State AHPER Presidents-elect

Confer in

Washington

First national meeting of this type ever held by AAHPER

N JUNE THE AAHPER sponsored a new type of national meeting-a meeting of presidents-elect of its state associations for health, physical education, and recreation. The conference was planned to meet a need for jointly considering organization problems of state associations.

WORKSHOP PLAN

The meeting was conducted as a workshop to consider matters of significance to state associations-such as public relations, the preparation and distribution of newsletters, finances, constitutions, association organization, projects, membership promotion, convention program planning, and relationships with other organizations with district associations for HPER, with the National Education Association, and with AAHPER itself.

The meeting was held in Washington to give state association officers an opportunity to visit the new NEA Educational Center, to meet key members of the staff of the National Education Association, and to see the headquarters of AAHPER. Meeting together in this workshop gave state association officers an opportunity to get acquainted with each other, with AAHPER President Ruth Abernathy, and with members of the headquarters staff.

E

'VIDENTLY, the vast majority of

college administrators believe that intercollegiate athletics contribute to the over-all development of the student; otherwise some action would be taken by these administrators to eliminate varsity sports. A few years ago, after the bribing scandals in intercollegiate basketball and the cribbing scandals involving some collegiate varsity players, many people began to wonder whether intercollegiate athletics were worthwhile.

Apparently, intercollegiate athletics are not inherently good or inherently bad; the guidance of undergraduate varsity athletes must be placed in the hands of coaches who are educators and understand the purpose of intercollegiate athletics in a college program. It is too bad that the actions of a few varsity athletes can command so much attention and deleteriously influence the opinions of so many people.

DETERMINING THEIR VALUE

One way of determining the value of intercollegiate athletics is to judge the behavior of those students who are most influenced by this type of competition-the varsity athletes. On the assumption that faculty members are in a good position to observe and judge the influence of intercollegiate athletics on participants and spectators, a survey was made of the attitudes of the faculty of Pennsylvania State University during April and May of 1954.

The enrollment for the second semester, 1953-54, at Pennsylvania State University was 11,084 full-time students with a total enrollment of 12,241. The intercollegiate athletic program of the University included.

competition in ten varsity sports; namely, baseball, basketball, boxing, cross-country and track, football, gymnastics, lacrosse, soccer, tennis, and wrestling.

Of the 1,082 questionnaires sent out to faculty members, 588 were returned or 54 per cent of the total. Of the 588 respondees, 60 per cent had an athletic background and 40 per cent had no athletic background.

HOW STUDY WAS MADE

The questionnaire used in this study contained 25 statements which represented the more general claims as to the outcomes of intercollegiate athletics. Essentially, the questionnaire represented a revision and condensation of the McCue Attitude Scale. The faculty members were instructed to consider each statement, unless otherwise stated, as pertaining to athletes who participate in intensive competition in varsity sports at the college level. After each of the 25 statements was a five category scale which the faculty members checked to indicate how strongly they agreed or disagreed with the statements. The five categories used were: Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Usually, and Always.

A frequency tabulation was made for each of the 25 statements. The degree of favorability, expressed by the means, was found for each statement. All means were computed by assigning a value of zero to Never, one to Rarely, two to Sometimes, three to Usually, and

1 Betty Foster McCue, "Constructing an Instrument for Evaluating Attitudes Toward Intensive Competition in Team Games," Research Quarterly, 24:205-209 (May 1953).

four to Always, except for statements numbered 1, 13, 16, 19, 21, and 24. These statements expressed a negative point of view and had to be analyzed by reversing the numerical value assigned to the categories on the attitude scale. This was done by crediting Always with zero, Usually with one, Sometimes with two, Rarely with three, and Never with four. QUESTIONNAIRE STATEMENTS

At the right are the 25 statements; the mean rating for each statement by the faculty members who had participated in varsity sports (designated M.R.A.); the mean rating by the faculty members who had not participated in varsity sports (designated M.R.N.A.); and the mean rating by all the faculty members (designated M.R.T.F.). Also, the category in which each statement was rated, based upon the mean rating by all the faculty members, is listed.

FINDINGS

Notice that the majority of the faculty members agreed, according to the category rating of Usually in statements 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 11, 15, and 18, that intercollegiate athletics helped the participant to develop the personality, to promote physical fitness and health habits, to build musculature and good posture, to gain selfrespect and prestige, etc. Many coaches and physical educators will recognize the above phrases as the objectives for which they had striven. Evidently the coaches and physical educators were reaching some of these objectives.

The faculty members rated the other 17 statements in the Sometimes category. If the assumption is made that a mean rating of two is in the exact middle of the five category scale (never = 0, rarely = 1, sometimes = 2, usually 3, always = 4), then any mean rating of more than two indicated a favorable opinion for that statement and any mean rating of less than two indicated an unfavorable opinion. Therefore, the faculty 'members agreed with statements 4. 5, 6, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 16, 20, 21, 22, and 23. In interpreting responses to statements 9, 13, 16, and 21, the reader must remember to reverse the numer

INTENSIVE COMPETITION IN VARSITY SPORTS

1. Develops desirable attributes of personality (self-confidence, leadership, ingenuity, initiative, ambition, perseverance, will to win, and courage). M.R.A. 2.62; M.R.N.A.2.37; M.R.T.F. 2.52-Usually

2. Promotes good physical condition, fitness, skill, and health habits. M.R.A.2.95; M.R.N.A. = 2.76; M.R.T.F. — 2.87-Usually

=

3. Is valuable in that it provides socially approved avenues of expression.
M.R.A.=
2.53; M.R.N.A.2.37; M.R.T.F. 2.50-Usually

4. Is valuable in the development of recreational skills which carry over to later life. M.R.A.2.24; M.R.N.A.2.13; M.R.T.F. 2.20-Sometimes

5. Develops sportsmanship and emotional control.

M.R.A.2.49; M.R.N.A.2.36; M.R.T.F. 2.44-Sometimes

6. Develops ease in meeting and getting along with people and poise in almost any type of situation.

M.R.A.2.20; M.R.N.A.2.03; M.R.T.F. 2.13-Sometimes

7. Builds a reserve of strength and endurance, good physique, musculature, and good posture.

M.R.A.2.60; M.R.N.A. 2.64; M.R.T.F. 262-Usually

8. Gives to participants feeling of self-respect and prestige.

M.R.A.2.84; M.R.N.A.

*19. Orients the general public to judge the school administration by the success and M.R.A.1.94; M.R.N.A.1.85; M.R.T.F. 1.90-Sometimes

20. Teaches the participants mental alertness.

M.R.A.2.36; M.R.N.A.2.22; M.R.T.F. 2.30-Sometimes

*21. Leads to unnecessary injury.

M.R.A.2.41; M.R.N.A. = 2.31; M.R.T.F. 2.37-Sometimes

22. Presents no greater danger of accident to the trained athlete than any other phase of daily living.

M.R.A.2.27; M.R.N.A.2.20; M.R.T.F. = 2.25-Sometimes 23. Develops cooperation with and responsibility for other people. M.R.A.2.47; M.R.N.A. = 2.33; M.R.T.F. 2.41-Sometimes

*24. Requires more time than the student can afford to develop the necessary degree of skill.

M.R.A.1.68; M.R.N.A. — 1.57; M.R.T.F. 1.64-Sometimes

25. Presents as justifiable a basis for subsidizing (the athletically gifted student who meets and maintains academic requirements) as does high academic achievement (e.g., granting scholarships).

M.R.A.1.66; M.R.N.A. = 1.68; M.R.T.F. 1.66-Sometimes

* Statement expresses a negative point of view.

HEALTH-PHYSICAL EDUCATION-RECREATION

ical value assigned to the five categories on the attitude scale. These four statements presented situations which were unfavorable to intercollegiate athletics, and the faculty members disagreed with these statements.

The faculty members disagreed with statements 17, 19, 24 and 25, because the mean rating for each of these statements was below two. However, in interpreting responses to statements 19 and 24, the reader must again remember to reverse the numerical value of the five categories on the attitude scale. These two statements present situations which were unfavorable to intercollegiate athletics, and the faculty members agreed.

MEAN RATING BY COLLEGES

Of the faculty members of each college with previous athletic background, the College of Physical Education and Athletics indicated the most favorable attitude (the mean rating was 2.63), while the College of Liberal Arts faculty indicated the least favorable attitude (the mean rating was 2.03). Of the faculty members of each college without varsity sport backgrounds, the College of Engineering and Architecture indicated the most favorable attitude toward intercollegiate athletics (mean rating 2.36), while the College of Physics and Chemistry indicated the least favorable attitude (mean rating of 1.97).

Upon ranking all the colleges regardless of backgrounds, the faculty of the College of Physical Education and Athletics indicated the most favorable attitude (mean rating was 2.63) while the College of Liberal Arts faculty indicated the least favorable attitude (mean rating was 2.06). The total mean rating for all of the statements on the Intercollegiate Athletics Questionnaire by all the faculty of the Pennsylvania State University was 2.31. Again, if the assumption is made that a mean rating of two is in the exact middle of the five category scale, then the faculty at Pennsylvania State University indicated a favorable opinion toward the variety of outcomes derived from participation in intercollegiate athletics. ★

D

O YOUR GIRLS' dressing rooms have a feminine personality? Can a casual visitor readily distinguish between the men's and women's dressing rooms? Take a long look at your facilities; whether they are adequate or not, have you made the most of them?

Attractive, feminine facilities are well worth the effort. Girls begin to take more pride in their locker rooms and respond by assuming more individual responsibility for orderliness. The GAA, WRA, and so-called "muscle girls" attain a more acceptable status in the eyes of the non-athletically inclined. Incidentally, the psychological effect on the teachers every morning is definitely beneficial.

USING INGENUITY

You can use your imagination and ingenuity in improving the appearance of your dressing areas. Here are a few suggestions to stimulate your thinking:

Color: The next time your locker room is painted, use light pastels; the

pale pinks, greens, blues, and yellows. Lighten dark woodwork, as well as the rest of the walls. Plan your color scheme now; it might help you get that needed paint job!

Mirrors: You can't have too many mirrors for girls. Some of them should be full length; one of them should be a three-way mirror. The wall-type make-up mirrors should have a narrow purse shelf below and tissues for blotting lipstick. Folded toilet paper in a dispenser is adequate and inexpensive.

Waste Cans: Supply waste baskets or cans generously, especially by the make-up mirrors and sinks. Why not decorate or paint them to contrast with the color scheme, so that they will be noticed and used?

Scales: Place your scales near a mirror for obvious reasons. A bulletin board with helpful figure hints should be within reading distance.

Bulletin Boards: In some modern schools, this may seem to be one of

the few places besides your office that you can feminize. Color trim or ruffles can make an attractive board, ready for colorful pictures, articles, and cartoons.

Ruffles: For real comment, try ruffles. Plastic ruffles are inexpensive, attractive, easy to launder, durable. Plastic window trim is available in colors, stripes, and plaids. Use them around the mirrors, bulletin boards, and windows if your dressing room is too dark for curtains.

Curtains: Try plastic or paper ones that harmonize.

Furniture: Try to get some furniture besides the usual cot; perhaps a second-hand couch, comfortable chairs, a coffee table or an end table. Use attractive covers that complete your color scheme. Paint your dressing room benches to match or contrast with the room.

Deodorizers: Deodorizers strategically and plentifully placed, and controlled ventilation, can almost prevent dressing room odor. Planter: Would your first-hour class be interested in making and caring for a planter?

Teacher's Office: This is a key to the entire project; make your own office attractive. Good pictures attract attention and often provide the opening to counseling opportunities. Attractive, comfortable furnishings give a more relaxed atmosphere for informal chats and meetings. And don't underestimate the value of fresh flowers!

GETTING STARTED

Often, with some care given to your own office, student groups can be interested in undertaking the locker room project. Of course, this is one of the more desirable methods of attaining your objective which has also become their objective.

So, survey your facilities; make a long-term master plan for accomplishing the transformation; enlist the help and advice of your immediate superior and your interior decorator or home economics teacher. Start with your own office; talk to interested students and get their help and ideas. Soon you will have attractive, girlish dressing rooms-by girls, and for girls. ★