ENVISIONING BASKETBALL: A SOCIO-BIOGRAPHICAL INVESTIGATION OF RUTH WILSON - ONE OF WESTERN CANADA’S SPORTING PIONEERS by Christiane Nichole Job B.A., University of British Columbia, 2004 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in The Faculty of Graduate Studies (Human Kinetics) UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA January 2008 © Christiane Nichole Job, 2008 ABSTRACT The history of women’s basketball in Canada has been influenced by key individuals who have challenged systemic barriers and social mores demanding appropriate female behaviors and activities. In this study I examine the sporting contributions of Vancouverite Ruth Wilson, whose involvements in the sport of women’s basketball from the mid 1930s through the 1960s was significant. Though several studies have highlighted the importance of women’s basketball in a North American context (Hall, 2002; Cahn, 1994; Kidd, 1996; Hult and Trekell, 1991), to date there has not been a significant examination of the development of basketball for women and its early advocates in western Canada. Celebrating heroines of sport is not a straightforward matter. The concept of the heroic, as Hargreaves points out, must be examined through an analysis of the struggles and achievements of many women whose stories have been excluded or forgotten from previous accounts of women’s sports and female heroism (Hargreaves, 2000). Thus my account of Ruth Wilson’s contributions provides a unique case study of one womans persistent and wide ranging efforts to change the ways in which girls and women participated in a sport which brought them freedom to compete, professional opportunities and in some cases, national status. This study employs several methodological techniques. Data was collected through primary and secondary document analysis in conjunction with semi-structured open ended interviews. Ruth Wilson’s contributions have been highlighted through the narratives of female sportswomen whom she mentored, assisted, befriended and coached and who are still living today to provide their memories about her role in changing the landscape of women’s basketball in Canada. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................... ii TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................ v DEDICATION................................................................................................... vi CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION .................................................................. 1 Women’s Basketball in Canada ..................................................................... 2 Justification and Relevance ........................................................................... 6 Ruth Wilson: Sporting Pioneer ...................................................................... 9 Organization .................................................................................................. 13 CHAPTER TWO: METHODOLOGY ............................................................... 16 Spoken Lives ................................................................................................. 16 Primary and Secondary Resources ............................................................. 19 Woman to Woman: A Feminist Perspective ............................................... 20 Biographical Research and Oral Histories: Uncovering Personal Narratives ...................................................................................................... 21 Positionality and Reflection ......................................................................... 23 Gaining Access, Recruitment and Interview Procedures .......................... 25 Interview Format ........................................................................................... 26 The Participants ............................................................................................ 28 Lana ............................................................................................................ 28 Sharon ......................................................................................................... 30 Clair ............................................................................................................. 31 Tracy ........................................................................................................... 32 Data Analysis ................................................................................................ 33 CHAPTER THREE: LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................. 36 Female Sporting Experience in North America WWI -1960s ..................... 37 The Canadian Female Sporting Body ......................................................... 43 Female Physical Educators .......................................................................... 47 Women’s Basketball History in North America .......................................... 50 Unpaid Labour, Administration, Volunteer Roles, Coaches and Professionals ................................................................................................ 60 Personal Meanings of the Female Athlete Experience ............................. 63 iii CHAPTER FOUR: THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF RUTH WILSON TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF WOMEN’S BASKETBALL IN CANADA ...................... 67 The Development of Women’s Basketball in Canada until the late 1960’s ............................................................................................................. 69 Ruth Wilson’s Early Experiences at the University of British Columbia .. 77 Ruth Wilson and the Vancouver Commercial Basketball League ............ 87 Wilson as an Administrator .......................................................................... 99 CHAPTER FIVE: REMEMBERING RUTH ................................................... 108 Experiences as Athletes Playing Competitive Sport ............................... 112 Early Family Support ................................................................................. 112 Opportunities to Play Competitive Sport .................................................... 115 Impact of Gender on Their Experiences as Players .................................. 120 Experiences Outside of Playing: Coaches, Teachers and Administrators ............................................................................................ 126 Career Goals: Physical Educators ............................................................. 126 Volunteering and Mentoring Women in the Vancouver Sport Community . 131 CHAPTER SIX: CONCLUSION AND FUTURE RESEARCH AREAS ......... 138 Sport Advocacy and Sport Feminism ....................................................... 140 Life History Research ................................................................................. 146 Future Research .......................................................................................... 148 REFERENCES ............................................................................................. 150 APPENDIX no. 1 .......................................................................................... 159 Photo disused on page 112 .......................................................................... 159 APPENDIX no. 2 .......................................................................................... 160 Letter of Initial Contact .................................................................................. 160 APPENDIX no. 3 .......................................................................................... 162 Consent Form ............................................................................................... 162 APPENDIX no. 4 .......................................................................................... 165 Potential Interview Questions/ Script ............................................................ 165 APPENDIX no. 5 .......................................................................................... 166 Ethics Approval ............................................................................................. 166 iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am grateful to a number of individuals who have made this thesis possible. I would like to extend my utmost appreciation and gratitude to the participants of this study and Dr. Barbara Schrodt whose knowledge and guidance provided the foundation for this work. I would also like to thank UBC Athletics Sport Historian Fred Hume for all of his insight and support throughout this process. I would like to thank the staff and volunteers at the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame and Museum for the opportunity to “travel back in time” on many occasions. Thank you to Dr. Wendy Frisby and Dr. Alex Carre, my committee members, for your expertise, insightful comments and assistance. It has been a delight to work with you and learn from you. Many thanks to all of the faculty, staff and students in the School of Human Kinetics for your support, encouragement and laughter over the past few years, you all have made this degree a wonderful experience. I would like to thank my parents Stuart and Carrol and my sister Lorna for their support and encouragement to always pursue my dreams and strive for excellence. To my friends many of whom have become like family, thank you for your support and