Spencer, Sullivan, Terre Haute (Indiana State Laboratory High School
and Wiley High School), Tipton, West Terre Haute (Concannon High
School), Worthington.

Rasketball is and should be only incidental to a high school
education, but it is 2lso one of the vital unifying forces of @ well-
rounded sccondary school training that leads upward toward the real-
ization of tho fullness of life of adolescent school youth by giving
outict to his surplus energy through capable direction,

Our conclusion in regard to the criticisms of these directors,
both state and local, and of the stvdent body, is as follows when
figured in percentages:

1. 87% are withorp any formndation in fect.

2. 10% have but little or no fo ndation in fact.

3. 3% have roal foindation in fact.

Persoral cxpcricness since 1895, as a student playing on one of
the firs: “eanchers! College teems, later as coach, and during the
past twouty-five yeors in making physcal cxaminations and nosing the
mental aud moral effcet, have convinced us that the game is wncolosomes
Teams from tne local high school have boon frequent contestants at
the state baskctbali tournaments. The curlicst one in which tiey parte
icipated was held in the old YY. M. C. A, Gymnasium in Indianapolis.
On the opening rovnd there wore present 23 spccators with sc..ting
room for 25 more,

In all the physical examinations we have made of tourramont
contestants and other players, wo never have found a single stivdont
who, in cur opinion, was ever injured physically or mentally. The
examples are many where the boys have been improved physically and
broadened mentally and morally.

Some critics have implied that examining physicians in local high
schoolgare oithcr careloss or incapable of making tho required
examinations. Wo deny the allegations and maintain that more reliance
can be placed upon the local physician than upon ay outside cuitic,
whether the critic be physician, official, or laity. Our experiences
lead us to believe that we shovld not further restrict the basket-
bell tournament, but rather that we coild well return to the plan

sed in former yoars except to limit tho number of games played in
any one day, and wo might further suggest that there be two class-
ifications of the high schools with two tournaments held concurrently.

Reprinted from The Journal of the Indiana State Medical
Association, August, 1938 Vol. 31, No. 8, Pp. 407-408, 426,
(Copyright, 1938, Indiana State Modical Association)