THE QUESTION: Does your father spend enough time with you in sports?

BENSON FORD JR.
Age 8
Son of Ford Motors vice-president
No. My father is swell, but he's too busy. He plays with me on Saturdays and Sundays, but my mother throws a spiral pass with a football better than Dad. She taught me and the other kids in my gang to throw a spiral pass.

JACKIE ROBINSON
Age 11
Son of former baseball star
Yes, on weekends. I play well with his pointers. He goes with me to sandlot baseball and football games, and he also takes me with him to sports meetings. Last year he took me to a big sports banquet, and I had a wonderful time.

DAVID KEFAUVER
Age 12
Son of U.S. Senator
When Dad's home, we play baseball and football. Dad wants me to play football for Tennessee, like he did. I have a homemade automobile with a washing machine motor. It's always out of fix, so Dad and I spend a lot of time working on it.

AL (BUTCH) HAASE
Age 14
Son of a Colorado contractor
He's my foster father, but no boy ever had a better father. He took me fishing when I was 3 and hunting with a BB gun when I was 5. We hunt ducks, pheasant and big game, fish for cutthroats and camp out often. I'm a lucky boy.

GEORGE COOKMAN
Age 11
Son of a New York banker
Quite a lot. Dad likes to punt a football and throw passes to me, and we do a lot of golf together. He likes to drive golf balls and I chase them. I get a good workout running after his hooks and slices. And I don't get winded.

DALE MECHAM
Age 11
Son of a sheep rancher
No. My father is too busy counting sheep. No, it's not that he can't sleep, he owns a sheep ranch. My mother taught me skiing, swimming and skating. She's a great sport. She swims in an outdoor pool, summer and winter.

MICHAEL B. HOWARD
Age 15
Son of the president of Scripps-Howard Syndicate
No. When he does have a spare afternoon, he rushes to the golf course. My sports are baseball and football. In my opinion, the average father doesn't have the energy, the time nor the desire to engage in sports with his son.

PENNY BLOOMINGDALE
Age 13
Daughter of a philanthropist
Yes. Dad's hobby is deep-sea fishing. He takes me along and, like all proud fathers, brags about my catches. In the summer we fish up north; in winter we go south and swim together. Dad also takes me snow skiing and skating.

NINE PHOTOS