{"id":287,"date":"2008-03-14T16:15:14","date_gmt":"2008-03-14T16:15:14","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2016-10-12T14:53:53","modified_gmt":"2016-10-12T19:53:53","slug":"book-review-senda-berenson-the-unlikely-founder-of-womens-basketball","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/article\/book-review-senda-berenson-the-unlikely-founder-of-womens-basketball\/","title":{"rendered":"Book Review: Senda Berenson: The Unlikely Founder of Women\u2019s Basketball"},"content":{"rendered":"
Reviewed by: Jeffrey Chamberlin<\/div>\n

Senda Berenson: The Unlikely Founder of Women\u2019s Basketball<\/em> is author Ralph Melnick\u2019s biographical account of Senda Berenson (1868-1954), considered by many to be the founder of women\u2019s basketball. She pioneered gender-specific rules and emphasized skill development and team play. She transformed the sport of women\u2019s basketball from a physical education class for female underclassmen at Smith College to a nationwide, standardized-women\u2019s game with rules formally approved by the American Association for the Advancement of Physical Education and published by Spaulding\u2019s Athletic Library.<\/p>\n

Senda Berenson: The Unlikely Founder of Women\u2019s Basketball<\/em> is a \u201cportrait\u201d of Senda Berenson\u2019s life. In sixteen chapters, the author describes Berenson\u2019s modest upbringing as a sickly, young Jewish immigrant from Lithuania, her aspirations to be an artist, her revolutionary and practical applications towards women\u2019s physical education, and her commitment to making exercise and games social and enjoyable. Berenson believed the new age of women dictated that women\u2019s athletics could be used as catalysts for social change. She believed competition created moral bankruptcy. Berenson condemned personal glory, corporate profit, individualism, and the entrepreneurial spirit reflected in men\u2019s athletics. In qualifying his portrait of Berenson, Ralph Melnick writes:<\/p>\n

\n

[T]his book is neither a history of an advancing feminist wave nor a history of early women\u2019s basketball; these stories have been told elsewhere, as has the history of women\u2019s physical education. Rather, it is a step back more than a century, even to those moments before the first ball was tossed at center court, in an attempt to create a portrait of the remarkable women who sent it upward.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Nothing summarizes her better words to her nephew shortly before her death, \u201cOld age is creeping up on me\u2026I suppose that at our age we resign ourselves to the fact that our energy gets weaker and weaker \u2013 although I cannot do it with resignation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Millions of females throughout the country are reaping the benefits of Berenson\u2019s foresight and fortitude. Her contributions to basketball have solidified her place in the Basketball Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n

This book is an ideal text for those interested in the history of women\u2019s sport or in the life of a remarkable American figure.<\/p>\n

Author: Ralph Melnick
Published in 2007 by University of Massachusetts Press
(221 pages, ISBN: 1-55849-568-1)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Reviewed by: Jeffrey Chamberlin<\/div>\n

Senda Berenson: The Unlikely Founder of Women’s Basketball<\/em> is author Ralph Melnick’s biographical account of Senda Berenson (1868-1954), considered by many to be the founder of women’s basketball. She pioneered gender-specific rules and emphasized skill development and team play.  She transformed the sport of women’s basketball from a physical education class for female underclassmen at Smith College to a nationwide, standardized-women’s game with rules formally approved by the American Association for the Advancement of Physical Education and published by Spaulding’s Athletic Library<\/em>.     <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_options":[]},"categories":[295,292,291,294],"tags":[80,76,25,8],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4btio-4D","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":5914,"url":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/article\/competitive-balance-in-ncaa-power-conferences-the-case-of-mens-and-womens-basketball\/","url_meta":{"origin":287,"position":0},"title":"Competitive Balance in NCAA “Power Conferences:” The Case of Men\u2019s and Women’s Basketball","date":"August 16, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Authors: Martin M. Perline, Jeffrey S. Noble, G. Clayton Stoldt; Wichita State University Corresponding Author: Jeff Noble, Ed.D Department of Sport Management Wichita State University 1845 Fairmount Wichita, KS 67260-0127 jeffrey.noble@wichita.edu (316)978-5442 Competitive Balance in the NCAA \u201cPower Conferences:\u201d The Case of Men\u2019s and Women\u2019s Basketball ABSTRACT The uncertainty of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sports Management"","img":{"alt_text":"Table 1","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Table-1-1.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3874,"url":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/article\/differences-in-official-athletic-website-coverage-and-social-media-use-between-mens-and-womens-basketball-teams\/","url_meta":{"origin":287,"position":1},"title":"Differences in Official Athletic Website Coverage and Social Media use Between Men’s and Women’s Basketball Teams","date":"July 22, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Authors: Steve Shih-Chia Chen, Terran Duncan, Eric Street*, and Brooklyn Hesterberg *Corresponding Author: Eric Street, MS 1048 Lemon Rue Way Lexington, KY 40515 esflair@hotmail.com 859-797-1479 Steve Chen, D.S.M., is an associate professor at the Department of Management and Marketing in Morehead State University, Morehead, KY. He received his doctorate in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Commentary"","img":{"alt_text":"Tables 1&2","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Tables-12.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":273,"url":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/article\/a-history-of-women-in-sport-prior-to-title-ix\/","url_meta":{"origin":287,"position":2},"title":"A History of Women in Sport Prior to Title IX","date":"March 14, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Submitted by: Richard C. Bell, Ed.D., J.D. Abstract: Women's opportunities for competitive physical activity were limited in America until Federal Legislation, commonly referred to as Title IX, became law. It required American society to recognize a woman's right to participate in sports on a plane equal to that of men.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sports Management"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":292,"url":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/article\/competitive-balance-in-mens-and-womens-basketball-the-cast-of-the-missouri-valley-conference\/","url_meta":{"origin":287,"position":3},"title":"Competitive Balance in Men\u2019s and Women\u2019s Basketball: The Cast of the Missouri Valley Conference","date":"March 14, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Submitted by: Martin M. Perline, Ph.D. & G. Clayton Stoldt, Ed.D. Abstract: Competitive balance typically fosters fan interest. Since revenue associated with men\u2019s sports is typically greater than with women\u2019s, one might expect to find greater levels of competitive balance in men\u2019s sport than women\u2019s sport. The purpose of this\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sports Management"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":6606,"url":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/article\/evaluating-the-two-game-road-trip-in-college-sports-does-a-travel-partner-scheduling-approach-affect-team-competitiveness\/","url_meta":{"origin":287,"position":4},"title":"Evaluating the Two-Game Road Trip in College Sports: Does a Travel Partner Scheduling Approach Affect Team Competitiveness?","date":"November 1, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Authors:\u00a0 Mark Mitchell, Samuel Wathen, and Robert Orwig Corresponding Author:Mark Mitchell, DBAProfessor of MarketingAssociate Dean, Wall College of BusinessNCAA Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR)Coastal Carolina UniversityP. O. Box 261954Conway, SC\u00a0 29528mmitchel@coastal.edu(843) 349-2392 Mark Mitchell, DBA is Professor of Marketing at Coastal Carolina University in Conway, SC.Samuel Wathen, PhDis Professor of Management\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Research"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1549,"url":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/article\/the-relationship-between-racial-diversity-and-winning-percentage-a-study-of-mens-and-womens-basketball-teams-and-coaching-staffs-in-the-atlantic-coast-conference-from-2005-2009\/","url_meta":{"origin":287,"position":5},"title":"The Relationship Between Racial Diversity and Winning Percentage: A Study of Men’s and Women’s Basketball Teams and Coaching Staffs in the Atlantic Coast Conference From 2005-2009","date":"February 3, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Submitted by Craig T. Bogar, Ed.D. ABSTRACT Much attention has been devoted to the need for and importance of racial diversity in society. Studies have been conducted in business and industry which indicate that racial diversity is a positive attribute that contributes to success and positive performance. In intercollegiate athletics,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Contemporary Sports Issues"","img":{"alt_text":"Screen Shot 2014-02-03 at 4.30.09 PM","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/Screen-Shot-2014-02-03-at-4.30.09-PM.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/287"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=287"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/287\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4298,"href":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/287\/revisions\/4298"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=287"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=287"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesportjournal.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=287"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}