Pruter (government documents & reference librarian, Lewis U.) here traces the early cultural history of high school athletics around the turn of the century. This volume explores how sports teams theoretically supported the ancient ideal of good character through both physical and intellectual robustness, yet often subverted the educational mission in practice through the incentives of competition at both an individual and school level. The introduction of sports on student initiative, encroachment of institutional control, and national regulation are covered in sequence while making connections to broader cultural struggles around race, gender, economics, and nationalism. An epilogue gives a brief overview of the continuation of these themes into the present. Annotation ©2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)