Bigfork High School
north central Minnesota, 50 miles north of Grand Rapids on #38
Years Represented: 1929-1932
Agnes Rajala, Grand Rapids, played on the Bigfork girls basketball team from 1929-1932.
Bigfork played a two-court game when they played Cohasset. When Bigfork played Grand Rapids, they played three-court because they had a larger gymnasium.
Agnes' teams traveled to games by bus. She said, "This meant that the students who came to school on that bus got to leave school early so it would be available for the sports teams. The old buses had longitudinal benches along the sides, and were even less comfortable than later body styles, but we didn't mind. Our coach rode on the bus with us and if there was room, a rooter or two could squeeze in. We had no band, and such a thing as a rooter bus was unheard-of. Usually both first and second teams traveled together. We sang a lot on the trips. And, when we got to the host community, it was usually supper time, and we were fed. There was no choice of the menu - we got poached eggs on toast, which was considered a fine light snack that wouldn't interfere with our playing. (I've always hated poached eggs!) Boys were on a separate bus, but usually they didn't play the same schedules."
When Agnes, played in 1929, their school was "brand-new" so they had a gymnasium. Previously, their games and practices were held in the town hall.
The girls team were allowed to use the gym for two afternoons per week, which is when the boys weren't using it. The rules for the girls' game was more restricted. Agnes said, "We couldn't actually dribble, just bounce the ball once. And 'guarding' allowed no real contact. You just stood in front of your opposing foward and waved your arms. The ball went back to center court after each goal or free throw."
Agnes' team was coached by the woman who also taught Freshman English, American History and Chemistry. Agnes believed that she had little experience in playing or coaching basketball.
Special Stories.
Agnes looked at the photo of Bigfork in the book and said that not all of the young women were actually members of the girls' team. Agnes said, "You might find it interesting to know how the photograph of the Bigfork girls' team in the school annual (yearbook) came to be. The school 'annual' was published in Grand Rapids, an every-fourth-year event, and a few pages were allotted to outlying schools, like Bigfork. The photographer spent one day taking pictures in our school, and that was it. So, naturally, time was at a premium. when he was ready to take pictures of the girls' team, about all that could be done was to round up people to put on the uniforms and pose. I'm pleased that our star forward (Viola Tagtgren) and Florence Coolen, got in the picture, but others like Alcinda Coolen and Harriet Felstet are missing, so on the whole, it's not quite an accurate picture. There were others who should have been shown, particularly Hildur Tagtgren, a real star.
The 1933 photo from the Grand Rapids Pine Needle yearbook of the Bigfork girls basketball team included the following: "Basketeers Moors, H. Tagtgren, Evenson, Coolen, A. Skallman and V. Tagtgren. Pleasant, as you see, but very aggressive, these girls helped round out an unusually fine basketball season." (note: players not identified; six names and seven players in the photo.)
Agnes' older sister wasn't considered for the Bigfork team. Bigfork only had three years of high school, so her sister transferred to Grand Rapids for her senior year. There, she was selected as a regular player on the Grand Rapids first team. Agnes recalled, " I remember when she came home to Bigfork for a game - the Grand Rapids team had actual black sleeveless jerseys and matching shorts and socks, while our Bigfork girls wore middies and bloomers. You can imagine how pleased she felt when her present team beat the one that rejected her."
Ending of girls basketball in Bigfork.
Agnes recalled the awards banquet in 1932 when the district superintendent attended the event. Agnes said, "when he arose to make some remarks, one thing he said has stuck in my memory. He said the district was dropping all girls' competitive sports, because (his words, I'm quite certain) were, 'we don't like what it is doing to our girls.' What that terrible effect was, I've never figured out. At any rate, after that, there were no girls' sports teams. Since basketball was the only team sport in our small school, that canceled it out. In hindsight, I think the school board issued a decree going along with what was the prevailing thinking at the moment."
A photo was taken of Agnes Rajala with Dorothy McIntyre when she attended the program and book signing on October 10, 2006 at the Grand Rapids Area Library. Agnes shared stories of her playing days with the audience.
Bigfork played a two-court game when they played Cohasset. When Bigfork played Grand Rapids, they played three-court because they had a larger gymnasium.
Agnes' teams traveled to games by bus. She said, "This meant that the students who came to school on that bus got to leave school early so it would be available for the sports teams. The old buses had longitudinal benches along the sides, and were even less comfortable than later body styles, but we didn't mind. Our coach rode on the bus with us and if there was room, a rooter or two could squeeze in. We had no band, and such a thing as a rooter bus was unheard-of. Usually both first and second teams traveled together. We sang a lot on the trips. And, when we got to the host community, it was usually supper time, and we were fed. There was no choice of the menu - we got poached eggs on toast, which was considered a fine light snack that wouldn't interfere with our playing. (I've always hated poached eggs!) Boys were on a separate bus, but usually they didn't play the same schedules."
When Agnes, played in 1929, their school was "brand-new" so they had a gymnasium. Previously, their games and practices were held in the town hall.
The girls team were allowed to use the gym for two afternoons per week, which is when the boys weren't using it. The rules for the girls' game was more restricted. Agnes said, "We couldn't actually dribble, just bounce the ball once. And 'guarding' allowed no real contact. You just stood in front of your opposing foward and waved your arms. The ball went back to center court after each goal or free throw."
Agnes' team was coached by the woman who also taught Freshman English, American History and Chemistry. Agnes believed that she had little experience in playing or coaching basketball.
Special Stories.
Agnes looked at the photo of Bigfork in the book and said that not all of the young women were actually members of the girls' team. Agnes said, "You might find it interesting to know how the photograph of the Bigfork girls' team in the school annual (yearbook) came to be. The school 'annual' was published in Grand Rapids, an every-fourth-year event, and a few pages were allotted to outlying schools, like Bigfork. The photographer spent one day taking pictures in our school, and that was it. So, naturally, time was at a premium. when he was ready to take pictures of the girls' team, about all that could be done was to round up people to put on the uniforms and pose. I'm pleased that our star forward (Viola Tagtgren) and Florence Coolen, got in the picture, but others like Alcinda Coolen and Harriet Felstet are missing, so on the whole, it's not quite an accurate picture. There were others who should have been shown, particularly Hildur Tagtgren, a real star.
The 1933 photo from the Grand Rapids Pine Needle yearbook of the Bigfork girls basketball team included the following: "Basketeers Moors, H. Tagtgren, Evenson, Coolen, A. Skallman and V. Tagtgren. Pleasant, as you see, but very aggressive, these girls helped round out an unusually fine basketball season." (note: players not identified; six names and seven players in the photo.)
Agnes' older sister wasn't considered for the Bigfork team. Bigfork only had three years of high school, so her sister transferred to Grand Rapids for her senior year. There, she was selected as a regular player on the Grand Rapids first team. Agnes recalled, " I remember when she came home to Bigfork for a game - the Grand Rapids team had actual black sleeveless jerseys and matching shorts and socks, while our Bigfork girls wore middies and bloomers. You can imagine how pleased she felt when her present team beat the one that rejected her."
Ending of girls basketball in Bigfork.
Agnes recalled the awards banquet in 1932 when the district superintendent attended the event. Agnes said, "when he arose to make some remarks, one thing he said has stuck in my memory. He said the district was dropping all girls' competitive sports, because (his words, I'm quite certain) were, 'we don't like what it is doing to our girls.' What that terrible effect was, I've never figured out. At any rate, after that, there were no girls' sports teams. Since basketball was the only team sport in our small school, that canceled it out. In hindsight, I think the school board issued a decree going along with what was the prevailing thinking at the moment."
A photo was taken of Agnes Rajala with Dorothy McIntyre when she attended the program and book signing on October 10, 2006 at the Grand Rapids Area Library. Agnes shared stories of her playing days with the audience.
Bigfork 1933
Agnes Rajala played for Bigfork