PENN'S WAY

The Pennsylvania reform movement in sports should not be taken as the only panacea for athletic ills. So much has been said in academic circles and in the daily press, that sweeping changes such as this are likely to be adopted by universities ill fitted for them.

The Pennsylvania athletic system has been for some years in need of revision. The university had fallen behind her sister colleges in the development of intramural athletics, Some highly paid coaches were unpopular. The necessity for a more stringent control of athletic endeavor was obvious. Consequently the wholesale dismissal of non-teaching coaches and the reorganization of the athletic department under university guidance, are necessary steps in the attempt to remove professionalism and over-emphasis.

Not all colleges are faced with the same problems. At many institutions the athletic board is so closely connected with the faculty that the retention of semi-independent athletic board is desirable. In carrying out the idea of intramural athletic faculty boards are often unagressive. Then too, faculties often labor under the supposition that intercollegiate competition is undesirable, which is not necessarily true. It is not even idealistic to be dilettante in athletic affairs.

Although the Pennsylvania idea of hiring teacher coaches is a step in the right direction, this alone will not produce athletics for all, or even remove all of the professionalism. It is too easy to hire a coach and make him an instructor. Better is the graduate coaching system, which does more to insure the selection of good men who are also coaches of ability.