SPORTS: The old ideal

Jaqui White recalls a dictum she learned at her father's knee: "Since he was British, honor was a prime virtue: 'It matters not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game.' I grew up in a family with Victorian standards - intellectualism was revered, and sports were very important indeed - particularly tennis, swimming, and all activities involving being outside in the forests or seashores. As time went on, skiing, both snow and water, were added. All of this was expected to be undertaken on an extremely gentlemanly level - with the highest of sportsmanship and good humour. I am afraid that the contact sports were not watched too much, perhaps because there were just two daughters .

I truly feel that athletics of all kinds should be emphasized in families far more, participation sports, not ones which one only views . I feel that far too much time is spent in front of the television and the computer. As children are growing and maturing they need to be outside in the air, dashing around using their muscles and developing good lungs, stamina, and sportsmanship and teamsmanship (is this a word?) -activities in which they will be involved all their lives. I have a photo of my father at age 76 jumping over the tennis net, case in point.

I worry about our children in their platform shoes (they can hardly walk, let alone run). Physical education in the schools has diminished in the schools to a point where in some cases it is non-existent. It should have an important place, and the students should be exposed to sports of all kinds, since in many families this is impossible. Our sedentary society is unhealthful. I understand, your disgust with the World Cup free-for-alls, but you must remember that the reason for this is that every little boy all over the world (with the exception of the United States) plays soccer all his childhood, and this causes his enthusiasm for the sport, and the desire for his country to excel. I would rather have my sons running their little hearts out on a soccer field than endlessly playing nitendo or whatever the hot computer games are these days."

My comment: Amen! Back to my computer.

Ronald Hilton - 11/05/00