Figure 1.--Cricket played in white flannels is about English as one can get. Prepschool boys in England and Scotland often play in white shorts.
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Figure 1.--Cricket played in white flannels is about English as one can get. Prepschool boys in England and Scotland often play in white shorts. |
Games or sport was a major focus at prep schools and cntunues to be today. Games were important at most public schools and thus the prep schools had to prepare the boys for the games played at the public schools to whic they sent the boys. There was a class element here. While cricket in England spanned the classes, football did not. Curiously it was the rough and tumble of rugby that was adopted by the English upper class and most public schools. Many schools had no fottbal (soccer programs and many had school rules prohibitong the boys from kicking a ball to make sure they were mot corrupted by a working class game.
Games or sport was a major focus at prep schools and continues to be today. Several modern sports were developed at public schools, in large part to keep the boys busy and out of trouble. The schools gradually developed the idea that sport and the mental and physical descipline involved were character building. Sports were esentiallyBecause games were important at most public schools and thus the prep schools had to prepare the boys for the games played at the public schools to whic they sent the boys.
There was a very strong class element to british sport. The upper class saw itself mentally and physically superior to the working class. There were no sports program in state schools. Only boys able to go to public and preparatory schools received athletic training. Workingclass boys could simply not affor d to pursue sports. When the appearance of the Olympic movement in the late 19th century, the public's interest in sport grew. By restricting participation to amateurs, the working class was essentially excluded from particiapting..
There were also class differences among sports. While cricket in England spanned the classes, football did not. Curiously it was the rough and tumble of rugby that was adopted by the English upper class and most public schools. Many schools had no fottbal (soccer programs and many had school rules prohibitong the boys from kicking a ball to make sure they were mot corrupted by a working class game.
The different sports played at preparatory and public schools required the purchase of a great variety of equimpent, uniforms, and specualized shoes and boots. This significantly increased the financial outlay required to attend a private school in Enhland.
Information avaialble on specific sports is as follows:
Cricket is the quinesential English game. Its origins are shared with American baseball and the English children's game rounders. The required cricket uniform is a white shirt and trousers, perhaps a white sweater on a cool day. At public schools boys generrally wore white long pants, but prep school boys often wore short pants with white kbeesocks.
Related Chronolgy Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site
[The 1880s]
[The 1930s]
[The 1940s]
[The 1950s]
[The 1960s]
[The 1970s]
[The 1980s]
Related Style Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site
[Long pants suits]
[Short pants suits]
[Socks]
[Eton suits]
[Jacket and trousers]
[Blazer
[School sandals