, 84 Floor Dip, 81, 160 Grip Stone, 86 Unclassified — Continued Lungs, 83, 160 Set Pegs, 83 Shovdder Shot, 85 Sit Up, 82, 159 Skating, 81 Swimming, 79-81 Weight, 85 Pu.t Up, 85 Hold Out, 86 Under Shot, 75 Under Stick, 109 Wall Scaling, 124 Weight, 85 Wheelbarrow, 118 Wicket, Human, 93 Wicket Walk, 93 -vv^\ Windmill, 131 Wrestling, 146 Back Hold, 146 Catch as Catch Can, 144 Elbow, 147 Hand, 146 Indian, 147 Side Hold, 145 Square Hold, 145 Zigzag Ball, 192, 194 AD 3 8 Printed in the United States of America.