   
|
Edmonton Grads
;)
Early on in the Edmonton Exhibition Association's (EEA) history, some
of Edmonton’s young female athletes came together to form a world-class
basketball team. The brainchild of the Honourable John Percy
Page—educator, sportsman, and one-time lieutenant governor of
Alberta—the Edmonton Grads team stayed together for several decades,
making EEA facilities their home court and bringing acclaim to the
region’s athletes.
;)
At the beginning of the 20th century the young sport, which had been
recently created by Canadian Dr. James Naismith in 1891, had taken the
province’s youth by storm. Round robin games were scheduled throughout
the province, and unlike other sports that females were barred from
participating in, basketball was embraced by many young people,
regardless of gender.
;)
The young women of the Edmonton Grads met in 1914, on the gym court
of McDougall Commercial High School. Energized by the athletic buzz
around the sport, they formed the school’s female basketball team and
played together as students, quickly ascending the ranks in school
tournaments. By the following year they had become provincial champions.
Nearing the end of their schooling at the time of their initial success, the team members soon graduated. Rather than disbanding, they elected to continue playing and invited their high school coach, Page, to stay on as their esteemed trainer. By 1915, the team was solidified and donned the name that would make them famous, the Commercial Graduates Basketball Team, a name soon abbreviated by their fans to "The Grads."
;)
For the first eight years following the Grads’ formation, their games
were against various Albertan teams. Dominating the sport provincially,
the Grads began to play nationally, beating an Ontario team, the
Cleveland Favorite-Knits. This win led to their acquisition of the 1923
Canadian title and thrust them into fame.
;)
Though basketball was not deemed an official sport at the Olympics,
the Grads were invited to the 1924 Paris games for exhibition matches.
So skilled were they considered that when at a loss for female
opponents, they played, and beat, male teams. Considered unique for both
their superior skills and their gender, they impressed Amsterdam, Los
Angeles, and Berlin crowds and continued to represent Canada as
exhibitor guests until 1936, leaving a blaze of victories with all 27 of
their exhibition games won.
Further acclaim followed with the Grads winning the Underwood Trophy for Canada-United States competitions. They earned the award consecutively from the inception of the series in 1923 until 1940, when the team retired and the trophy was presented to them as a permanent award.
;)
The EEA’s role in supporting the Grads was consistent over the years.
Every summer, EEA staff would layer the Livestock Pavilion floors with
wood shavings to provide a court on which the team could practice and
play challenger teams. This provided a secure environment in which the
women could hone their exceptional skills and Edmonton fans could watch
them play. In 1924, the team proudly led the annual summer exhibition
parade.
;)
Finishing their basketball careers together, the Edmonton Commercial
Graduates left a mark on basketball for their sportsmanship and
exceptional winning record: a sum of 502 wins and only 20 losses.
Despite being an internationally famous team who received accolades from
the inventor of the game itself, the athletes were forced to disband
because of the Second World War. With the EEA grounds occupied by
Canadian military personnel, and the availability of competitor teams
and audiences waning, the Grads ended their successful career, but not
before leaving fans quite a legacy.
 |
 |
