My Grandmother, Laura Izella (Curtis) Underwood in her basketball uniform, 1910, Live Oak High School, Watson, Livingston, Louisianana
From one of our family historians:
"Laura Curtis Underwood in her basketball uniform. (Big LO on the collar). It was blue wool, an ankle-length pleated skirt with a middy blouse with elbow-length sleeves. They wore black stockings and high-top shoes. And they played outside on a DIRT court! ... It was in 1910. The girls were not thought to be strong enough to run up and down the court, so the team was made up of 6 players. Three guards stayed on one end, and three forwards on the other. At some point I think they allowed one player to play on the full court. I guess since it didn't kill HER they decided that everyone could do it."
The story about the girl who was eventually allowed to run full court refers to my aunt Julia Lee (Fugler) Underwood, circa 1948.
This photo hung in our home all my life, and other of my aunts and uncles had copies in their homes as well.
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