Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 261, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 November 1910 — LOSE INTEREST IN FOOTBALL [ARTICLE]

LOSE INTEREST IN FOOTBALL

Game Is Too Complicated for American Youngsters and Buccer Will Be Substituted. Is football losing its interest for the American schoolboy? Howard Bradstreet, director of New York city’s 50 public playgrounds, thinks the continued tinkering with the rules has made the game so complicated that the average boy of grammar school age would rather have a simpler game for his hours of recreation. As a result of Mr. BradstYeet’s investigation of the subject, football will he turned down altogether at the New York playgrounds this year. Its place will be taken by soccer. For boys of high school age and for youths of the college Mr. Bradstreet thinks that the game still holds its fascination. The youths whom he looks after are for the most part of an age below that of first year high school pupils. Says Mr. Bradstreet; “I find b prejudice against the game on the part of both boys and parents, and accordingly I am going to organize a succer tournament to take the place of the American game. It will he an easy matter to cut out football, for In the first place most of the boys don't care about It. The changes in the rules mean nothing to the youngsters at the playgrounds, because they use pretty much their own rules. The principal difficulty In starting succer will be to teach the game. When the hoys learn it lam oonfldent that they will like succor.''