Sport became a useful social feature, in later schools one of the main objectives of the Housemaster was to ensure that the boys were beneficially occupied; this was often done by arranging sporting competitions. The Headmaster in G.E.L Cotton introduced sport and games to Marlborough in 1852, his main motive was to create discipline to gain control of over wild sports such as poaching. He did this by organising games, improving sporting facilities and most importantly appointing fervent games teacher/masters.
As sport became increasingly popular with both the boys and their Master’s the influence of the progressive Headmasters became increasingly valuable. The localised rules, which the boys had been taught at their previous schools, travelled with them to Oxford and Cambridge Universities. It was there that a “melting pot” was developed as the students supplied their diverse interpretations of different games. This was the ultimate catalyst for sport.
During the 20 years following Arnold there were immense transformations made. School staff now actively agreed and supported sport in schools rather than just recognising it. There was an indisputable aspiration to develop excellence in a wide range of sports and identify the most elite and talented performers. It was this cohort of teachers that took athleticism to a new level. They carried it in to the “Muscular Christian” era.
The introduction of new schools and the expansion of existing schools led to an immense project; the building of new sporting facilities including gymnasiums and extensive playing fields. The structure of the school day was also altered. The morning consisted of academic studies, the afternoon was sporting activities and the evening was prep and house activities. Public school athleticism has had an enormous influence on the maturity of sport through history. Sport was brought on substantially in the course of the last 20 years or so of the 1800’s. The time spent on playing sport could be up to five hours a day and it was coached by professionals and elite individuals. This inevitably created a widespread model of play that caused the standard of amateur sport to reach levels it had never seen before.
Sport became an essential part of education meaning that its importance was vast. People respected, valued and enjoyed sport. The physical endeavour and moral integrity that sport carried with it become a crucial part of life. The concept of athleticism created not only a new standard of physical ability and sporting performance but also a new model of Gentlemen with superior moral values and social control.