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

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]

Originally Posted by Tebium

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.