If you’ve ever wondered how long girls in Bluffton have played basketball, this photograph takes the sport back one century.
Here is the photo of the 1921-22 Bluffton High School girls’ basketball team. The photo was taken on May 1, 1922.
Standing from left, Edith Rogers, Miss Milburn (coach), Lydia Stettler and Fairy Berry.
Front from left, Carrie Wittkofski (Dewitt), Mable Geiger, Myrtle Berry, Dorothy Balmer and Grace Burkholder.
Actually, basketball for girls at Bluffton goes back at least until 1912. That team wore red and white uniforms, which ties the two colors to Bluffton High School sports seemingly forever.
It is not known, however, when red and white became the official Bluffton colors. It was not until 1928-29 that the school adopted the Pirate as its mascot.
This photo was taken outside the 1911 Bluffton High School building. The games were played in a large room, which eventually became the band room.
Later teams played in the Bluffton College “Barn” before the 1933 high school additional was opened.
Girls sports has an unfortunate history. The State of Ohio banned girls from sports in the early 1930s. It was not until 1972 that Title IX, a federal civil rights law, brought back girls athletic.
This photo was originally published in a 1983 issue of the Bluffton News.
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