Federal Security 3 Agency

U. S. OFFICE OF EDUCATION
Washington

ADJUSTMENT OF THE COLLEGE CURRICULUM
TO WARTIME CONDITIONS AND NEEDS

REPORT NO. I7.--PHYSICAL EDUCATION FOR MEN
PART 11. VALUES OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND THEIR ATTAINMENT

Strength and Conditton Through Physical Education

Today our young college men are volunteering and being inducted into the military
services. The kind of test to which these men are subjected calls for mental alertness,
agility, competitive spirit, strength, toughness of a superior quality. The college's
duty, then, is to prepare its students through vigorous sports so that they will be able
to endure fatigue, be strong and tough in competition, agile and skillful in combative
games,.and mentally alert to the purpose behind this training. To accomplish this, our
efforts must be concentrated on the most vigorous and intensive program ever witnessed.
This program can best be realized through some alteration in content, improvement in
teaching practices, and an increase in the time allotted to physical education.

In light of the aforementioned purposes several suggestions are made concerning the
physical activity program which will contribute to physical fitness.

A. Sports considered. It is recommended that the content of the service program,
exclusive of the individual physical education program, include those vigorous sports which
contribute to the immediate needs of the college students, to wit: Swimming, lifesaving,
soccer, speedball, cross country hikes, handball, basketball, boxing, wrestling, track,
tumbling, and self-testing activities. Participation in these sports should be emphasized
for every able student.

B. Conditioning activities. In order to increase rapidly strength and flexibility
in all muscle groups of the body, certain specific conditioning exercises are offered.
Other than boxing, wrestling and tumbling, sports often do not stress the development of
the abdominal muscles or the muscles of the back, shoulders, chest and neck. What are
the values in developing these muscle groups? There are many vital and practical reasons.
Tone of the abdominal muscles aids in decreasing the "black out" time when pulling out of a
dive; also it aids in lifting, vaulting, leaping, and climbing; strength and endurance of
the back, shoulder, and chest muscles increases one's ability to crawl, fall, climb, vault,
lift, and strike; and the strength of the neck muscles aids in resisting the onset of fatigue
and strain when standing guard duty and when pulling out of a dive in an airplane. Therefore,
in view of the attempt to develop a rugged total body endurance the following conditioning
activities are suggested as supplementary to the vigorous sports program.

 

1. Sit-ups: (a) Starting position—back on floor, hands at sides; (b) sit up; (c)
reach forward; (4) knees straight; (e) touch toes; (f) back on floor.