Girls and Athletics. Various
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lot of “grit”—as her brothers term it—keeps her playing when she is really tired out physically. This is the time where a coach—or if there is no coach, friendly advice—will show the girl that she is not getting any benefit out of the exercise, and she is running the risk of injuring herself.
This excess is as wrong in athletics as it is in anything else. Be temperate.
My advice to every girl is: Know your physical condition; use common sense and gauge the amount of exercise you take by your physical condition and stamina.
Athletics as a builder of character are just as important as a builder of physical strength. Fair play and good sportsmanship are the two maxims kept constantly before the eye. A girl who has won the reputation of being a clean, square player is happy herself and is admired by all with whom she comes in contact. There is no higher compliment than to be called a “good sportswoman.” A girl who can lose and smile, or win and not exult over her opponent’s defeat, is quite apt to get something bigger than mere physical development out of her athletics.
Training
A few girls have asked me, “How can I learn to play this or that game well?” Athletics are just like almost every phase of life; it requires practice and experience before one becomes skilled. If, then, a girl wishes to be successful it is best to make a thorough study of the branch of sport she is going to take up and practice, assimilating each detail carefully. The amount of time it takes to become proficient depends upon the natural ability of the person—some people are much more talented in athletics than others.
The best advice I can give is to know your game thoroughly, so that you may play with your head as well as your body. Practice until you have confidence in your ability. Do not practice so constantly and continually that you become “stale.” A little practice taken regularly is often more beneficial than a lot of practice which tires you out so that you are unfit for more the next day. Do a little bit, so that you are not tired, increasing the practice slowly.
Some people believe in set training rules; others do not. It is best to be in good physical condition all the time if it is possible; it stands to reason, however, that for especial speed and endurance the physical condition should be nearly perfect. Sleep is a very necessary factor; therefore, every athlete should have a long and sound sleep every night. As for diet, there is a difference of opinion. It seems reasonable that no heavy food, nor rich food that is indigestible, should be eaten. In particular, just before a contest, a light meal should be eaten with the proper time for digestion allowed before playing. Some people make the mistake of eating heavily and then playing immediately afterward. The most sensible training seems to be, eat the most nourishing and easily digested food.
What to Wear
Dress sensibly. For track and field games, basket ball and other games that require speed, agility and the freest play of all muscles, by all means wear bloomers and a middy blouse. For tennis, golf and the other less strenuous games, wear shirtwaist or middy blouse and a skirt wide enough and short enough to give the most play of the leg muscles. For instance, there is nothing so ridiculous as to see a girl athlete togged with more regard for the impression she is making on the male part of the gallery than for getting the most physical benefit out of her game. I have great sympathy for every girl who takes pride in her appearance at all times. I maintain that it is both possible to present a neat and an agreeable appearance and at the same time to dress sensibly for the business at hand. In each of the following chapters on the various forms of sports I have endeavored to say a word about dress specifically for that sport, unless it is evident what costume is suitable. Back of it all I will repeat this fundamental: Dress sensibly.
Field Hockey
Field hockey, next to basket ball, is the most popular team game played by girls; and it is a comparatively new game here, as it has been played in America only since 1901. Miss Harriet Ballintine, Director of Physical Training at Vassar College, in her pamphlet, “The History of Physical Training at Vassar College,” gives an account of the beginning of hockey in America: “Until 1901, English field hockey was comparatively unknown in this country. Before this it had been played by men at the Springfield Training School, and to some extent at Mount Holyoke College. Dr. J. H. McCurdy of the Springfield School in writing of the game says: ‘The men at Springfield first played the game of field hockey in 1897. Regarding where field hockey was first played in this country (by girls), the girls at Mount Holyoke College had begun playing the game, I think, before Miss Applebee’s arrival in this country. They had been down to a number of our championship games. Arrangements had been made for some of our students to coach the Mount Holyoke girls in hockey, when I found Miss Applebee was in this country and recommended their getting her.’ ”
Many hockey players owe their interest in the game to Miss Applebee, notable for her inspiring coaching and the knowledge of hockey that she has imparted to her pupils.
To the devotees of this game, there is no other sport that quite comes up to it. In a game of hockey there is a spirit of freedom, of exhilaration, of gladness that comes from a true love of sport. And it has other advantages—absence of roughness, plenty of vigorous exercise in the open air, and yet not extraordinarily violent. It is a game that may be played by all types; a game that is played by a large number on each team.
The Game.
Hockey is played on a level field of turf similar to a football or lacrosse field. There are eleven players on each team, thus there are twenty-two players on the field at one time. Each player is equipped with a stick with a curved head. A cricket ball is used. The eleven players are divided into groups: forwards, halfbacks, fullbacks and goal. Each group calls for a different type of player. The teams line up (according to illustration) in the center of the field. The forwards are the attackers, whose duty it is to advance the ball into their opponents’ territory and score a goal (Rule II). The halfbacks assist the forwards in attacking and with the fullbacks and goal keeper defend their own goal.
The umpire blows the whistle and the game begins with the two center forwards bullying. The ball has been placed in the middle of center line, the center forwards stand with one foot on each side of center line directly opposite each other, right shoulder toward their own goal. (See Rule for Bully.) After the bully is completed, the ball hit out, then play commences. The forwards of the team in possession of the ball rush it down toward the opponents’ goal and try to shoot a goal while the opposing defense tries to prevent any score. Each time the ball is fairly hit over the goal line, one point is made by team scoring goal. Two halves, length of which is agreed upon by captains, are played. The team scoring the greatest number of goals by the end of second half wins the game.
The Team as a Whole.
The main factor in hockey is team play. There may be one or two players of stellar ability on the team, but if the team does not play well together it is not well balanced. It is not an individual but eleven individuals welded together that form a team. Every girl should consider—when playing hockey—that her stick is her best friend; therefore it should be chosen carefully and with due consideration. There are three important qualities a stick should have: balance, weight and length. The balance should be even, not in the handle, but