LESSON 9 – OVERVIEW OF CASE STUDY ACTIVITIES THROUGH THREE STAGES IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS. Go over homework answers on p26 of TF.

 IN THIS LESSON WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A LOOK AT:  SWIMMING  ROWING  ATHLETICS  FOOTBALL  CRICKET  COURT AND RACQUET GAMES  AND SEE HOW THEY DEVELOPED OVER THE THREE STAGES.  FOR THE 3 STAGES, EXPLAIN HOW EACH SPORT PROGRESSED NOTING DOWN THE MAJOR DIFFERENCES.

SWIMMING STAGE 1 STAGE 1  INFOMAL BATHING – WAS SPONTANEOUS, UNORGANISED AND CENTRED AROUND NATURAL FACILITIES SUCH AS LOCAL RIVERS OR PONDS. BATHING IN THEIR FREE TIME AND WITH NO MASTER INPUT OR SUPERVISION. WASH AND HAVE FUN.  STAGE 2  MORE REGULAR AND REGULATED – FOR HYGIENE, SAFETY AND RECREATION.  STAGE 3  ATHLETICISM DEVELOPED – MORE STRUCTURED AND REGULATED WITH NATURAL FACILITIES SUCH AS THE RIVER WEY AT CHARTERHOUSE OR THE DUCK PUDDLE AT HARROW BEING TRANSFORMED INTO MAJOR BATHING FACILITIES WITH CHANGING HUTS, DIVING BOARDS, SWIMMING INSTRUCTORS AND COMPETITIVE EVENTS. WATER IMMERSION WAS SEEN TO BE THERAPEUTIC. PURPOSE-BUILT SWIMMING BATHS. SAFETY WAS OF UPMOST IMPORTANCE.

ROWING  STAGE 1  BOYS ENJOYED CASUAL BOATING SIMPLY HIRING BOATS FROM LOCAL YARDS) LONG BEFORE ROWING BECAME EITHER AN ACCEPTED VEHICLE FOR THE PROMOTION OF DESIRABLE VALUES ORA MAJOR PUBLIC SCHOOL SPORT. ROWDY BEHAVIOUR AND DRINKING WOULD HAVE BEEN KEPT TO A MINIMUM.  STAGE 2  DUE TO THE DANGERS OF DROWNING INVOLVED THE SPORT HAD TO BECOME MORE FORMALISED FROM THE 1840s AND PARTICIPANTS HAD TO PASS A SWIMMING TEST. THERE WAS A DEFINITE PUSH TOWARDS THE PRACTICE OF HAVING PROFESSIONAL WATERMEN. THIS STOPPED FOULING AND UNSPORTING BEHAVIOUR.  STAGE 3  COMPETITION DEVELOPED BETWEEN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS THE PHRASE ‘ THE HARMONY OF THE ROWING EIGHT’ DEPICTS THE TEAMWORK REQUIRED BY SUCCESSFUL TEAMS.

ATHLETICS  STAGE 1  RUNNNING ACTIVITIES WOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN FROM VILLAGE FAIRS AND WAKES INTO THE SCHOOLS AND THEY WOULD HAVE PLAYED THEM FOR FUN AND ENJOYMENT TO RELIEVE THE BOREDOM - RUNNING AND EXPLORING THE COUNTRYSIDE.  STAGE 2  INTRODUCTION OF HARE AND HOUNDS AND STEEPLE CHASING.  THE HUMAN HARE WOULD RUN AHEAD AND DROP SCENT (PAPER) FOR THE HOUNDS (OTHER SCHOOLBOYS) TO FOLLOW. INITIALLY, HEADMASTERS WERE AGAINST THIS ACTIVITY – WHY?  STAGE 3  BY THE 1870s ATHLETIC SPORTS DAY HAD BECOME BOTH A MAJOR SOCIAL OCCASION AND A SYMBOL OF A MORE MODERN AGE.  IT WAS AN ERA OF TECHNICAL ADVANCEMENT, MORE FRIENDLY AND SOCIAL OCCASION BETWEEN BOYS AND MASTERS. CONCENTRATING ON SKILFULNESS OVER BRUTE FORCE – THIS WAS SEEN AS AN IMPORTANT DAY TO SEEL THE SCHOOL AND TOUT FOR FINANCIAL SUPPORT.

FOOTBALL  STAGE 1  MOB GAMES – GAMES DEPENDED ON NATURAL RESOURCES – VERY BRUTAL AND LOTS OF VARIATIONS WITH LITTLE RULES.  STAGE 2  MORE FOMALISED RULES FOR INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS AND NOW BEGINNING TO BE USED AS A FORM OF SOCIAL CONTROL. REBELLION ALMOST OVER AND FIGHTING ON THE DECLINE. USED TO DEVELOP SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS – COURAGE AND DETERMINATION. FOOTBALL WAS NOW SEEN AS A RESPECTABLE FORM OF ACTIVITY. SCHOOL FOOTBALL DEVELOPED AND A VARIETY OF INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL COMPETITIONS DEVELOPED. PROBLEMS OF RULE VARIATION.  NOTE THE DIFFERENT VARIATIONS OF THE GAME ON PAGE 35.  STAGE 3  FORMAL RULES (FA, 1863), COLOURS, CAPS AND INTER-SCHOOL FIXTURES.

CRICKET  STAGE 1  POPULAR RURAL GAME IN THE 1700s NON-VIOLENT AND AGAIN DIFFERENT VARIATIONS.  STAGE 2  SOON ADOPTED BY THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. HAPPY TO ACCEPT THE GAME AS ITS STANDARDISED RULES, LACK OF VIOLENCE AND INVOLVEMENT BY THE GENTRY MADE IT RESPECTABLE. 1850s AND 1860s SAW CHANGES – WILLIAM CLARKE ETC. INTER- SCHOOL AND HOUSE COMPETITIONS, COMPULSORY PARTICIPATION, PROFESSIONAL COACHES ETC  STAGE 3  MCC AND DEVELOPMENT THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. ALSO, INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION.

COURT AND RACKET GAMES  STAGE 1  INFORMAL FIVES AGAINST SUITABLE WALLS AND BUILDINGS – INFOMAL IN ORIGIN – EATON FIVES – SHAPE OF COURT CAN BE SEEN TODAY. IT HAD A TRADITION OF BEING PLAYED AS A RECREATION GAME IN FREE TIME. IT HAD LIMITED SCOPE FOR DEVELOPING CHARACTER.  STAGE 2  FIVES WAS VERY POPULAR IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS BUT FAILED TO BECOME A NATIONAL GAME OF ANY STANDING. RACQUETS AND PURPOSE SQUASH COURTS WERE BUILT. PRIVATE CLUBS AND DEVELOPED IN THE UNIVERSITIES – IT ATTAINED A HIGH SOCIAL STATUS.  STAGE 3  LAWN TENNIS WAS INVENTED BY AND FOR THE MIDDLE CLASSES AS A SOCIAL EXPERIENCE. NOT REALLY TAKEN UP BY THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS BUT USED ONLY AS AN INFORMAL SOCIAL EVENT. MAIN REASONS FOR THIS:  TOOK UP LARGE SPACE FOR ONLY FEW BOYS  NOT THE SAME COURAGE AND PHYSICALITY OF FOOTBALL OR CRICKET.  DID NOT REQUIRE THE SAME TEAMWORK OR CO-OPERATION  HAD REPUTATION ONLY FOR THE GIRLS.  TENNIS DEVELOPED OUTSIDE THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM

HOMEWORK  HOW DID ATHLETICISM DEVELOP AT CHARTERHOUSE SCHOOL? – P44  DO EXAM QUESTION ON ATHLETICS IN MY FILE.