Читать книгу The Biology, Physiology and Sociology of Reproduction - Winfield Scott Hall - Страница 21

a. Sports.—Most of the higher animals, particularly man, and all races of men, devote a large part of the energies of the adolescent period to sports or games in which individuals contend with each other or teams of individuals contend with opposing teams in games that bring into play the various powers of the neuro-muscular system: such as alertness of all the senses, readiness and correctness of judgment, agility, speed and strength of movement. Sports might be criticised by some because they represent non-productive expenditure of energy. On the other hand, no energy ever expended by man is so highly productive of so precious a material as results from manly athletic sports. The products of these games are the substances consumed by them, paradoxical as that may at first appear. The use of brain, muscle and glands and the consumption of the cell substances of these tissues results in the development of the nerve, muscle and gland cells into a condition larger, better equipped and more responsive than before such use.

Thus, athletic sports, while they make draughts upon the nerves, muscles and glands, develop all of these tissues to a high degree of efficiency. The plan of nature in this instinctive indulgence in sports must be evident. Nature is educating and developing the male animal (man) to the highest possible degree of efficiency, so that sports, instead of being non-productive, lead to the development of structures possessing a high degree of value, not only to the individual, but also to society.

Furthermore, those qualities of mind that are encouraged on the athletic field between contestants in a game are the qualities that in the later serious struggles of life make most for success.

b. Productive Employment.—Hardly less important than the influence of sports is that of productive employment for the adolescent. That the adolescent youth should not be assigned tasks that overtax his physical or mental powers goes without saying, nor should he be assigned tasks that consume so much of his time that he is unable to take an active part with his fellows in field sports. However, experience demonstrates that the youth undergoes a more wholesome all around development if he takes some active part in a productive employment, than if allowed to devote all of his energies to play. The simple fact that he is held responsible for some duty about the home or the shop develops in the youth not only a knowledge of how to do things and a sympathy with the adults who are devoting their strength largely to similar tasks, but—more important than either of these considerations—these tasks develop in him the ability to accomplish promptly and efficiently some piece of work as a duty—to do it regularly and promptly because it is a duty without any reference to a personal enjoyment in the task. If this important lesson in life is learned during the early adolescent period, it will make the path of life much less rugged than some seem to find it.