Women's sports

In high school, I won an award for an essay I wrote about girls' sports. I don't recall much of it but it dealt in part with girls' basketball rules. In 1956, there were six players on a high school team in Illinois, three forwards (obliged to stay in the forecourt) and three guards (who stayed in the backcourt). Only forwards could shoot which made sense because no one else was near enough to the basket; a shot from half court would have been distinctly unladylike. Mostly, the girls could dribble only twice before they had to pass or shoot.

Some states, 50 percent more progressive, allowed three dribbles. The rules, I am confident, were to protect girls from over-exertion; I imagine there were dispensations for cheerleaders. Later two "rovers" were permitted, likely in the blue states, and they could go anywhere, forecourt or backcourt, quite an advance. Oh, I nearly forgot that "holding both arms extended horizontally" was prohibited; I suspect that was to ensure modesty. Dave Stenmark's mother, a Cherokee Indian, told me that girls' basketball was as exciting as a worm wrestle. She may have over-estimated its spectator appeal. I am not sure because I know of no person, other than parents, who ever managed to sit through an entire game, even suitably shortened to two 20-minute halves.

Things have changed, thank goodness. Young women (we used to call them girls) have exchanged ugly gym uniforms for shorts and tees and streak up and down the courts of America with abandon. They excel at soccer, basketball, baseball, volleyball, tennis, golf and a slew of other sports and would have eaten me for lunch in my prime. My daughter played golf and powder puff football at Sandpoint High School and later became an All-American badminton player at Bryn Mawr College. One year, her team won the national championship; while a medical school student she returned to Bryn Mawr and coached the team to another national championship while helping several of her players to become All-Americans, too. I spent a wonderful hour with the president of Bryn Mawr who was quite a fan. You don't see that many college presidents at women's badminton matches.

Girls' and women's sports are now a joy to watch. I paused to watch field hockey at Finucane Park a year ago and was astounded at the speed, agility and teamwork I witnessed. I saw no one putting on lipstick or powdering a nose during time outs which seemed the primary purpose of break periods when I was in high school.

I also enjoyed the intensity. As readers know, I am a strong supporter of women's equality in education, sports and the work place. Learning intensity and hard work in sports increases feminine success in life. My daughter's success on the badminton court was in part responsible for subsequent victories as a medical student, resident and now a practicing physician and professor of medicine. Some experiences seem to propel kids to higher levels of attainment - scouting, music competitions, debate societies and sports among them. Some of those experiences have not been as open to females as to males until recently and maybe not even now.

I remember watching a girls' softball game about 1984 because my daughter was catching. The shortstop, an overweight and not very popular 12-year-old girl, made an unassisted triple play. Unfortunately, I seemed to be the only person present who realized what a remarkable feat that was. Wherever she is today, hats off to her! She was great that day and I hope her performance was as life changing for her as badminton was for my daughter.

Tim Hunt, the son of a linotype operator, is a retired college professor and nonprofit administrator who lives in Hayden with his wife and three cats. He can be reached at linotype.hunt785@gmail.com.