The Edmonton Grads

2 Pages 585 Words

“The City of Champions” (the Grads’ Slogan)

For anyone who ever thought, “Girls, can’t play ball,” open your eyes. Not only can girls play ball, they kick butt at it. Girls try just as hard, and are as competitive as the guys who play basketball. The girls, in most cases, are rougher than the guys and they rely on more of a passing game, instead of the men’s “one-man-show”. It is about time, women get to show the world who is, and who has been, charging up the court.

Looking back in history, the first all-female, basket ball team was the Grads.

The Edmonton Commercial Graduates Basketball Club,
referred to simply as the Grads, were a women’s basketball
team founded and coached by John Percy Page, for the period
from 1915 to 1940. What was started as a high-school team
was later to become a sporting dynasty whose winning record
remains unparalleled by any team, in any sport. Truly champions,
their success can be attributed not only to natural ability, but also
to strong leadership, dedication, sportsmanship and determination.
(National Library of Canada, 2000)

This group of Canadian women, became pioneers and helped develop, popularize and give notoriety to the game of basketball in the 1920's, 30's and 40's. In 1915, these women, led by, coach Percy Page (see picture 2), led the women to an Alberta, championship with an undefeated season. For twenty-five years, this women’s basketball team, took on an unheard of schedule, that consisted of five-hundred and twenty-two games (around the world), of which they won five-hundred and two. Another record breaking accomplishment by these heros, was a winning streak of one-hundred and forty-seven games. After losing one game, they went on to win their next seventy-eight match-ups. In their twenty-five years of play, they accumulated 18, 174 points.
So who was saying, “Girls, can’t play ball�...