Olde Fan Forum: The progress of Women's hoops. (Part I)

[DrDos]

♦ After reading some of the merged threads a while back, I was struck by the negative feelings
expressed about the progress of women’s basketball, and the role of men in this women’s sport. I
think that any discussion of the NOW must be put in the context of the THEN. Some of us have
forgotten (or never knew) how far this sport has come.

Ground zero was ugly.

♦ My first experience with women’s hoops took place in the 1960’s. It was a collegiate game at
St. Johns University and was well, different. There were six players on a side who wore little skirts.
Not all of the players were allowed to cross into the front court on offense. It was surreal. (Later that
day I saw a men’s tilt where a young Bob Knight coached an Army team with a guard named Mike
Krzyzewski – wonder what happened to them?)

♦ Fast forward to (about) 1972. I was wandering around the forbidding confines of the old field
house (dark,noisy, and very busy) when I saw uniformed female athletes playing hoops with the
women of Lafayette College. It was five-on-five and full court governed by the AIAW. (the NCAA
added twelve women’s sports in 1981-82) There were also several other practices going on all around
us. The players outnumbered the fans. I sat in the end bleachers with an injured Lafayette player
with an air cast on her leg. She told me that her male coach (Speedy Morris) was nuts. Later when he
got down on all fours and barked like a dog to protest a call I had to agree. I spoke to the female
UConn coach (name?) DURING the contest and she explained how the women’s rules differed from
the men’s rules. (not confined to coaching "box" being one of them) In games to come I doubled the
attendance by bringing some of my friends with me. Then along came Title IX of the Education
Amendments of 1972.

♦ Enter Geno. At the beginning of this era there were many empty seats and a lot of the fans were
senior citizens with their grandkids. For the first time people on campus talked about women’s
hoops. In later years I worked with a woman who was on the committee that hired Geno. Let it
be known that the powers-that-be wanted a female coach. At least one fiesty woman didn't care
what they wanted. She was was impressed with Geno and lobbied for him to be hired. After many
interviews, the committee picked Geno.

(Part II) The unbelievable contributions of Rebecca Lobo to The University of Connecticut.

 

[Phil]

​

At least one fiesty woman didn't care
what they wanted. She was was impressed with Geno and lobbied for him to be hired. After many
interviews, the committee picked Geno.

That would probably be Pat Meiser, now the AD at Hartford, whom I have the pleasure of meeting a couple weeks ago.

 

[DrDos]

​

That would probably be Pat Meiser, now the AD at Hartford, whom I have the pleasure of meeting a couple weeks ago.

No

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

I was fortunate to attend the "roast" of Vivian following her induction into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame and heard many of the stories about WBB at Chaney in the early - mid '70's. This was the era where coaches drove their teams around and sometimes did the laundry. When the assistant was a volunteer and the school didn't know if they had the money to send the team to the Final Four. When no provision was made for teams to remain on campus - even though they had to - during Christmas break. And all the various stories with the benefit of excellent relations between the men's coach (John Chaney) and Vivian - could you imagine schools where the men's coach wanted the women's coach / program "out"??

A totally different era.

 

[DrDos]

I was fortunate to attend the "roast" of Vivian following her induction into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame and heard many of the stories about WBB at Chaney in the early - mid '70's. This was the era where coaches drove their teams around and sometimes did the laundry. When the assistant was a volunteer and the school didn't know if they had the money to send the team to the Final Four. When no provision was made for teams to remain on campus - even though they had to - during Christmas break. And all the various stories with the benefit of excellent relations between the men's coach (John Chaney) and Vivian - could you imagine schools where the men's coach wanted the women's coach / program "out"??

A totally different era.

>> Your observations really capture the loathesome state of the game. Women's college BB was sort of like intramurals ... with a paid coach!

 

[camaross]

♦ After reading some of the merged threads a while back, I was struck by the negative feelings
expressed about the progress of women’s basketball, and the role of men in this women’s sport. I
think that any discussion of the NOW must be put in the context of the THEN. Some of us have
forgotten (or never knew) how far this sport has come.

Ground zero was ugly.

♦ My first experience with women’s hoops took place in the 1960’s. It was a collegiate game at
St. Johns University and was well, different. There were six players on a side who wore little skirts.
Not all of the players were allowed to cross into the front court on offense. It was surreal. (Later that
day I saw a men’s tilt where a young Bob Knight coached an Army team with a guard named Mike
Krzyzewski – wonder what happened to them?)

♦ Fast forward to (about) 1972. I was wandering around the forbidding confines of the old field
house (dark,noisy, and very busy) when I saw uniformed female athletes playing hoops with the
women of Lafayette College. It was five-on-five and full court governed by the AIAW. (the NCAA
added twelve women’s sports in 1981-82) There were also several other practices going on all around
us. The players outnumbered the fans. I sat in the end bleachers with an injured Lafayette player
with an air cast on her leg. She told me that her male coach (Speedy Morris) was nuts. Later when he
got down on all fours and barked like a dog to protest a call I had to agree. I spoke to the female
UConn coach (name?) DURING the contest and she explained how the women’s rules differed from
the men’s rules. (not confined to coaching "box" being one of them) In games to come I doubled the
attendance by bringing some of my friends with me. Then along came Title IX of the Education
Amendments of 1972.

♦ Enter Geno. At the beginning of this era there were many empty seats and a lot of the fans were
senior citizens with their grandkids. For the first time people on campus talked about women’s
hoops. In later years I worked with a woman who was on the committee that hired Geno. Let it
be known that the powers-that-be wanted a female coach. At least one fiesty woman didn't care
what they wanted. She was was impressed with Geno and lobbied for him to be hired. After many
interviews, the committee picked Geno.

(Part II) The unbelievable contributions of Rebecca Lobo to The University of Connecticut.

What about the leaky roof on the old Fieldhouse ?

 

[DrDos]

What about the leaky roof on the old Fieldhouse ?

► Leaky roof? Did you know about the"Wipers"? The best athletes on campus were the floor wipers. This squad (actually two squads, one for each end of the court) knelt alongside when water was dripping down during the game. Sometimes, while the game was in-progress and the action was on the other end of the court, the wipers would sprint out and wipe up the water. They had to be very careful not to interfere with the game. They never did!

► Once during this era, the following appeared in the New York Times:​

​

(Storrs Ct.) Manhattan vs. UConn -- Ppd. Rain​

► You hardly ever get Div I Men's Basketball games called because of a rainstorm!

 

[AllAmerRedHeads]

The women's game has come so far.

Before the 6 on 6 game, the court was divided into 3 zones.

As much as I love UConn and today's game, how we got to where we are today is simply amazing.

I wish I could have watched some of those half court games before the game with full court. However the stories of the women that play the game back then are amazing and I tip my hat to everyone of them.

I have the honor of talking with the woman that played the 3 zone court in the beginning of her high school days under Hall of Famer Bertha Teague. This player then played the halfcourt games SCB came in all Americans under Bertha. 2 years later she was playing the full court game against men with the all-american redheads. She even played the day Pearl Harbor is attacked by the Japanese.

So why we enjoy and celebrate today's game, there were Millions of girls in women that help the games get to where it is today.

Please excuse any typos as I am trying to learn how to use my talk to text feature on my phone

 

[vtcwbuff]

My first recollection of a women's basketball game was from the early 50's when I went with my parents to a couple of my aunt's high school basketball games. They played full court and wore shorts. In high school (early 60's) I dated a basketball player (female) for a short time. They played full court and wore shorts.

That was the end of my women's basketball experience until the early 90's. My kids were at UConn and I was a fan of the men's team by then but I started watching the women when my daughter took us to a couple of games (92-93).

I guess my point, if I have one, is that I never saw women play basketball any different than the men played. No 6 players, no half court, no skirts.

 

[AllAmerRedHeads]

The skirts , I know the all-american redheads use them for a couple of years during the 1950s. They were even used at the high school level.

When I was at the Basketball Hall of Fame induction in September I got to talk with Vivian for a while. She said that the men have a very good at understanding and appreciation for the history of their game. The women still need to learn more about the history of the women's game.

With so many not even knowing who the all-american redheads were and that they lasted for 50 years I do agree with her statement.

We have a great game that we get to enjoy today, and I hope over time that more will come to appreciate what it took to get here

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

Olde Fan Forum

Not to take away from the subject of this thread (which is very interesting), but I read the title and assumed that the Boneyard was adding a separate section for fans of OldeCoach.

 

[AllAmerRedHeads]

I thought it was a thread for old coach is well. However, any thread that talks about the history of this glorious game I always love to jump into7

 

[DrDos]

I thought it was a thread for old coach is well. However, any thread that talks about the history of this glorious game I always love to jump into7

>> MeaCulpa ... If I could change it I would. I have been a fan of OldeCoach for a very long time The lack of Twinkies has created vapor lock in my Medula Obfuscura.