September 14, 1942.

Mr. Ralph Dugan,

Atchison County Commmity High School,
Effinghem, Xereas. |

Dear “Red":

Under separete cover I am sending you a copy
of the War Department Basic Field Manual “Physical
Training", FM 21-20, with my compliments. I trust that
you will find it helpful tot soni staan

I hope things are going well with you at
the opening of the school year.

With best wishes for your continued success,
I on .

: Sincerely yours,

Director of Physical Bducation,
FCA:AH Varsity Basketball Coach.

 
 

Septenber 16, 1942.

825 Yo. Wells Ste,
Chicago, Illinois.

Gentlemen:

Would it be possible for you to furnish us with the
combinations for the following locks? We are unable } locate
the combinations for these, and we are in need of every avai avail —
able locker and basket in our gymmasium this fall. I will

appreciate your cooperation.

a8

BP 45602
& 98207
A 98162
ER 9793
KR 9224
ian
BP 84875
KR 9534
shen

%

Very sincerely yours,

Director of Physical Education,
FCA:AH Vareity Basketball Coach.

 
duly 1, 1942.

The Dudley, Look Corporation,
325 North Wells Ste,
Chicago, Illinois.

 

We have two Dudley locks here in our gymmasium for
which we are unable to locate the combinations. 1
wonder if you would be kind enough to send us this

_ information. The numbers of these two locks are as
follows: ,
BP 41136

Bp 64194
Thanking you for your cooperation, I as

Sincerely yours,

Director of Physieal Education, |
Varsity Basketball coach. |

 
 

 

duly 11, 1941.

Dudley Lock Coe,
Chicago, Tllinofse

Deer Sirs:

We have in our office sis sushi ‘Seite for which
we are unable to locate the combinations. I am wonder-
ing if you will be kind enough to supply these so that
we may use the locks?

The lock uliiet ere as follows:
KR 9692 :
7 G 7137

: 3 8
Very sincerely youre,

Director of Physical Fducetion end Reereations
- Versity eet Canche

 
THE PHYSICAL TRAINING PROGRAM OF THE ARMY AIR FORCES
WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR SCHOOL AND COLLEGE PROGRAMS

BH. B. DeGroot, Jr., 2nd Lt., A. C.
Director of Physical Training, 4th Air Force
« Part I |
Physical Training in the Army Air Forces
My remarks this afternoon will pertain generally to the physical training
program of the combat units of the Army Air Forces, and specifically to the physi-
cal training vrogram of the 4th Air Force.
The Army Organization
Pirst, I telieve it would de in order to Siw briefly ie shoe
ization of the Army Air Forces. The Air Forces are, of sities atid a ait of
the Army. - Although récently donsolidated under one administrative command, there
are still two divisions of the Air Forces ‘with two acu ekhe physical training
programs: (2 ¥5-Bhare is the division (formerly dnctenckee as the Air Corps) which
has to do with the training of aviation cadets, and which Mr. Dashiell has eo stdin
pletely ontltasi, (2) There is the division f forneriy bebiccnated as the Aicclote

Combat Command) which includes all those units comprising the actual combat troops

--the fighting forces. There are four major commands or divisions of this combat

force organized in the edntinontiel United States; designated respectively as the
lst, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Air Forces: “The 4th Air Force now éimen, roughly, the
area of the Pacific Coast from Canada to the Mexican border. The 4th Intercep—
tor Command, of which you have heard so much, Koa nart of this 4th Air Force.
There is no need to attempt an explanation of the Army Ground Forces organ-
ization or methods of physical conditioning at this time, except to note that sal
Army (ground forces) have neither hired civilians nor commissioned physical edu-
cation men for use in conditioning troops. The Air Force is the only branch of
the Army to have taken such action. You are all familiar, I'm sure, with the num

ber and tyne of men and the type of program the Navy is instituting.
pe, (a

 
Probably you wonde® Way only. the Air Fores, and aot the ontire Arny, has
placed trained —* education when. on, @ civil. service ane. commissioned status
to aid in developing a one aed, Weeintee sees daira re the reason: The ground
forces obtain a fairly high ar of ee SORRETTEN ETE thru their regular,
daily —— routine, fiola aril, vend manouvors. thoy march, hike with heavy

packs, ongage in dayonet and other types of porsonal ‘conbat anki2, dig, carry and
build. All Whadd adbteveicd ara ) stremious and exacting aed they atrongthen and
harden the men for arduous campaigns. _ (me daily duties and work of the Air Forces
do — neaiwio this ‘type of ss addi GHOTeS STA, the Air Fores personnel pasde’
a aofini to and soparats program ‘of potivittes which will develop and maintain &
bigh dogres of physical condition, ) Both tho ground | forces aad the air Forces pron
note leisure time rocreational athletics. ane | PER eek 6
What Js te chiestive a murmese of the Air Hate Bhvaios) Training Exoarsst

Tho gonoral objective, of course, te sinilar to the trainings ‘oMdactéve of all
units of our ; fighting forces: To o prepare abd personnel for severe conbat eondi~ :
tions. 7 : ” Bet | © sf

The specific erjectives of ‘tio Ary Air Forces physical wtainine ‘programy,
however, and the means used ta obtain ‘then, are some ut different than thate of :
the ground forces. “Also, you must ronoiiber that the specific physical ae
objectives for flying personnel are - sonownat different than those for ground ‘per-
sonnel within the ae Foreos. “Yory dofinitely, tho air Foreos physics al training
progoni en not att compt to asvolop athletes; it doos : not atrompt ‘to harden per=
sonnel 4 in he’ way that Antentxy training doos. Tho sp? cific objoctives of =e Air
Force program aot . soles’ 0 | Hors te mos)

QM % bring « about ¢ a ‘condition in or officer and onlistod, man whol will

aoley in 7 onset of F fatigue.
= (a) 26 develop and maintain a nigh degree of enduranéd and stamina for the
particular 36) t6 to done--such o condition that will permit’ the: officers and nen
to continus thir daily work effective —
@ Nei davelop’ audheuhyedeal -condition that all personnel will have a great

reserve of strength and endurance~-a, margin of safety which will carry them thru

 

mis ope

-oametene! unde? such possible conditions | as loss of ‘slean, lack .of 90d, difficult
Living| conditions and other hardships. . pyle ae :

oe (ay. 2 To vrovide an outlet for, and.tatie? from, the emotional. stress and
_peyehological strain involved in flying.

What isthe administrative set-up and what type of personnel has been selocte d to

 

Abd in the conduct of the Army Air Force physical conditioning » program?

Mr, Dashizll’*as told you about the civilian physical directors and their
bas: in the aviation cadet schools. The situation in the combat forces is
very difforent.

Seorie year ago, Mr. James ET, Pixlee, yaa Gr egine of Physical Education
and avettes at George. Wacking tan University, was appointed Director of Physical
Tee of. the entire Army Air Riatian. bir. Pixled directs and coordinates both
ee training, that in tho flying schools and that in the combat
= Sonéwhat later, five more physical education men were appointed, on ex-

ecutive order, in the civil service, as directors of physical training with the _

ee

‘ie Force ‘Combat. Command. lir, Birch 3.3 Bayh, former director of health and pial
a: oduen vtion for: the. public. schools | of Washington, D. C., was appointed Senior |
ieeuen. of Physical Trajning | of i en Yonas Conbat Command, and four other ns
apvoinsoa, one to. each Air forps., 1 vas apointad’ to 8uch a civil service oe
tion with ‘tho (4th Air. Force hast June. Yo other trained. physical education nen ;

é %
have been appointed as, physical <nseten ‘leaders’ ‘with: the combat Army air Forces,

 

cither on a civil servico or a commissioned basis to date.

-b—
‘Bach Air: FPotce Physical: director has acted as-an advisor: (on physical train-
ing matters). to "his respective Commanding General and has attenpted to institute:a
physical conditioning program. There have been many obstacles and hindrances in’
accomplishing tangible results, with both flying amd ground personnel. Lack of
trained personnel with whom to work on each Air Base has been one of the greatest
Srd,lems. -In the entire 4th Air Force, since lnst June (1941), there has been bu’
one officer trained in vhysical education, aeting in the capacity of base: physical

director! ‘Nine months ago the Senior and Air Force Directors of Physical. Training

 

vegan to work on the problem of obtaining well-trained, experienced vhysical. direc-
fors for each air base, Finally, authority was granted by Headquarters of the
Army Air Forces for the appointment from civilian-Life of some two scor: » trained,
qualified physical education men as 1st lieutenants, to be stationed one at each
air base with the combat forces.

You probably will be interested to know what type of leader we have been -:
seeking and what requirements we established for the selection of these men. Our
prerequisites are quite different than those established by some other branches of
the armed forces. We do not want men whose only qualification is that of being
big-time coaches or big-name athletes. We want men who. are well grounded in the
principles ‘of physical education, who know the fundamentals of the physiology of
exercise, of hygiene, and of conditioning, and who have a broad experience anda
wiie ‘mowledge of activities. The administrative and orgditentodal “abi laty of
thesé men is highly important. Above all, we sought those with’ a high degree of
tact, forcefulness, naturity, and with a personality that. is strong and adjustable
to many of the difficult problems that will ‘be eneountered-on these jobs. The
prerequisites established aré as follows: (1)° A graduate. of a recognized college
or university with a major ‘in physical educatién; (2) -one year's graduate work
in physical education: (3) at least four years! full-time: paid. employment in

bee
a
a

‘Qireetida: physical saucetion activities; « Nieto Gilat “physical condition adequate

i = Ce ‘

to péimit extonied varticipation and active Lentershin in very strenuous activi-

 

ties; (5) apaaednannty. fier tichudare ke factors clready « nentioned: @) ninimun
of thirty years - age» ; ;

Men nesting “the $e qualifies shine have Siaon interviewed, at ian ac a

    

setndilen ean to “Mie sethnna vite ‘whero abk. finest weak banante wick ‘be “a. Waothor,

with the — of she Air =e we wuss be autnorized ‘additional conaissioned

appointuents, Li ie ‘wai aia

Wet 4a the moses of aiisieal trainins aghixitios 4n the ame Aix Zonssst

The mat wea’ recommended ‘Sap use in developing. ans maintaining physical
copaet hon in the any Air Forces aro. eskoates eb tis a view ais ahiuselen.s Lcd haa,
gesiel ait of this nrogran. ae are seve ook vhases ak ee civisions of oi. |
physical —— ee | .

First, there - 2, » required rogram for onlisted personnel, | This provides
that all enlisted mon will be required to participate in specified ane organized
physical sachet itepsainnenans several hours per a plus daily partictoation in
neil Sopichiaetar wie Close order drill ana fatigue work are “not considered to constitate
physical training activities. _ sseceuslaraheki utilized enieiie: the entire eames
from Loridki wes calisthenics sous running, to Bandoi Mead, “Mondo sont other toam
and individual athletic games. Tho ee enphasizes that the. sctivities
must be wizerdus and strenuous in natares mind @itt carer » nan met ‘be sible during
the entire vhysical troining et al Susie of scheduling, planning and conduct
ing the. activitios are loft 0 the Aiseretion of the Snasies Gain unit aicuciin. ae

You 1 may rabies Nak: this required prograa is too indefinite in oxgent sation. —
But you ‘aust Penenher. that the training ve in the drag rn Foros, is not jie ao
of the so-calisa "Line" branches of the “amy. Bach ‘enti nay ond dutios a tine |

=

cin ‘that differ from the other iit Saanaed: ‘drahes ht ‘can aes ae seseaaied

He
for a certain time of day for all units or even for all the men in one unit as
may ‘be done in line outfits end in colleges and schools. Facilities and condi-
tions also vary greatly at each base. This problem is not at all like school
mhysical oducation, or like public recreation work,

All enlisted men must participate in the regularly scheduled required Prom |
gram except those over 40 years of age. The latter nay substitute a program ans
lar to the officers! -progran. | |

-A sécond division of. our program is. the required physical training program
for all officers of the Army Air Forces. This program requires all officers. to
participate. in physical training activitics a. corte ain number of hours per week,
depending upon the age of each individual officer eae ‘the particular type of duty
he is performing. | The amount sind the importance of Srvkexpation by flying offi-
eers is particularly emphasized.

Here again the entire range of athletic activities, and all types of exercis.
may be utilized if they are of a eS ewORR nature. The only vigorous types of CX
ercise that we do not advoeste for flying officers are sachin: Ro epltestih and other
activities icifa severe Daa y contact may injure the perenne Now you may
wonder why we do not dinoedta the so-called aggressive, combat activities that
are coming to be popularly considered as ideal training activities for ll person=
nel in the armed forces,

-We hear a lot of bunk these dad about the values of sonata contact sports
viieh will develo courage, and aggressive spirit, and all those other intangible.
attributes that certain enthusiasts claim are inherent in particulnsr athletic
activities. That is the very type of fogcy thinking and generalizing that has
clazued physicel education for years. Neither the psychologists, nor others, have
one bit of scientific evidence that courage and io niceatechdies are general quali-

ties, or that there is any transfer of training of this type. Where is there any

-6—
' Cal-.condition or enersy. mat be built ae

scientific evide ence that courn:0 in footbell. 03 or + borin goarantoct courase Azainst
bullets or courage, in flying an airplane? What heats ehvidditice gs. there’ that:
the type of courage found in football mlayers or » oes ie superior to that™ found:
Lr. trackmen, swinners or. badninton players?: There have been no ‘pelontarie: studics
weds im this ficld to ny Imowledze. In contrast, the fact that has impressed me
srocnb Ly is anlunaen so many of ame wiry, thinwaisted, anal)” aha! éven’ defint=

Geb unataletic-apnesring 5 but vory successful combat yilots: ‘tn our ‘Air’ Porcess” .

 
  
  

eThe type oz notivities that we are | vartiealasly advocating for our flying

.

’ officers are . those (1) which will develop and naintain gencral all-arotnd‘endu-

ranee.or..fitness, (2) which involve a areat as of running, (3) which strengthen
the- abdgminal muscles, and (4) which cxpeal ‘to ve. partiouler interests of the! in-

dividual flying officer. Wes is a reason way dash of these types of activitiés,

. selected on the. basis of our original objectives Lowa ox physical condition for

flying airplanes. under. Pup ak conditions), is “ndvoeated:

(23 AER ii Son of, a viz som oug natures which ‘involve a ‘aii deal of rurining

are selected as probably oe best type of ont Aiekhioe: i ic cai wenéral all-around

; i ts ‘
peter OR June OMeo wt oe

“endurance. This. general: Auakiby of all-around | endurance in “sbsolutely essential

ae he eto 4
: aN Sok Gary * odd

“$q.long distance, Flying and Hong duty hours; a great reserve ‘poo ol of general: phys:

tw
ae RRO GE yes oe

” ahi i ’
: t

re pRannines vigorous and/or extended panna nes ‘te ‘the one eee exercise for
the development and nad nienange of a _ wold-funetioniag chroulétory ‘system and ros~-
piratory system. Both these Baa en sienkndimes butcise sid in altitude and
distance flying. All of you kmow, from your courses in physiology and physiology
of exercise, that the trained state cndenerentinta functioning of the organic
systems, may be obtained and maintained only thru the continued vigorous use of

the big muscle systems of the body.. Therefore, we advocate lots of vigorous run-

aing, in any form, for flyers. zt
+.
   

 

oe hB), Activities: which strenzthen the abdominal miscles are: advocated with °°
the objective of ‘atatvenieh = dines emacs of the black-out involved in sudden: chahzes ©
of altitude and direction. There is no. scientific arobie awed Avie Hat a strong -
abdominal wall will absolutely:lessen black-out. There is still a great deal’ that
is. not known about this particular: condition. The evidence available, however,
indicates that-a strong abdominal wall will probably ait: in. preventing blackout..
Until it is. proved otherwise, thercfore, we shall advocate the maintenance of a
very strong abdominal wall, Certainly. we know that this is one of the ‘most neg?
lected, and yet most important, muscle groups in the entiré body for all daily
activities and functions. sa le

ee Senge and games of 4 recreational type, which appeal to the-indi--°
vidual officer, are advocated, in line with our objective to relieve flying: °

stress and to provide an emotional outlet. They afford an opportunity to fora

get end become absorbed in that particular game. A program of formalized acti- ©
vities such as calisthenics or regimented participation in distance running or

_ formalized zames would probably not achieve this objective.

a é : ig oa
de Tver -thiind, phase of cur. physical training program is the voluntary, recrea-

ticnal athletic program. We are attempting, in the 4th Air Force, to promote a
broad intramural-program which will include as many sth aivies te and participants
as facilities, equipment and time will permit.

_» We are definitely discouraging the organization and promotion of ‘host teams
in the 4th Air Force... Why spond money and time, monspolize:-the few aveilable —
facilities and the time of what exverienced personnel there’ is’available, on'40°
football (or other "varsity") players; while the other 4960 men. on the post are --
left out, or sit around.and-watch?: ‘Post teams are the- froth 'of thé récreational
program.,- If the required:physical training boadriin tbe Seecdende? dente: and if
tne intramural program is ‘serving. the largest. number possible, then post teams may
oll be organized. We have seen onough of these athletie programs for. the few ‘at -

se

the expense of the many, in school and college athletics.

wren
NE

, nee PEYSICAL TRAINING PROGRAM OF THE Any, ATR FORCES
- WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR SCHOOL AND COLLEGE PROGRAMS

- B. Be DeGroot, Jr., 2nd Lt., Aa De
Director of Physical Training, 4th Air Force

Part II
What the Schools Must Do Zo Ald the Develomment of 4 Bavetoally Bit amy

Yous, reaction to the required physical program outlined for the Arny (Cone

bat) dir Forees probably is that the time allotted is not sufficient to develop” “~~

superior ‘physical condition, You! re right! It isn't! © All we can do is attempt
to maintain Bnysicel condition for combat. purposes. The development of. physical
fitness. cal selinile ‘iad be aeegeny bronght avout before either officers or
enlisted men ae és the combat forces. That means that the physical developmeh-
tal process must have been completed either in pwceutt camps and ficTne-eviseres?

or in schools and civilian life before entering the army. Yur recruit camp train-

a
a
-

ing ranges fron six weeks to twelve weeks, our cadet flying course thirty-five
weeks. and ei haeees the etzencies of training for modern warfare do not leave

a great Seas of time fas physical training, ae in this preliminary metitary
training. Don't forg et that this anplies to those being trained for "line" organ-
izations as voll as for the Air Forcast | Byer if this time deveted to physical

oe were irdpeed you and I know that it isn't sufficient to develop the

type of physica al condition deatrag, if the individual has not had years of physi--

eal devel omental background; The answer is, of course, that the physical eiuce-

 

fons in cur schools ont collages oni communities must de the Job af dewolenine
Wisk dnd at a Joh howe shenicah ucatons dang aid what cad of shesten} sack
mens are reno: tines for z ailitery Suty?

Gentlemen, sbreieal aiweckine and physical educators and the. school adminis—

trators behind them, have done a rotten job! They have fniled to develop a physi-

Qe
cally fit Bopulgetont oe the last. twenty yeors. They have fumbled the ball!
Be young men. that are coming ge the army are way below standard physically.|
I make Sheee charges on the basis of objective evidence and a considerable
amount of observation.

[First my observat#on is one of comparison-—comparison with the physigal
condition developed by our enemies, It was my bakes ze to be in Dernany during
»/:h038,. Tho physiques, the vigor, and the general appearance of ehywscal: To eARSes
Of. all German vouths was anazing. I'm not satobethe 4 to the athletes, but to all
.1 the young men we sew throughout Germany, both in uniform and out of vastors|

-,Hitler,:in.Mein Kampf, emphasized the absolute importance of building a physically

o> Bbrong; rugged youth as a foundation for a. strong state. Ho accomplished this

  

no objective.®. The contrast of the general run of our school youth with those of
Germany .is distressing, to say the least.

‘[Secona, I have seen thousands of recruits in Air Force recruit Setvi during
the last nine months. The general physical condition, the muscular development
- and the -performance ability of these young men is nothing that we, in physical

‘education, can be proud of. Before we discuss this matter of physical fitness,

- or physical condition, any further, let's determine what we mean by the Seti

Es

You have read many statements, pro and con, during the last few months about
.. the draft results, the number of rejections, and the physical fitness of oats Amer-
“teen youth. That tern physical fitness neods Gharification. It seems to me that
there has bedn a great deal of Togey thinking by. both physical odueators sill lay-
en (1). in Anterpreting the draft rejections (for vhysical disabititios), (2) in
understanding what may bo meant by the term "physical fitness", and (3) | in what
— physicel cducation may do bo. improve whet Jcind of physical fitness. |

Physical cducation received. a great boost as a result of. the draft in 1917-.

-10-
Physical education was aaa to reetify sii physical Aiah ticbitten revealed, in
that draft. Now cones the 1940-41 draft and the rege ction rate, according to pre~
liminary surveys, appears to be as high as 25 years ago! Tho cry is that physical
education has failed! And we must admit that we laid ourselves wide open for that |
charge by claiming that physical education laws and ahysical educstion classes
proper could alleviate the physical defects revealed in the first draft! The —
feature: article in the March issue of the Physical Education Journal seoms to be

written along that same vein, too!

  

|For whatdefects are men rejected in the a numbers? The causes

'

(for 1940: rejections), according to a report in the Army Niodical Bulletin, are =

order: teeth, eyes, ears, mental and nervous AP eeaweds Weatey cua lungs,

oO

vencral, nusculo-skeletal, and feet. Tho first three, defective tooth, eyes, and

  

ears comprise 41% of the disqualifications}

Now what can vhysical: education nroper do to rectify these defects? Very
little. -Almost all these defects must be remedied by medical treatment under the |
direction of medical persennel, Particination in paysioel sducation classes and.
in athlotics certainly isn!+ going to fio it! And I beliove it is true to state
that 95% of our ohysical education courses of ewok titel actually consist of |
activity periods. aes

It. maybe within the province of tnevructional hygiene to initiate the cor-.
roction, and to follow-up | on the correction of such defects. But how meriy schools
and how many physical educatora conduct a anki wid fle acaionic course in hygiene
which produces tangible results? These rainy-day, hit-or-miss, bhowdey-por-wook,
suostitute-for-activity—class type of hygicne classes ane not only ineffectual -
but are a waste of time. | |

Physical educators, in my humble opinion, have cof mistake to claim that
tus physical cducation program in itself, can remedy the type of physical (morpho-
“ogical and organic) defects which cause rejection by the Army.
Perse ; ein
Fe eal erste ttre,

 

What physical education proper should have done in the past 20 years and

.. what it should be doing right now is to develop the muscular strength, organic.
-vigor, endurance, stamina, agility and bodily control of every grammar school, ©

high. school and college student, not merely of the sacred few who participate in

interschool athletics. This is the kind of physical fitness and cbHaes teh Quine’
physical education can claim to develop. This is the kind of physical condition
thatis absolutely essential as a foundation for both the Army and Navy and for.
the working, producing civilian population.

‘Besides my observations of thousand of recruits, I have some objective evi-
dence on this failure of physical ndnbaeton to develon physically effective young

men.,. Last fall I tested, thru a battery of standardized physical achievement

‘tasts, over 1,000 Air Force enlisted men, most of them newly inducted soldiers.

In every test, without excention, the mean performance of these soldiers fell -
below the mean performance of unselected college students as determined by Dr.

Cozens in his Achievement Scales for Colleze Men, And those college men were not
athletes, I believe the soldiers tested were a representative cross section’ of ©
the type of men entering the Army today. They were from many states; about half
of them were from California schools. They were selected st random from various
types of Air Force Units. The age was about the same as that of our college men.

Our new: soldiers not only fall below the mean standards of college men, but also

. below: the very conservative achievement standards suggested by the Army.

ot. let me give: you some of the actual méan performances of these men:

Soliiers ED, «3 at osc. "=! Qollere- men:
 Pull-ups on 3255 | aud “Loan “sang
Push-uns from ground 16 23
Standing broad jump 6!'7% : 7
ge0 yard run 34.2 not ‘available
150. yard dash SlpGen -nctsic i EE BPR OL RSEOO Ay

75 yard ash 10.5 : 943
16% could not pull wp noe than twice; 23% could not push tp more than 8 ,
times, and 28% could not jump 6 foot from a stand!

And you. should have seen dw Lace of agility, bodily control, and general :>..'::

clumsiness! When grown men in &° prime of life struggle to chin themselves. twice,:- .::

can't sob dit 4 38 their, moverients: to perform a standing borad jump, ems Flounder ..'-:- 25

all over’ the ireacte: in vegas? to run, it is a sad commentary on the physical edu-‘:
cation’ they have had, or ubth ob haven't had, in sbhioot't Physical "education": Be
indeed! “Motor morons are ai we are receiving into the army in large numbers. eon

—_—T iusiiveniemcebtnlatiensisewilabisaccalanceeee
And of course, all these men are labeled "physically fit" for they have no organic

 

 

or physical defects! It is obvious that having a Sertholéel cally and organically. .
sound body does not mean that the individual has any degree of physical strength,
‘ehketilgouds general physical condition,
What can physical education do to aid the Army and Navy in building a fighting
ne side et

Physical education can return to a real effort to achieve its (almost
forgotten in recent vend) Mrimary objectives © a ‘building of ene endurance
and agility in every young man. The. social intogration of the individual, person—
ality dato banaies good citizenshiv and other similar objectives are fine and may. .-
be attained thru vhysical adiient in. But let's get back to the one contribution.
which no other phase of education can make, and which we kmow and can prove that:
physical education can make.

As Dr. McCloy has so avtly nut it: — “ew sone musclet? Dr. McCloy, ©

in the first few chanters of his book, Philosophical Bases for Physical Education,

presents this case very ‘etesativedy, I would recomend that every physical educa~..

for read or re-read this book. ‘Those first chapters should also we toad by every °" =":

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school administrator. Mare the chapters aid place it in your. principal’ s hands...

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Snecifically, what can physical education do to aid the war effort?
1. Develop every hoy to his optinun physical potentialities, This means
the development of all essential muscle groups: (a) shoulder alike acd arm,
_ Co) abdominal, (c) back, and (da) leg muscles. This also neans the development,
_ in every boy, of the fundamental skills: (a) running, both sprint and distance
.. Suitable to his physiological age, (b) jumping, (c) throwing and obs ie one,
» (a) climbing and supporting his.weight entirely by his arms in varied situations,
_(e) balancing snd general bodily control, and (f) swimming. VYbviously, physical
education programs comprised entirely or primarily of touch football, basketball,
_ volleyball and soft bali are not adequate to produce all-around physical fitness.
Men who call themselves "physical educators" and Senisak cack programs are fail-

ing their responsibility both to the youth under their charge and to the nation's

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war effort.

2. HKliminate these riehyepandhy activities and these cosduestional nctivi-
ties from the required physical education period. Hven if one whole achaw br
day were available for actual physical emai activities, it would be inade-
quate, And. we know thit the actual activity time of every gym period ke: inte
thirty to forty-five minutes! Let's not waste the precious time that hedaman
_ State laws have given us! Let the orientation classes, the social science depart
: ment, or some other department, provide these purely social and non-vigerous re-
creational activities such as social dancing, ning pong, horseshoes, shuffle
board, and coeducational team games.

a 3. Bxanine carefully all activities selected for use in the physical ed
uestion period, and particulorly the manner in which they are conducted, I'm
not advocating one hour of onlisthenics or one hour of running every day. But

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every activity should be selected and conducted in such a manner than real de-

4

velopmental values may be obtained. A "unit" of softbali, which may last sev—

, ole
eral weeks, for instance, is nractically worthless in developmental values, espe-~
cially for those very boys who need physical development the most! What value do
the hoys (4nvariably the dubs) receive who, day after day, walk out to right’ and
center fiolis, have a ball come near them a courle of tines during the entire
noetotss weak bate, and go %6 bat a few times?! Parallel examples may be found
intmadey oth ae activities. Labeling such a total prosram of activities forthe
year as a "shvsical daueatiba course" is farcical. Jo wonder the Army is receiv-
ite iotor morons in Raree nunbers! “Obviously, coaches and physical edueation
toushions igovguind to have to snend as much time and ensrzy in planninz and teach
ing every physical education class as they have syent in the past on thcir varsity
iste an

; a the boye some skills in vigorous individual sports. It is amaz——
ing to fina the tuner of officers nnd men who have no skill at all and have
‘am. Dlayed aigh -igemae as handball, badminton, tennis, who can't swim, and who
have never learn:d to handle any ‘ind of a ball with any facility. Our problen *
sf nadcbetn Ges erelca) condition, particularly in our flying officers, would be
einenirgaly tbeeonsa if these men were all equipvedl with skills in individual
sports,

5. Tench every boy the fundamentals of water safety, and reauire that
every boy learn to swim. With our planes overating over water constantly, and
with hundreds of thousands of our soldiers and snilors exposed to tornedoing,
ile de ability becomes tremendously immortant. Hundreds, probably thousands
of our men may drown in this war because they cannot swim.

6. Vigerously follow-up for correction, with the parents of every boy whose
examination reveals remedial physical defects. The cooperation of the school doc-
tor, nurse, and princival, should be obtained in this work,

7. It seems essGntial to me, that some type of measurement of the physical
achievement of every boy should be made. Every be shouta be brought wo to the

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highest possible verformance in strength, endurance and agility. This, testing:... .
progran, adnittedly, is: not easy to administer. But how slse will you know where.
every boy is in physical condition and ability? And remember that -we.want to de-.
velop every boy, whether he has any athletic ability or not,

fn closing, I would like to reemphasize these facts; (1) that performance
physicol fitness as well ai functional physical fitness is absolutely essential
to .the war effort; (2) that the present physical condition. of young mon entering ;
the Army is far nelow par; and (3) that physical educntion and physical educators |
have a, tremendous responsibility in remedying this situation, I know that they.
are capable of the task and that they can do it. Let's. get back to the fundamen— |

tals of vhysical education and eliminate the razzle-dazzle nlays.

Paper prosented before the Annual Convention, California Association for Health, —

Physical Education ant Recreation; Sacranento, California, March 30, 1942...

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