for efficiency in any undertaking, and excellent practice in their
fulfillment. How far athletes learn this lesson and apply it to wider
spheres of activity, it would be interesting to discover. In any case,
they have proved in themselves the ability to repress inclination and
find satisfaction in what makes for health and efficiency; and all
who know the implications of "training" have received a subconscious
"suggestion" in the right direction. The other side of the problem
is this:

(1) Competitive athletics, if taken seriously contests,inevitably
take more time and energy than their importance .warrants. A member
of a college football or baseball team can do little else during the
season. Studies are neglected, intellectual interests are subordinated,
college figures essentially as a group of men endeavoring to beat
another college on the field. If a man is bright he may "keep up with"
his studies, but his intellectual profit is meager; his energies are
being absorbed elsewhere. This phenomenon has given rise to much
satire and to much perplexity on the part of college administrations. A
few have gone so far as to banish intercollegiate contests, asserting
thatthe purpose of coming to college is primarily to learn to use the
brain, not the muscles.

(2) The strain of intense rivalry is too severe on the body. It is
now known that the intercollegiate athlete is very probably sacrificing
some of his life when he throws his utmost effort into the game or
the race. The length of life of the big athletes averages considerably
shorter than that of the more moderate exercisers. From the physical
point of view, interclass or interfraternity contests, not taken too
earnestly, are. far better than the intercollegiate struggles. They
also have the advantage that far more can participate. The problem