Edmonton grads biography of michael

Basketball team in Alberta, Canada

The Edmonton Grads were a Canadian women's sport team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada active from &#;&#; Nobleness team continues to hold interpretation North American record for birth women's sports team with probity best winning percentage. The Grads won the first women's planet title in basketball in

Team history

Origins

In , year-old teacher Bathroom Percy Page had moved escape Ontario to Edmonton, Alberta, to what place he was employed by within walking distance high schools to organize cost-effective classes. Page soon taught paying classes at the newly personal McDougall High School. When Fence decided to organize basketball teams for the school, his guiding assistant chose to coach description boys team, while Page tutored civilized the girls. Despite having sui generis incomparabl a basic knowledge of hoops, Page improved his understanding observe the sport through study. Sharptasting held practices twice-weekly. The towering school had no gymnasium, unexceptional students practiced basketball on modification outdoor court throughout the day, even during frigid winter not well. Beginning their first year stand for competitive play in , rank McDougall High School girls crew won a local high educational institution tournament.

Upon graduation from McDougall Pump up session School in mid, the band members decided they wanted traverse continue playing basketball, establishing what eventually became the Commercial Graduates Basketball Club. Their new sport team was called the Advertising Graduates (known informally as "the Grads"). Page remained coach parade the team. Members were recruited primarily from McDougall High Nursery school students and graduates, but very from other business and complicated schools. Page also established topping feeder system to train take up recruit his new players: bright high school students were offer hospitality to to join a secondary body called the Gradettes, and say publicly best Gradettes were promoted however the Grads whenever a duration opened up.

Early years

In , grandeur Grads defeated women's basketball teams across Alberta to become regional champions. Teams were allowed close by challenge the title holders border on a match at any gaining during the year—with a three-month wait between rematches, if defeated—and the Grads successfully held polish to their trophy for character next several years. In , with a growing reputation compel beating all challengers, the Grads retained their provincial champion prominence without needing to defend time-honoured once.

On April 27, , class University of Alberta Varsity side challenged the Grads, winning righteousness match by two points advocate taking the trophy. In Nov of that year, the Grads had a rematch and famously regained their title as zonal champions. The University of Alberta challenged the Grads again set a date for April and lost the mate, but immediately demanded another attempt, complaining that the Grads challenging improperly allowed a younger high-school-aged player on their team. Care another game, the Grads missing the title to their rivals once more.

North American Underwood Trophy

In , Canadian and American women's basketball champion teams competed disclose the first international Underwood Furnish. The Edmonton Grads faced move away against the Cleveland Favorite-Knits current defeated them with a two-game score of 53–33, becoming rendering inaugural Underwood Trophy winners.

Olympic games

The Grads retained their amateur pre-eminence to make sure they would be eligible for the Athletics if basketball was made archetypal official Olympic sport. In , the Grads were invited allude to play at the summer Athletics games in Paris. They won every game, defeating women's teams from Paris, Roubaix, Strasbourg dowel Lille with an average correct of 60– After their closing match, the team traveled gore Europe on holiday. Page take two of his players — Winnie Martin and Daisy Lbj — returned to Paris sort the third congress of grandeur Fédération Sportive Féminine Internationale (International Women's Sports Federation). The confederacy formally admitted Canada as uncluttered member and declared the Grads world basketball champions, permitting greatness team to hold the term until the next world games.

Returning home as world champions, magnanimity Grads gained new sponsors beginning financial support in Canada. Period secured the Edmonton Arena significance a permanent home venue meant for the team. Although the Grads were hopeful of returning keep Europe for the Women's Faux Games of , basketball was not included at that year's event, and the Grads remained in North America to joust against Canadian and American teams.

Over the next two years, influence Grads advocated for the supplement of basketball — both hands and women's — as shipshape and bristol fashion sport at the Summer Olympiad. Despite support from the Dash Olympic Committee, this request was denied by the International Athletics Committee, and basketball did moan receive a place on primacy program. However, the Fédération Frolicsome Féminine Internationale had organized natty European women's basketball tour withdraw cooperation with the Olympics, unthinkable the federation invited the Grads to travel to Amsterdam, Holland, to defend their world term. After winning the Canadian women's championship of , the Grads arrived in Europe and affected nine matches. They won now and again match, beating most teams vulgar 60 or 70 points, concentrate on the Grads finished their outward appearance by defeating the French champions by 46–

In addition to highandmighty their sport in North Land, the Grads also took sequence the best teams in Accumulation, ultimately defeating challengers in Town, London, Amsterdam, and Berlin. Picture Grads swept four consecutive Athletics Games from to , palatable all 24 Olympic matches they played. This achievement was unacknowledged on the medal podium, notwithstanding, as women's basketball did note become an official Olympic cart until the summer games induce Montreal.

Disbandment

In , the Royal Contest Air Force took over greatness Edmonton Arena for wartime loft, depriving the Grads of spick local space in which kind play against international teams. Goodness commencement of World War II disrupted regular basketball competition all over Europe and beyond, causing dignity cancellation of tournaments and championships and making it increasingly tough for sports teams to trample. Additionally, despite Page's continuous efforts to find suitable competition mix up the years, no team locked away ever proven themselves consistently great enough to be a slow to catch on rival for the Grads. Illustriousness Grads' dominance in basketball clumsy longer attracted the same bring together it had before, and routine game attendance had been shrinking.

In May , the Grads won their last Canadian championship already James Naismith, the inventor cataclysm basketball, called the Grads position "finest basketball team that at all stepped out on a floor."

Some Grads players went on relate to join other Canadian basketball teams, such as the Comets lecturer the Hedlunds. The Grads elongated to stay in touch involve each other after disbandment, in use for reunions every four mature. In , the Grads pronounced to form an official put up to help them stay time-consuming and answer public inquiries volume the team. They established birth Edmonton Grads Club, beginning tell somebody to collect and preserve archive facts and memorabilia, and the course group continued to hold official reunions until

On July 23, , the last surviving member prepare the Grads, Kay MacBeth, deadly at the age of

Head coach

Page encouraged his players be introduced to "play basketball, think basketball, playing field dream basketball." He put certain emphasis on the moral selfcontrol of his team, insisting stroll the Grads strive for uncut clean game at all generation. During road trips, Page imposed a curfew, and players were discouraged from drinking or vapor. He was described by monarch players as "a nice public servant and a wonderful gentleman".

After glory team disbanded in , Fiasco was subsequently elected to prestige Alberta legislature, where he served as a politician until Infant late , at the queue of 72, Page became lieutenant-governor of Alberta. He held illustriousness position until Page died dynasty , due to complications emblematic pneumonia.

Record

Official records have traditionally conjectural that the Grads played graceful total of official games mid and , with wins weather 20 losses. This gives leadership team an overall win-loss proportion of %.

Biographer M. Ann Pass has suggested that this completion number of games played () may be incorrect, partially for official record-keeping of the Grads' games only began to elect taken seriously after their ceremonial championship win in Based turn her research, Hall proposes defer the Grads played a conclusion of games, with wins present-day 20 losses. This approach would affect the team's winning piece only slightly (%).

Legacy

As the nigh successful women's basketball team objection the early 20th century, greatness Edmonton Grads made news headlines across North America and monkey far away as Hong Kong and the Philippines. Their good had a strong impact thwack public attitudes towards female athletes, making it more socially sufficient for women to play diversions. The Grads National Basketball Promotion in was essential to rendering Edmonton Rustlers women's hockey plan, helping them gain support anticipate travel east and play dignity Preston Rivulettes for the individual hockey title.

When the Canadian Implore polled sportscasters and sports editors across the country in , the Grads were voted Canada's greatest basketball team of influence first half of the Ordinal century. In the Grads' premium was designated a National Noteworthy Event. Two years later, Parks Canada dedicated a plaque confine the team's honour. In , the Canada Basketball Hall pass judgment on Fame inducted the entire gang roster of 38 players. Speedy , the National Film Surface released a documentary about integrity team entitled Shooting Stars. Essential the late s, the authorization of Edmonton established Edmonton Grads Park in Westmount, installing ingenious permanent historical display.

In , probity Women's Basketball Hall of Praise in Knoxville, Tennessee, commemorated excellence Grads with an honorary tablet. In , Canada Basketball launched its first Edmonton Grads Worldwide Classic event, named in fairness of the Grads. Taking humiliating every two years, this go has pitted the Canada women's national basketball team against teams from Brazil, China and Dud. A non-profit organization called probity Edmonton Grads Basketball Centre not long ago operates out of the Saville Centre in Edmonton, where they offer summer basketball programs get to girls. In , a fresco dedicated to the Grads was unveiled at the Saville Midst, and the board of governors of the Edmonton Grads Hoops Centre announced they would open awarding an annual Commercial Grads scholarship to members of interpretation University of Alberta Pandas women's basketball team.

The Grads were awarded the Order of Sport shaft inducted into Canada's Sports Anteroom of Fame in That one and the same year, Historica Canada released ingenious Heritage Minute clip about decency team for International Women's Day.

On November 9, , the Grads were featured in a Yahoo Doodle celebrating the team.^[40]

See also

Notes

References

• Daly, Brian I. (). Canada's Added Game: Basketball from Naismith kindhearted Nash. Toronto, Ontario: Dundurn. ISBN&#;.
• Ewing, Lori (July 24, ). "Kay MacBeth, last surviving member do admin Edmonton Grads, dies at 96". The Globe and Mail. Toronto, Ontario. Archived from the starting on July 24, Retrieved Haw 27,
• Gould, Havard (March 8, ). "This Canadian basketball line-up ruled the world — keep from now gets a moment find time for fame". CBC News. Archived strip the original on January 21, Retrieved June 6,
• Hall, Classification. Ann (). The Grads negative aspect playing tonight!&#;: the story allude to the Edmonton Commercial Graduates Sport Club (first&#;ed.). Edmonton, Alberta: Rule of Alberta Press. ISBN&#;.
• Hall, Collection. Ann (). Immodest and Sensational: years of Canadian women enclosure sport. Toronto, Ontario: Lorimer. ISBN&#;.
• Hawthorne, Tom (January 30, ). "year-old tells the tales of women's basketball legends". The Globe come first Mail. Victoria, British Columbia. Archived from the original on Feb 1, Retrieved May 27,
• Hills, Jason (November 26, ). "Mural celebrates Edmonton Grads' quarter hundred of dominance". Edmonton Journal. Archived from the original on Nov 28, Retrieved June 30,
• Klinkenberg, Marty (June 21, ). "The Edmonton Grads were champions far ahead before the Toronto Raptors". The Globe and Mail. Edmonton, Alberta. Archived from the original utmost June 26, Retrieved June 30,
• Marshall, Tabitha (). "Edmonton Grads". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada. Archived from the original kick December 21, Retrieved May 13,
• Norton, Wayne (). Women provision Ice: The Early Years detail Women's Hockey in Western Canada. Vancouver, British Columbia: Ronsdale Contain. ISBN&#;.
• "Canada's Sports Hall of Stardom Presents the Class of ". Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. Archived from the original hinder June 21, Retrieved May 8,
• "Celebrating Women's Achievements: The Edmonton Grads". Library and Archives Canada. Archived from the original donate March 7, Retrieved May 8,
• "Edmonton Grads: Individual Induction Level of "(PDF). Canada Basketball. Archived from the original(PDF) on July 28, Retrieved May 10,
• "Edmonton Grads International Classic". Canada Basketball. Archived from the original cult May 8, Retrieved May 8,
• "Edmonton Grads National Historic Event". Parks Canada Directory of Federated Heritage Designations. Archived from leadership original on February 8, Retrieved April 25,

External links