Why Basketball?

[Tebium]

Here is an interesting thought I had...

The Church encourages the well rounded individual, so you have dances in the Cultural Hall and Potlucks, and usually a stage that is rarely used, other than as an extra room for classes sometimes.

So what time period did the Church decide to stick a basketball court in every church building? Even the smaller units, if they have a cultural hall will have a half court. Some of the older stakes would even have a Stake Gym which had a basketball court that would rival any found in a high school.

Maybe it's cultural for the US. Do they have stake soccer fields in Brazil, or Stake Cricket Fields in England?

I have been in other Churchs and most of them don't have an attached basketball court.

Could the church just as easily chosen Football or Baseball or Badminton as the 'Church Sport'?

I remember my brother telling me when he was on his mission in Korea, he and his Zone ended up playing a college team there....AND WON. A bunch of American Mormon boys growing up on Church Basketball.

[puf_the_majic_dragon]

Yeah I've wondered this from time to time myself. I suppose if the church is going to sponsor any sport for their members, it'd be one that could be done indoors, the space dedicated for it could be multifunctional, the sport itself would be inherently non-dangerous...

Football can and does easily lead to cracked heads and cracked knees and cracked ... well everyting. I'd love to see you try to fit a soccer field or a baseball diamond in a stake center. Now that I think of it, there really are not a whole lot of sports that can easily and always be done indoors. You might also notice most lds church buildings with a basketball court will also have holes in the floor for volleyball nets.

As far as promoting sports in general goes, I think it's awesome that the church gives us a place to exercise and stay fit in a fun and friendly environment. Well it wasn't that friendly for me when I was 14 but I suppose that goes without saying.... It was still fun

[Guest GhostRider]

I can remember in texas that they played volley ball with the youth. Dont remember seeing the bball stuff there. that was like in the early 90's though

[Jbs2763]

basketball/vollyball are pretty much the only sports that can be played year round indoors with limited space, and i have seen softball diamonds at stake centers in UT, (and at the adjacent YMCA for the indy south stake) but basketball is relativly safe, pretty much everyone can play......

and they dont rival HS gyms in Indiana....one of the school in my area has an 18,000 seat arena for basketball, and it was used in the movie blue chips.... my high school was much smaller, (only 115 in my graduating class) our gym would only seat about 8,000

[john doe]

In Idaho and Utah at least, it is not unusual for a stake center and in many cases a local wardhouse, to have a softball diamond attached to the property. I think that some of the decisions on whether to build something like that are based on land availability and prices as well as the perceived interests and possible use by the local population.

[Iggy]

So what time period did the Church decide to stick a basketball court in every church building?

When I first joined the Church in 1967- the North Seattle Stake building had a gym that was separated from the chapel by a short wall (no higher than the backs of the pews) and a sliding heavy curtain above the short wall. We had a full stage, and also the fully equipped kitchen was adjacent to the gym.

We had plays on a quarterly basis, dances of all kinds, and of course basketball complete with hoops. We also had badminton and volleyball in there.

Every other Saturday afternoon during the summer the MIA (Mutual Improvement Association -forerunner of todays YW-YM) would help with a "Drive in Theater" for the Primary Children, that was held in the gym. The kids sat in cardboard boxes painted to look like cars, had a cardboard box with yarn attached that "hooked" onto their "car"= speaker, and they watched a couple of cartoons and a children's movie that we borrowed from the Public Library. We also showed Church made movies. We had popcorn and cookies (all made by & cooked by the MIA in the kitchen) and the inevitable kool-ade.

[utcowboy]

I remember growing up we had all kinds of fun in the stake centers. In the 70's and early 80's, there was always something going on, whether it was a relief society bake or a boy scout derby, or whatever, there was something to do with people of the same background and it kept you out of trouble. (well some of my old leader would disagree a little but I think you know what I mean) I asked my mom once why they quit doing that kind of stuff and why they had to bring cooked food from home when we used to use the kitchen at the stake center. Her answer was that the church had to quit because state and federal req's required them to have someone or everyone that was in the kitchen, had to have a food handlers permit and besides that the liability that someone might sue over something just put a stop to it.

I think back on those happy memories and it makes me sad that a few could ruin such a good thing!!

[LegendadryPerc]

Basket ball is probably the biggest sport in the philippines, so I don't know if this really helps support a stereotype, but every church has a basket-ball court. I know even there the question is always asked, "Why basket ball", probably by US missionaries who see it everywhere here too. I guess I enjoy perpetuating the stereotype, just to have something to laugh about.

[Palerider]

I have been a member all my life and I always rememebr seeing BB courts in the church. You don't see to many new chapels built around here that have a stage. There are still quite a few that have one....roadshows.....talent shows...etc...

[pam]

I pretty much just notice Stake Centers having stages anymore. Iggy your story of the drive in for the kids was a great idea. Should I ever be asked to come up with an idea for an activity for kids...I'm stealing that one.

[Iggy]

I pretty much just notice Stake Centers having stages anymore. Iggy your story of the drive in for the kids was a great idea. Should I ever be asked to come up with an idea for an activity for kids...I'm stealing that one.

It was so much fun to do. It took two Saturdays to get the Cars all painted and the stanchions and speakers made and painted. Stanchions were small oatmeal boxes taped together, the speakers were cracker jack boxes and they were painted black. We used colored yarn for the wires.

Use your imagination to make the cars. Paper plates for steering wheels, and tires, small paper dessert plates for the head lights, tail lights. We went to the grocery stores and asked them when would be a good time to pick up their large empty cardboard boxes. Like the kind tpaper and paper towels come in, etc. Then we had some of the parents go and collect them.

We had the kids do the poster painting out in the parking lot. Way easier to clean up afterwords. Also had the primary kids wear swim suits- shorts and old, old shirts really, way easier to clean them up too!

[puf_the_majic_dragon]

basketball/vollyball are pretty much the only sports that can be played year round indoors with limited space, and i have seen softball diamonds at stake centers in UT, (and at the adjacent YMCA for the indy south stake) but basketball is relativly safe, pretty much everyone can play......

and they dont rival HS gyms in Indiana....one of the school in my area has an 18,000 seat arena for basketball, and it was used in the movie blue chips.... my high school was much smaller, (only 115 in my graduating class) our gym would only seat about 8,000

I've never seen an LDS church with stadium seating, but the court itself is often as good as any high school or even college basketball court. The stake center in Pueblo, CO has a full sized hardwood court that's at least as good as the court on my college campus in Colorado Springs - minus the bleachers.

Pam: a lot of stake centers are just old chapels that have been designated as stake centers. I think very rarely does the church invest in building a new chapel specifically as a stake center when a new stake is formed. I think when they organize a stake they choose which existing building will be the stake center based on features such as a stage or the size of the gym (for stake conferences).

[Iggy]

Pam: a lot of stake centers are just old chapels that have been designated as stake centers. I think very rarely does the church invest in building a new chapel specifically as a stake center when a new stake is formed. I think when they organize a stake they choose which existing building will be the stake center based on features such as a stage or the size of the gym (for stake conferences).

Here in Arizona they sure do-

[Jbs2763]

I've never seen an LDS church with stadium seating, but the court itself is often as good as any high school or even college basketball court. The stake center in Pueblo, CO has a full sized hardwood court that's at least as good as the court on my college campus in Colorado Springs - minus the bleachers.

Pam: a lot of stake centers are just old chapels that have been designated as stake centers. I think very rarely does the church invest in building a new chapel specifically as a stake center when a new stake is formed. I think when they organize a stake they choose which existing building will be the stake center based on features such as a stage or the size of the gym (for stake conferences).

they recently split our stake but we use one of the other stake centers for stake conf. the reason being i found out is lack of parking at the "new" stake center

[puf_the_majic_dragon]

they recently split our stake but we use one of the other stake centers for stake conf. the reason being i found out is lack of parking at the "new" stake center

I don't think I've ever seen a stake center that DIDN'T have a lack of parking! My stake center has such a parking and space issue that they split stake conference into two sessions so only half the stake is there at any given time - and still more than half of those in attendance have to park at the high school or shopping center a quarter mile away.

And it still has a basketball court....

[Over43]

I have an acquintance who, one evening, suggested that the "men" in the Ward play volleyball instead of basketball. By the time they were done reviling him, even his gender came under suspicion. I felt bad for him because I have always prefered volleyball to basketball.

O43

[Jbs2763]

I have an acquintance who, one evening, suggested that the "men" in the Ward play volleyball instead of basketball. By the time they were done reviling him, even his gender came under suspicion. I felt bad for him because I have always prefered volleyball to basketball.

O43

in the YSA world...at least in Indy....its all volleyball all the time

[john doe]

in the YSA world...at least in Indy....its all volleyball all the time

Understandable. Volleyball can be played co-ed........

[pam]

I've never seen an LDS church with stadium seating, but the court itself is often as good as any high school or even college basketball court. The stake center in Pueblo, CO has a full sized hardwood court that's at least as good as the court on my college campus in Colorado Springs - minus the bleachers.

Pam: a lot of stake centers are just old chapels that have been designated as stake centers. I think very rarely does the church invest in building a new chapel specifically as a stake center when a new stake is formed. I think when they organize a stake they choose which existing building will be the stake center based on features such as a stage or the size of the gym (for stake conferences).

Have to disagree. Here in Utah, there are chapels built specifically for stake centers. They are larger, have stages, etc. Maybe not immediately but they are built. Maybe in other areas that is different. When I lived in San Diego....chapels were also built specifically to be stake centers.

Edited July 5, 2008 by pam

[xXTekXx]

In Central America the majority of chapels have outdoor mini-soccer courts, with basketball goals attached to the tops of the soccer goals of course. They also have the equipment to be used for volley-ball.

[checkerboy]

I have an acquintance who, one evening, suggested that the "men" in the Ward play volleyball instead of basketball. By the time they were done reviling him, even his gender came under suspicion. I felt bad for him because I have always prefered volleyball to basketball.

O43

It is very sad indeed that most of the guys in any ward I have ever been in seem to think that you "have" to play basketball. The problem is, despite what someone else previously posted, not everyone can play basketball. Now it is true that not everyone can play volleyball either but I prefer volleyball over basketball any day. Because for some reason jungle ball is allowed in volleyball but not basketball. Don't get me wrong I am NOT a jungle ball enthusiast, but that is for another thread. And I've noticed that whenever I have gone out to play basketball that I don't get invited back. So much for building quorum unity.

[Jbs2763]

It is very sad indeed that most of the guys in any ward I have ever been in seem to think that you "have" to play basketball. The problem is, despite what someone else previously posted, not everyone can play basketball. Now it is true that not everyone can play volleyball either but I prefer volleyball over basketball any day. Because for some reason jungle ball is allowed in volleyball but not basketball. Don't get me wrong I am NOT a jungle ball enthusiast, but that is for another thread. And I've noticed that whenever I have gone out to play basketball that I don't get invited back. So much for building quorum unity.

check buddy...you need to stop dunking on them and maybe they would ask you back?

[IdahoJones]

My old Stake Center here had a very nice softball field which was recently paved over for parking. The Stake center where I live now has (2) softball fields and a outdoor volleyball pit. Our Stake also hosts mens and youth Bball tourney, But they also sponsor coed adult Volleyball, mens and youth softball. We even have a golf tourney in conjunction with pioneer days at the local public course. I played last year with a member of the Stake Presidency. I'm glad our stake has an expanded view on sports. Its a great way to meet members from the other wards and get out some of the non-members to the church building.

[Traveler]

Okay – I will show my age here. 50 years ago the LDS church was mostly a Utah church. Over half the members lived in Utah. The church did a lot of things in those days. The world’s largest basketball league was the Church. Each ward had a team that would play for the stake champion ship which when on to the region and then the best teams would meet in Salt Lake City for the finals. There was a great rivalry between Utah and anywhere else – especially California. The basketball was a big thing and the championship was bigger and more important than college ball.

In addition every stake in Utah had at least one softball court. Boys played fast pitch and the girls played slow pitch. I played second base in high school on for a team that won the church championship. Larry H Miller learned to play softball in the church league and was an excellent pitcher. Much of what he learned about sports goes into his ownership of the Utah Jazz.

The Church use to be very big about dances. Every ward had a Gold and Green ball once a year as well as a Gold and Green ball sponsored by the stake. Almost every week there were stake dances with hundreds in attendance. In Utah there were three famous places for dances not sponsored by the Church. There was the Apollo hall in American Fork with the KOVO record hops, the Blue Terrace in Salt Lake City – that also had a dance on Thursday night for LDS working singles (not in school), and Lagoon in Farmington (famous for the Beach Boys that had a popular song about that place).

Another big thing was Road shows and again there was a final in Salt Lake – Some road shows came from California. Our stake won about 3 years in a row because of our director. She was then given a job at BYU and started the young Ambassadors and folk dancers – her name was Jayne Thompson.

Another piece of useless information – I use to ward teach a man named Hugh Niblely and I delivered the Deseret News to another man named Eldon Ricks (who created the first LDS scripture cross reference guide called the Ricks ready reference.

One last thing – back in those days there was a singing group at BYU that called themselves the Lettermen. There was also a group called the 3 D’s and a lesser known group called “The 4 Brothers and 3 Others”. I played with that lesser group and 2 young ladies that sang with us went on to work for Laurence Welk – They became known on his TV show as Sandy and Sally.

Sorry to use up so much time.

The Traveler