Son, Devon, sent me a truly delightful surprise for my birthday: a book! And not just any book:
a mystery (my most favorite genre), about women's basketball (my most favorite sport next to running), copyright 1914!!!
The title: The Girls of Central High at Basketball - or The Great Gymnasium Mystery
by Gertrude W. Morrison.
I just finished reading it today - what a treat to get a peek into the language, culture, morals, and behaviors of 1914. Reading about girl's basketball as played in 1914 was quite the eye-opener! The game was played with nine girls from each team at a time, with positions of: goal-keeper, right forward, left forward, forward center, jumping center, back center, right guard, left guard and goal guard. I'm guessing it was half-court play - but was played outdoors so I'm wondering if there was any dribbling at all; there was certainly a heckuva passing game in play.
Some of the quotes that stuck with me, as a lover of basketball and reflecting the sensibilities of 1914:
- "Mrs. Case [the physical instructor] believed most thoroughly in the efficiency of basketball for the development and training of girls. ... Basketball is the first, or one of the first vigorous team games to become popular among women and girls in this country, and under proper supervision will long remain a favorite pastime."
- In a father-to-daughter chat: "Do you know what seems to me to be the kernel in the nut of these school athletics, Nell?" ... "Loyalty. That's the kernel - loyalty."
- "Basketball is perhaps the most transparent medium for revealing certain angles of character in young girls. At first the players seldom have anything more than a vague idea of the proper manner of throwing a ball, or the direction in which it is to be thrown. The old joke about a woman throwing a stone at a hen and breaking the pane of glass behind her, will soon become a tasteless morsel under the tongue of the hunorist. Girls in our great public schools are learning how to throw. And basketball is one of the greatest helps to this end. The woman of the coming generation is going to have developed the same arm and shoulder muscles that man displays, and will be able to throw a stone and hit the hen, if necessary."
- "But once a girl has learned to observe and understand the position and function of team mates and opponents, to consider the chances of the game in relation to the score, and, bearing these things in mind, can form a judgment as to her most advantageous play, and act quickly on it - when she has learned to repress her hysterical excitement and play quietly instead of boisterously, what is it she has gained? It is self-evident that she has won something beside the mere ability to play basketball. She has learned to control her emotions - to a degree, at least - through the dictates of her mind. Blind impulse has been supplanted by intelligence. Indeed, she has gained, without doubt, a balance of mind and character that will work for good not only to herself, but to others. Indeed, it is the following out of the old fact - the uncontrovertible fact of education - that what one learns at school is not so valuable as is the fact that he learns how to learn. Playing basketball seriously will help the girl player to control her emotions and her mind in far higher and more important matters than athletics."
- And, in the final snippet of banter from the book:
" 'It's all right to say that school takes up all our time; but it's the fun we get out of school that makes Latin, and French, and mathematics, ... bearable! My! suppose we didn't have athletics at all?'
'That would certainly be a state of existence perfectly unbearable for you...you'd burst, wouldn't you?'
'Into flinders! Athletics is the 'scape-valve for me - and I guess it is for some of the rest of you. Now, tell the truth!'
And her friends had to admit the truth of her declaration."
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| A surprise found within the book - in there long enough to dye the page... |
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