Larry....
I found this in Wikipedia regarding Missouri State (Girls) High School Basketball Championships:
"Girls basketball in Missouri started as early as the 1920s, but was played by schools mostly in the rural areas north of current U.S. Route 36. Few if any schools in the larger metro areas or central and southern Missouri schools offered organized basketball for girls until many decades later.[2] A series of regional tournaments were held in Monroe City, Missouri from 1927 to 1933.[2] Considering the lack of girls basketball elsewhere, these regional tournament winners could be considered state champions de facto, if not de jure. A state-sanctioned tournament was held during the 1939–40, and 1940-41 seasons in Clarence, Missouri.[2] However the advent of World War II and gas rationing caused their discontinuation.[2] Regional girls basketball tournaments did not resume in Missouri until 1972." (I know this to be generally true - but also, I know in Central Missouri in the late 1930's they had girl's basketball too as my own mother played in Fulton, MO.)
Title IX happened... Barbara Macke was very capably at the helm of the Women's Physical Education Department. If she ain't in the WJC HOF, she oughta be! It was almost single highhandedly through her efforts the programs of Basketball, Field Hockey, Tennis (and I mighta missed one or two) got off the ground.
John Schoonover, Senior football captain at Jewell, was selected as the first head coach. I was a below average high school basketball player, but a PE major, gym rat, who virtually lived in Brown Gymnasium - thus, Barb asked if I would be the Assistant Coach.
We had tryouts. Truthfully, it was like PE class... more demonstrating the very, very basic skills than looking ahead for any techniques to be used in team situations. A few girls had played in high school. Mostly from smaller schools in Northern Missouri. Tarkio College ended up being our nemesis, as they profited off many girls from Iowa who had played 6-"man" basketball. It was called 6-man then, which assuredly would draw complaint today, but that's what they called it.
Oklahoma also had 6 "man." I was so excited once we had a gal enroll that was Defensive first team All State in Oklahoma. She came out and her skills (defensively) were truly remarkable. Offensively, she was very much a beginner.. she gave up hope and quit (or transferred, don't remember.)
Title IX gave us, supporters of Women's athletics, that eye, thirst for equality. Truthfully though, I don't remember if we alternated practice times with the men... and I don't recall any discrimination toward our team. John Hickman, and team, welcomed us in every way.
With the exception of Tarkio - the rest of our mix (Graceland, Ottawa, Baker, Central Methodist, Mo Valley, Benedictine, Avila, SW Baptist, Evangel, Drury, even UMKC before D1 classification) were all about the same and the competition was good and fairly even.
There weren't many regular (female) refs for women's basketball then, so you got the same pair (females, older ladies, good refs) many times. If that wasn't the case, then it was basically some men coaches from the college you were playing that reffed.. including us and our own Fred Flook often.
Barb oversaw everything. Incoming student athletes, game schedules, referees, game day setup, yada. A very capable group of ladies (Edith Dale, Nancy Skillman and Mary Sterling) assisted with our travel (team vans, motel accomodations, meals - the dreaded sack lunches, all).. All we had to do was coach, thus, a great appreciation for these folks.
The crowds weren't large - but the fans were extremely loyal. Along the path of our treks to Lamoni, IA or Tarkio, MO.. parents, fans from small towns would gather with signs, horns honking as we rolled through Mound City, MO.
We all grew to appreciate, but also hate, those dreaded sack lunches. The annual treks to Springfield, MO were awesome in that we finally got a decent meal on the road - usually some type of buffet dinner. Due to very tight budgeting, the Springfield run was tiring. We'd land in Boliver, MO on Friday afternoon, play SW Baptist that evening..drive to our motel in Springfield after the game... awaken Saturday morning, a quick breakfast, then we'd play Evangel College at 11am or so... go have a meal.. rest in the van.. drive to Drury, and play them Saturday night, then drive home that night with a group of sleepy ladies. Yes, three games in two days. I'm sure we had to be thankful for team managers/laundrymats, but truthfully I don't even remember.
After Schoony left, I became the head coach through my own graduation at WJC (73 to 76)..coached one more year (I think) in 77... then left to teach/coach girls basketball at Platte County... Tom Dunn became the head coach, did a remarkable job not only in coaching, but recruiting as well. By this time, high school girls basketball was commonplace all over the state. Tom left after a couple of years.. I came back to coach for I think two years and greatly benefited from the ladies Tom recruited to play at Jewell.
In nine short years, the excellence of play for girls/women had advanced dramatically. I truly believe the high school girls team I coached in 1978 could have competed evenly (or even beat) with the very first women's team we fielded at Jewell - that how dramatic and amazing the growth was.
Thanks to the suburban and rural advancement of girls high school basketball, by the time 1980 rolled around, thanks to some stellar high school athletes from Blue Springs (Sally Merrell), Boonville (Carol Frieling), Clinton (WJC HOF, former all time leading scorer, Donna Brock), Excelsior Springs (Robin Gorham), Kearney (Terry Watson), Polo (Diane and Rene Easter) and Truman (Laurie Brown) we were finally able to catch and defeat Tarkio College to win the Missouri Small College State Championship.. Larry I can't even remember the initials.. MIAW maybe? I hesitate to mention names from early years for fear of omitting some - but they are there on the 'boards' in the gym...especially that very first team.
In a very short time, women's basketball advanced from "My left arm, it's that thing that goes in the other sleeve" to spin moves, no look passes, long range jumpshots, behind the back dribbles, changing defenses from sagging man to full court zone pressure at the drop of a hat.
For years I refereed little kids basketball. One year we had a guy who had twins - a boy and a girl. He coached both teams. I asked him one day "which is more fun, easier to coach?" "The girls, far and away, they listen better." I found this to be true as well. I had nothing but wonderful experiences at Jewell. In the beginning, working for 30 minutes on a pick and roll, and just when you'd looked in their eyes, thought "they get it", one would raise their arm and ask "Coach, are we talking about offense or defense?"....to, the advancement of having players do amazing things on the court we'd never taught in practice.
Some interesting (to me anyways!) diddies (JUST BETWEEN YOU AND ME!)...
One, Baker. We disliked Baker. Their old gym. EVERY time we'd line up to shoot a free throw on the end by the stage, the light on the stage would magically turn off just before the ball was set to leave our free throw shooter's hand.
Two, With the male coaches, female athletes, we'd always give them a couple moments after a game before we'd come in and address the team. Never failed, after a bitter loss, the same gal would forget we were in there and she would take her jersey off. It was just as embarrassing for us as it was for her.
Three. One day a gal ran up to me frantically "COACH, COACH.. DO YOU HAVE TWO NICKELS FOR A DIME?" I dug in my pocket to give her the nickels, but I thought to myself "whatintheheck would she need two nickels for?".. Ahhh the aspects of coaching women's basketball!
Four... I learned to always double check manager's work entering names, numbers in scorebook BEFORE the game statts. Yes, even numbers entered for our odd number wearing team. 5 technicals to start game, and, each time a 'new' player went in.
Five. Playing Haskell. We used to play them every year. The very first time we played them our coach (me) had the bright idea we were going to play man to man full court. I do not mean this in a discriminatory way, but they all really looked alike, long, black hair, very similar in height.. our players were so confused I think we were down 15 points before I realized my error and we changed thing.
Six. i got a wife outta the deal (don't forget, I was in college too).. Folks figured she would get special treatment from me. She was as bad a player as i was coach, no way special treatment! She wised up and left some 8 years or so later!
I dunno if any of this is what you were looking for... If you need more my number is 816-394-1662.
You continue to be my idol! My sister was in Jewell (graduated HS in '65) for a very short time. Once, she, you and a bunch of others came to our house (across the street from Melrose).. I thought it was so cool Vanda knew Larry Holley! The only person I know with their own Wikipedia page!
Keep on keepin on!
Vic ( vicschultze@hotmail.com )
PS: My assistants over the years, Mark Middleton, Dwight Bruening, Joseph Carr and Dan Soltys
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