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S.H. Armstrong and playgrounds staff, Moss Park Recreation Centre, Sherbourne Street/Shuter Street Adults determined the overall form and specific rules for competitive games and sports. Adults also defined which children could play, when, and where. To support this activities, leagues and associations evolved into leisure-time bureaucracies after 1900. Toronto's dominant Anglo-Celtic culture ensured that most athletic contests were guided by the amateur code. The code valued honesty, courage, perseverance, and fair play in upholding the letter and spirit of the law governing each game. Playing well was a more noble objective than the pursuit of victory. Play organizers were also influenced by new psychological theories of child development. Carefully organized physical exercise was linked to moral vitality and cognitive alertness. Players were to be both competitive and cooperative, balancing individual achievement with loyalty to the team. Social order and harmony would result from enhanced self-control and group responsibility on the diamond, court, and rink. |
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©2001. City of Toronto |
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