The Beginning of the Madness

There are a dozen small town clichés that can describe the village of Manito, Ill, in northern Mason County, near Pekin, Ill.  I have driven through it numerous times when I make my treks back to Missouri or when attending my wife's family gatherings held in the town, so I can contest that you can blink and miss it. 

Established in 1858, the town still showcases its 1858 "Old School" and 1906 "Old Jail".  The three day Manito Popcorn Festival is celebrated annually on Labor Day Weekend, since 1972. It attracts not only local residents, but residents from Mason, Tazwell and Peoria counties as well.  The village of nearly 1,600 is also home to Midwest Central High School and its Raiders, which have played host to the IHSA sectional playoffs.  But what most Illinois high school basketball fans might not realize is the tie the town has to one of Illinois' most coveted basketball traditions.

Small Illinois community

When planning our basketball trips, it is customary to give it a basketball name that is popular within the state we are traveling.  The days leading up to our Illinois trip this past October, it was a no-brainer to identify our trip with the most popular basketball term that originated in Iliinois, "March Madness".  While researching it, I was surprised to learn that Manito was the birthplace of Henry Van Arsdale Porter (H. V. Porter), who would coin the popular phrase in an essay written in 1939.  "March Madness" defined the excitement and spirit of the Illinois high school basketball tournament.  



 H.V. Porter (1891-1975)

Porter was born in Manito on October 2, 1891, but he grew up on a farm near Washington,  Ill.  Following high school he attended Illinois State Normal University and after graduating, he began his career teaching in Mount Zion, Keithsburg, and Delavan.  From 1919 to 1928 he served as principal of Athens High School, where he also coached basketball, leading his team to a second place state finish in 1924.

In 1928, Porter was hired as assistant manager of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA).  Along with organizing a department to license and train officials in sports, such as, football, basketball, and baseball, Porter served as editor of a new monthly magazine, the Illinois High School Athlete.

According to Basketball.org, nearly every magazine contained an article or essay from Porter himself. In 1939, near the end of Porter's tenure at the IHSA, he wrote an essay titled, March Madness, about the fans of the Illinois high school basketball tournament, which during the 1930s had grown in popularity.  The term itself is thought to have come from the old English saying, ‘Mad as a March Hare.’ The essay’s punctual line was,

“When the March madness is on him, midnight jaunts of a hundred miles on successive nights make him even more alert the next day.”

The spirit of March Madness

Shortly thereafter, Porter left the IHSA to become the executive secretary of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). In 1942 he provided one last contribution to the IHSA’s magazine, a poem titled “Basketball Ides of March“, which ends with the final stanza:

           WIth war nerves tense, the final defense

           Is the courage, strength and will

           In a million lives where freedom thrives

          And liberty lingers still

          Now eagles fly and heroes die

          Beneath some foreign arch

          Let their sons tread where hate is dead

          In a happy Madness of March

Shortly after joining the NFHS , Porter became a member of several influential committees. As a member of the National Basketball Committee, Porter contributed to many innovations that shaped basketball for years to come.

It is also worth noting that Porter was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1960, in the second inducted class.  The following are his basketball contributions listed on the Hall of Fame website:

"Equipment inventor, rule maker, high-school coach, and athletic administrator, Henry Porter's innovations were vital to the evolution of basketball. In 1933, Porter designed the popular fan-shaped backboard, adopted for official use in 1940-41. In 1935, he pushed for replacement of the then-used cumbersome, irregular, and expensive 32-inch sewn leather ball with a 29 1/2-inch molded leather basketball. Under his leadership, high schools adopted the new ball in 1938, and later in the 1940s, adopted an even better composite-molded basketball. Throughout the 1930s, Porter teamed with Hall of Famer Oswald Tower to create new and consistent rules for basketball. In 1936, Porter published the first high school rulebook standardizing the game across the nation. In 1940, Porter became the first full-time executive secretary and editor of publications at the National Federation of State High School Athletic Association (NFSHSAA), a position he held until 1958."

Career Highlights

• Served as the first rep for high schools on the National Basketball Rules Committee
• Pioneered use of motion pictures to study proper playing techniques
• Published the first high school rule book, 1936
• Published the first magazine-style state high school association publication, The Illinois Athlete

You can see why I was taken aback to learn that a man of large influence to basketball, state-wide and nationally, came from this small, rural community.  I guess it shouldn’t surprise me when I look at the history of Illinois high school basketball and the list of small town players, coaches, administrators, and programs that have contributed to the game and to the Madness of March.  Trust me when I say that small town clichés do not apply to Porter.  Because when you are reading about Porter and you blink, you can't miss reading his accomplishments and contributions.

 



Legeman's Court Vision

When entering through the doors to your school’s gymnasium, grabbing a game program and taking a seat in your favorite spot, you generally don’t ask yourself, “who built this gym?” or “why was the gym designed this way?”  If you have been in more than a handful of the tri-state area gyms, you will probably agree that they have their similarities and differences.  But there is one style of gym that is so unique, its design belongs to only a small fraternity of gyms in Illinois, Indiana and Michigan and to one man, whose late night vision would change the basketball landscape for decades to come.  

  

Ralph E. Legeman

Architect Ralph E. Legeman, of Evansville, IN, launched a career in architecture in 1922, designing general buildings but his legacy would be cemented nearly 25 years later with a simple solution to a large problem.  In 1946, he began to be approached by school officials asking him to build them a gymnasium that could hold large capacity crowds, but at a low construction cost, since the cost of labor and materials had increased tremendously in recent years.  With this problem on his mind, Legeman had troubles sleeping. One night with numbers, facts, and figures running through his head, he got out of his bed and went to his desk to do some sketches.  It was that night that his vision of a unique design would become the answer to the school officials problem. Shortly thereafter in 1948, Legeman would file to patent (granted in 1956) his solution, which is to build underground. 

Diagram from the patent

Legeman felt that his underground “bowl” design would be economical in construction, safe and convenient in use and attractive in appearance.  In Legeman’s design, only the roof and upper walls stand above ground. The design also eliminated the need for elaborate structural supports for seating and roofing, which were expensive and constrained by limits in technology.  Bleachers were concrete, built directly on the sloping dirt sides of the excavation and the top of the gym is supported by steel trusses. Spectators are seated up to where the trusses join the abutments. There are no steel rafters above the court, since the abutments support the weight of the structure.

In addition, the underground design would allow the spectators to enter the seats from above and leave the same route, without interfering with persons on the playing floor and without obstructing the views of the persons in the seats.  Also, Legeman thought exits could be installed behind the seats at ground level so that the spectators may leave at many access points and the seats may be quickly emptied at the end of a game.  

Legeman's design became so successful that he would eventually design 27 bowl gymnasiums for both high school and college and license 10 others during the late 1940’s, 50’s, and 60’s.  There were three different gym sizes that a school could build: small, medium, and large.   In 1949, Herrin, IL (Memorial Gym) became the first of 27 bowl gyms and Loogootee, IN would be the last, built in 1968.  Many of Legeman's gyms are noteworthy, large and small, such as Duster Thomas gym in Pinckneyville, IL, the Jacksonville Bowl in Jacksonville, IL and the 12,500 seat multi-purpose arena, Roberts Municipal Stadium, in Evansville, IN.  The most recognized would probably be Chrysler Fieldhouse in New Castle, IN. Chrysler is better known as “The largest high school basketball gymnasium in the world”, since its seating capacity is 9,325, but has held more than 10,000. 

Duster Thomas Gym in Pinckneyville, IL

Chrysler Fieldhouse in New Castle, IN

For someone like myself who grew up in northeast Missouri, I too do not have to travel very far to see or play in a Legeman Gym.  Twenty miles to the east, in Hamilton, IL, Legeman erected their high school gymnasium in 1956.  Once home to the Hamilton Cardinals basketball teams, it is still in use today for a handful of the West Hancock Titan varsity basketball teams home games.  Having traveled to some of Illinois and Indiana’s most decorated basketball schools and gyms, I was excited to learn of the local connection between Hamilton’s gym and the many prominent gyms that Legeman built. 



Hamilton gymnasium interior



Hamilton gymnasium exterior - steel abutments

I am never surprised anymore when I learn something new about the historical relevance of a gym, school or person located down the street or in the area where I grew up.  When recently talking to Hamilton High School Athletic Director, Dave Dion, he mentioned that he too is learning things about his gym after being at Hamilton for 35 years. Uncovering history can start by asking a simple question or by keeping your eyes and ears open to conversations. Basketball history is everywhere around us.  You could even be sitting on it and you might not know it. 

Additional information:
According to chopperinu of IllinoisHighSchoolSports.com, Ralph Legeman Associates, Evansville, Ind.,  designed or licensed bowls in the following cities:

Three gyms yet to be identified, plus:

Norris City
Herrin
Owensville (IN)
Herrin JHS
Murphysboro (now MS)
Huntingburg (IN)
Pinckneyville
Bushnell-Prairie City
Lynnville (IN)
Central (Clifton)
Hamilton
Ridgway
Trico
Jacksonville
Center Grove (IN)
Roberts Municipal Stadium (IN)
Evansville North (IN)
Carmel (IN)
Edinburg (IN)
Boonville (IN)
Connersville (IN)
New Castle (IN)
Indiana Central College (IN) (now UIndy)
L.C. Walker Sports Arena (MI)

Designed by Weber & Curry, Terre Haute, Ind., under license:
Switz City (IN) (now White River Valley)
Clay City (IN)
Orleans (IN)
West Vigo (IN)
Springs Valley (IN)

Designed by James Associates, Indianapolis, Ind., under license:
Brownstown Central (IN)
West Washington (IN)
Eastern (Pekin) (IN)
Indian Creek (IN)

Designed by Lester Routt & Associates, Vincennes, Ind., under license:
Loogootee (IN)

A Thirst For Winning

With the Chicago Bulls back in the national spotlight and the emergence of young Derrick Rose as one of the league’s most dominant players, Bulls fans are taken back to the days when another young player was beginning to take flight.  Michael Jordan's emergence would not only change the identity of Chicago and the game... but would also make him one of the most marketed sports figures in history. He was a winner, not only for his city, team and league, but also for any company lucky enough to have him endorse their product.

It was after winning his first National Basketball Association Championship in 1991, that Michael Jordan would begin a long relationship with Gatorade, which would commence with a commercial that would become part of pop culture and lift up two brands to unimaginable recognition and gain. The story of how Michael Jordan came to endorse Gatorade is legendary among marketers but the more captivating story is the origin of the lyrics and song that made the Gatorade commercial popular and made every kid want to Be Like Mike.

Jordan's 1st NBA Championship - 1991

It was 20 years ago when Jordan signed a lucrutive 10-year contract with Quaker Oats, to become Gatorade's exclusive spokesperson, rather than resigning with Coca-Cola.  After the contract was signed, the advertising firm of Quaker Oats made the decision to bring back its creative chief, Bernie Pitzel, to introduce Jordan and Gatorade to the world, as he was told.  One of the challenges that Pitzel soon learned was that prior to his arrival, a commercial had already been approved by Quaker Oats executives, which left him scratching his head since it was the same type of Jordan highlight reel commercial that other endorsers were using to sell their products.  To Pitzel’s dismay, Quaker Oats gave him only 3 days to come up with a new concept.  Upon returning home that evening, Pitzel sat down to watch Disney’s The Jungle Book with his son. When he heard the song "I Wan'na Be Like You," he immediately thought of a creative concept since he knew that a million people wanted to be like Michael Jordan due to his growing popularity.   

Originally, it was Pitzel's plan to use The Jungle Book music over the video, but he soon found out that Disney officials wanted $350,000 from Gatorade for a five-week commercial run in order to use the track.  As a result, he decided that he would write his own lyrics that would play off the concept that everyone wanting to be Jordan. Pitzel then went to his favorite Chicago restaurant, Avanzare, to do some creative thinking.  He soon started writing the following lyrics on the paper tablecloth: 

Sometimes I dream

That he is me

You've got to see that's how I dream to be

I dream I move, I dream I groove

Like Mike

If I could Be Like Mike

Again I try

Just need to fly

For just one day if I could

Be that way

I dream I move, I dream I groove

Like Mike

If I could Be Like Mike

Several hours later, he faxed a ripped tablecloth with the lyrics to four different local music companies, hopeful that one of them would orchestrate a tune that would fit well with his lyrics, since he only had 48 hours left.  One local pair of jingle writers took 'Be Like Mike' and really made it the chorus.  They then hired eight singers to sing the work, rather than one, which sold the concept that everyone wanted to be like Mike.  When finished, they knew that no other company would beat their catchy tune and Pitzel agreed.

Pitzel then drove up to Wisconsin to meet with Gatorade executives and to present the "Be Like Mike" lyrics and tune from a tape played on a boom box. Gatorade executives knew they had a winner. Pitzel then dreamed up the commercial's visual concept, which included a group of children trying to be like Mike in front of Jordan himself at a basketball court in Chicago.  Additional footage was filmed of Jordan playing a pick-up game with grown-ups, goofing around and drinking Gatorade.  These concepts tried to humanize Jordan since most thought of him as a basketball God.  And although we may not be able to fly through the air or play basketball like Michael, we can be like him and drink Gatorade.

Scene from the "Be Like Mike" Commercial

The commercial ended with the simple phrase "Be Like Mike. Drink Gatorade" and that is exactly what happened when it aired in August, 1991. It was a defining moment in Gatorade's history, lifting an already popular product to even greater heights.  It was a winner.

Jordan would go on to appear in over 20 Gatorade commericals, but "Be Like Mike" was the trend-setter because even today, you still hear kids and adults, singing the lyrics to "Be Like Mike".  In 2003, Darren Rovell, who covers sports business for ESPN.com, wrote an article regarding Jordan's best commercials.  All of Jordan's commercials, covering all of his endorsed products, were considered and it wasn't a surprise that "Be Like Mike" was rated #1 because of its popular tagline and catchy tune.  I emailed Bernie Pitzel prior to our trip about the commercial and he replied, “That spot struck quite a chord…anything you can do to effect or become part of pop culture is a huge win.  Be Like Mike did just that.”  

So it was during the Chicago leg of our Illinois basketball trip, that we wanted to pay homage to Michael Jordan in some way, because he was such an influence to us growing up. Most basketball fans, when visiting Chicago,  gravitate to two locations to pay tribute to the greatest basketball player ever.  Most travel to the city’s west side and pose for pictures in front of the famous Jordan statue outside the United Center, while others drive to the Architectural Estates in the north suburbs of Highland Park to take a photo outside Jordan’s front gates (like we did).  But it was another location, a hidden gem of sorts, that we decided to locate to pay homage to not only Michael Jordan but to one of the backdrops for one of the greatest commercials.  

Front gates of Jordan's estate

We wound through various roads into the heart of the Highland Park suburb, until we came to Sunset Woods Park.  Thanks to the Park District of Highland Park, we were able to locate the outdoor basketball courts where Michael Jordan was filmed playing basketball with the kids trying to imitate him, with their between-the-leg dribbling and acrobatic shots.  The court has been replaced in recent years with a skate park but another court sets beside it.  So for an hour, we looked around the area, trying to imagine what it would have been like not only to work with Jordan on the set but also getting the chance, as a kid, to play basketball with him.  Prior to leaving, we played our traditional 2-on-2 game, as we do at all the gyms we visit.  And for a few shots, without trying to injure ourselves, we too tried to "Be Like Mike".



Skatepark (background) where the commercial was filmed

 

Sunset Woods Park




Centralia’s Masterpiece



Many basketball enthusiasts say that a trip to Centralia, IL is a basketball pilgrimage because for nearly a century, its Orphans were considered America’s winningest high school basketball team.  Although they have surrendered that title in recent years, you are still reminded of the honor while driving through town.  It was during the 2007-08 season that the Centralia Orphans won their 2,000th game, a feat that only a select few basketball programs can put on their program’s resume.  As you enter the new CHS athletic arena, you are welcomed to the “Home of the Orphans” and to one of the largest high school trophy cases that I have seen.  Trophies, jerseys, and other basketball memorabilia introduce visitors to the teams decorated past but it also reminds its players, students, and community what’s expected in the future. 

One of many trophy cases outside new CHS athletic arena

Even though the program's basketball history is on display at the new school, all basketball enthusiasts will agree that you must take the 2 minute car ride up the road to Trout Gym because it’s the true mecca of Illinois high school basketball.  And until you visit it, your pilgrimage is not complete.

Sign hanging outside Trout Gym

Our family was thrilled to be given the luxury last year to enter Trout Gym, because in 2006 a new school and gym were built and as a result, the old school was sold to a local group, the doors were locked, and the lights were turned out in Trout Gym.  Although a story on Trout Gym is deserving for obvious reasons, it was a hidden gem that caught our eye before we entered the historic gym, that I had to write about.  Above the gym’s entrance, a colorful stained glass work of art is arranged to depict a Centralia player in motion, shooting the ball over his opponent.  But, it’s the message incorporated into the stained glass that left an everlasting impression with us. 


Stained glass window from the outside



In 1936, Trout Gym was built in the midst of the Depression as a project of the Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works, which concentrated on the construction of large-scale public works such as schools, dams and bridges, with the goal of providing employment and contributing to a revival of American industry. Architect Frank Rixman designed the gymnasium in the WPA Moderne style, which was a popular style from 1925 through the 1940s. 

According to an article in Chicago Art Deco Society magazine's 2007 Spring and Summer edition, the stained glass panels were designed by Emo Fry and constructed by the St. Louis Art Glass Company. The influence of the Art Deco aesthetic is unmistakable in the side panels; the only known depiction of such a scene in stained glass. 
 

Players in motion and the Latin phrases


Although the stained glass is visible from the outside, it's positioned so you can view it while climbing the inside staircase leading to the balcony seating.   Most visitor’s eyes are immediately drawn to the players but a quick glance to their left and right and you will notice the Latin phrases: Mens sana in corpore sano and In omnia paratus. 

Mens sana in corpore sano translated means "a sound mind in a sound body", which can be construed to mean that only a healthy body can produce or sustain a healthy mind. Its most general usage is to express the concept of a healthy balance in one’s mode of life. The other phrase, In omnia paratus, translated means "prepared for all things", which is the desire to provide those with the skills they need to be successful in whatever they choose to do.  Also within the stain glass are various symbols represent standard curricula, including music, biology, athletics, etc. 

While speaking with one of the gym’s owners, we were told that legendary coach, Arthur Trout, had the large stain glass window installed because he believed in these values and taught his players to believe in them as well.  He felt that the combination of academics and athletics would make a student a well-rounded individual. 

It is only fitting that Illinois greatest high school gym has its own masterpiece for everyone to inspire to and see when entering this basketball museum of sorts.  Its message should be embedded into every basketball program across the nation because it was from these values, that Arthur Trout and his Orphans turned winning into an art.

Our family at Trout Gym

A Walk Down Memory Hall

As we walked up the ramp into the old Memorial Gymnasium in Lebanon, Indiana, I remember thinking, “If only these walls could talk."  A lot of basketball history was written in the gym, from successful teams to a Hall of Fame coach and a legendary player, to even one of the greatest set of free throws made in basketball history. From the excitement the gym has witnessed over the last 82 years, the walls would probably be speechless.

Basketball has been a staple in Lebanon as far back as when it was introduced to Indiana in the 1890’s.  Lebanon is part of the basketball region of Indiana referred to as the “Cradle of Basketball” because the first eight state champions came from a three-county, 30-mile radius. When Crawfordsville won the first Indiana high school state championship in 1911, it was Lebanon High School that they beat.  But it didn’t take long for Lebanon to write their own chapter into the Indiana basketball history books because a year later, in 1912, they took home their own state title and then two more in 1917 and 1918.  To honor these great Lebanon teams, the city built a new gymnasium.

Memory Hall, formally Memorial Gymnasium

In 1926, the 2200-seat Memorial Gymnasium would become home to the Lebanon Tigers until 1968. Its pale-yellow brick interior walls, horseshoe seating, and stage, make it one of the most appealing gyms that I have seen.  For decades, the community would fill the gym to watch their beloved Tigers, but in 1963, a certain player would launch a career that would later put college coaches in the bleachers and Lebanon on the nation’s basketball map.   

Rick "the Rocket" Mount played for Lebanon from 1962-66, where he led his team in scoring, including 33.1 ppg throughout his junior and senior seasons. On February 14, 1966, Mount became the first high school athlete to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated.  His Senior year, he won the Indiana "Mr. Basketball" award and was named "USA Basketball Yearbook Player of the Year," given to the nation's best high school player. He finished his high school career with 2,595 points, currently the fourth highest total in Indiana high school history. Mount would attend Purdue University and become a 3-time All American.  Mount’s high school and Indiana Hall of Fame coach, Jim Rosenstihl, acknowledged that Rick is “naturally one of the greatest shooters to ever play the game”.  

As the excitement was fading in 1966, a new school and gym were being built on the east side of town.  After Memorial Gymnasium closed, it fell under authority of the Parks Department, which renamed the gym Memory Hall and leased the facility for some time to Ivy Tech and the YMCA.  Afterwards, there were periods of time that the gym set unused. 

According to the City of Lebanon's website, in 1831, the city was named Lebanon because a cluster of hickory trees on the site reminded one of the town's commissioners of the Biblical cedars of Lebanon.  It's only fitting that in 1985, another form of "hickory" would bring basketball fans back to Memory Hall.   It was Lebanon’s own, Memory Hall, that played the part of Jasper gym, the site of the Regional Finals in the movie Hoosiers.  The game is most remembered for its final seconds when Hickory manager, Ollie MacFarlane, is put into the game when the Huskers have no other players left.  After being fouled with only seconds left on the clock, he sinks two underhand free throws to win the game, sending the Huskers to the state finals and Memory Hall into movie history.  After the filming was completed, the gym would again go unused.

Memory Hall played the part of Jasper

In 1992, Lebanon's new mayor faced the prospect of demolitioning Memory Hall but instead made finding a use for the historical gym a top priority in his administration.  With help and state grants, the building was redeveloped as senior housing and the gym was restored as a fitness center, Lebanon Sports & Fitness, for the community.  So often, old gyms are demolished so it is uplifting to see a community fight to keep an old gym and its memories alive and use it for the greater good of the community.

Our time spent in Memory Hall was memorable, not only because we were able to play basketball in one of Indiana's historic gyms, but because of the stories we were told while touring it as well.  I am so glad the walls couldn't talk that day, because my family was given an even greater opportunity to hear the stories from non-other than Indiana basketball legend, Rick Mount himself.  And after listening to those stories, I'm speechless.

Visiting with Rick Mount

The “Hoosier State” of Basketball

“In 49 states it’s just basketball, but this is Indiana”. 

A familiar quote to most Hoosiers, it conveys how much the sport means to Indiana and how much Indiana means to the sport.  Although Dr. James A. Naismith created basketball at the Springfield, Massachusetts YMCA in December, 1891, Indiana is where high school basketball was born.  It was Dr. Naismith himself, who in in 1925 after attending an Indiana basketball state finals game, wrote "Basketball really had its origin in Indiana, which remains the center of the sport." 

The sport grew at the high school level to become the greatest sporting event in the state, which concluded each season with the electrifying single-class basketball tournament. Indiana’s passion for basketball was evident during the 1990 state title game, at the Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis, when Damon Bailey and his Bedford North Lawrence team won the state championship in front of a crowd of more than 41,000 people, the most people to ever attend a high school basketball game. Likewise, just skim over the list of the nation’s 20 largest high school gymnasiums and it is obvious where the game matters most. 

It was because of this distinction that we decided to visit a handful of Indiana’s most famous gyms in 2008 to see Hoosier Hysteria for ourselves.  But before we stepped foot into any gym, we had to visit an unmarked site where it all started.

Old Crawfordsville YMCA

Records indicate that in 1893, Rev. Nicholas McKay, an associate of Dr. James Naismith in Springfield, became the general secretary of the YMCA in Crawfordsville, Indiana. He brought with him the skills to operate the YMCA, but more importantly, he brought to Indiana the game of basketball.  So it was from its beginnings in Crawfordsville, that the game took off in popularity, with players from Crawfordsville spreading the word about the new game to nearby communities. As the game spread across the region, improvements began to appear as well. Backboards were installed to keep spectators in the balcony from interfering with the game and bottomless nets were hung to eliminate the need to push the ball out of the basket with a pole. 

On March 16, 1894, the first game played outside of Massachusetts between two different towns was played between the Crawfordsville YMCA and the Lafayette YMCA, which Crawfordsville won 45 -21.  On Feb. 19, 1897, Wabash College played Purdue University at the old Crawfordsville YMCA in the first official intercollegiate basketball game.  By 1911, the state had a state high school basketball tournament, which was also won by Crawfordsville.  The game continued to grow in popularity and by the 1920s and 1930s, basketball had spread throughout the state.  

Empty Bank Parking Lot - Old YMCA site

So it was two years ago in an empty bank parking lot, located on the corner of Washington and Main, that we stood and paid homage to the site of the old Crawfordsville YMCA.  It was only fitting that we started our Indiana basketball trip at the very same spot where basketball started its own journey across the state and into the history books.

It wasn’t until writing this blog entry that I read that on April 16, 2011, a historical marker was unveiled on the site of the former YMCA (also the site of the first Indiana high school basketball game) to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Crawfordsville Athenians winning Indiana's first high school state title.  Although long overdue, I am glad to see that Crawfordsville is being recognized for its contributions.  So when making a trip through Indiana, make sure to set aside a few minutes to exit off Interstate 74 and stop by the bank parking lot, read the historical marker and reflect on how far the game has come. Because 118 years ago, on that same spot, Rev. McKay was envisioning the possibilities of the sport that would later set off Hoosier Hysteria and create the identity for Indiana.

Historical Marker Dedication on the former YMCA site

Keeping “The Streak” Alive

Benet Academy, of Lisle, IL,  made national headlines this year when the boys’ basketball team beat Simeon in the City-Suburban Showdown.  The win catapulted the undefeated Redwings to sixth in the USA Today national poll and first in the Illinois 4A state poll.  Unfortunately, their season ended early with a loss to East Aurora in sectional semifinal play, ending their dream season of going undefeated and winning a state title.  But this year’s run may not be the most memorable in school history. 

Between November 26, 1975 and January 24, 1987, the boys' basketball program won 102 straight home-games in their “old gym”.  The streak ended when Benet lost to Naperville North High School 46–47. When visiting with coach Gene Heidkamp in October 2010 he mentioned that on that night in January, the Naperville North fans decided that they would take away Benet’s home court advantage and showed up early to fill the small gym.  Heidkamp said that Naperville North fans packed the bleachers, almost making it an away game for the Redwings. The rest is history.
 

Benet’s IHSA record still stands today, and I do not see it being broken anytime soon.  The closest any team has come is Aurora (A. Christian) from Feb. 9, 1988-Feb. 11, 1997 with 80 consecutive home court wins (Quincy is 3rd with 70).

 

As I mentioned in my previous blog entry, a team’s gym can play a significant role in the home winning percentage.  Benet is a great example of that but it is not what the teams did decades ago that caught my attention, it’s what the school did years later that intrigued me most.  The Redwings continued to play basketball in their Alumni Gym until the end of the 1994 season, when a newer athletic facility was built down the hall.  It wasn't until years later  when Marty Gaughan, who coached Benet from 1989-2008,  decided to honor the school record by playing one home game each year in the Alumni Gym, where the streak was recorded.  The Redwing coaches and Academy administration continue the tradition because they too understand how special the record and gym are for their program, team, and fans, due to its historical relevance and electric game-night atmosphere.

 

This gesture was also the catalyst that drove our family to visit it last October.  Look at the list of schools and gyms that fall below Benet for top honor and you too would be impressed.  But what’s most impressive is that this annual game keeps the streak “alive” for future generation of players so they know how special it is to play for Benet and in Alumni Gym.

 

Restraining Mt. Vernon

I have toured and played basketball in some of Indiana  and Illinois’ most touted gyms and there are only a handful that I have walked into, where I felt as though I was walking into another era.  Fewer and fewer of these gyms exist each year because bigger facilities are replacing the small, older gyms due to school needs, deterioration or high maintenance costs.  Of the gyms that I have visited,  the 75 year old Stanley Changnon Gymnasium, which is home to the Mt. Vernon Rams, is one of my favorites.  It was built in 1936 and is one of the most historic buildings on the 106-year-old high school campus.  The gym was named for legendary coach Stanley Changnon, who won 229 games at Mt. Vernon, including a perfect 33-0 season in 1949-50 and three state titles.   Last October, Changnon Gym did what only a few gym can do– it took me back in time for a few hours.

There are many features of this gym, inside and out,  that you immediately notice when entering from South 7th Street.  The word “Gymnasium” etched in the aged brick greets you as you enter. Take one step into the lobby and the trophy cases present you with a glimpse of the program’s history.  Take a few more steps inside and you are taken back to the days when Max Hooper and Walt Moore ran the court and Coach Changnon, the sideline.  The rafters provide a constant reminder of the first back-to-back titles in state history and the old, varnished wooden pull-out bleachers, fold-down seats and black iron balcony put an exclamation point on how old the gym is.  If you have ever read articles or books on the history of Illinois high school basketball, you will not get past the first chapters without reading about Mt. Vernon basketball and Changnon Gym.  But its history is only the beginning to its importance.

 

Over the course of three quarters century, Changnon Gym is also recognized for its electric, raucous atmosphere on game nights, due to its acoustics and the close proximity of the fans to the court.  Its dimensions make it a very difficult place for any opponent to play, let alone win.  I remember talking to Lee Bennett, Centralia boys head basketball coach, about their rival, Mt. Vernon, and he mentioned two things.  First, that we have to go visit  Changnon Gym, which was already in our plans and second, how difficult it was to play at Mt. Vernon because it feels as though the students and fans are on top of you.

This brings us to the one hidden “gym”  that intrigued me the most and which most fans outside Southern Illinois might not be aware of…and that is the gym’s infamous restraining line.  When greeting us at the entrance of the gym, Athletic Director Doug Creel, who coached the Rams until the 2007-08 season, spoke of the restraining line when we took our first steps into the gym.  He mentioned that Changnon Gym  is one of the few, if not the last, remaining large school gym in Illinois that still have a restraining line.  Due to the tight accommodations of the gym, the restraining line is marked several feet in from each end line, to allow the offensive team room to throw the ball inbounds.  The crowd is restricted from entering this area as well.   It’s hard to believe that a gym that houses one of the state’s most renown programs (Class 3A), still has these boundaries, but to me, this type of feature makes it even more special.  Although this “cracker box” style of gym provides the greatest home court advantage, the restraining line restricts the school and gym from hosting post-season games according to the IHSA by-laws.  Some think that this drawback is a cause to the Ram’s downfall in regional play over the last decade.  Others feel as though the gym itself is restraining the school and its programs.

I wanted to write about Changnon Gym, because the MVTHS referendum was voted on April 5 and passed.  It pretty much sealed the fate of future generations watching or playing games in their historic gym that has assisted in their program’s success.  It will soon be demolished, along with the other campus buildings.  I know that a gym cannot hold-up forever and a new gym provides new opportunity, but I am a fan of old gyms that hold tradition and coaches using that tradition and success to build their programs.  There is nothing better than playing in a gym, where some of the state’s greatest players, coaches and teams have played because you want to add to the legacy.  And then add in the fact that these smaller gyms create such as huge advantage for the home team and create a boisterous game-night atmosphere for the fans, that you wish it to stay around forever.

Only time will tell the impact of losing Changnon Gym will have on the Rams.  Although the new facility has its benefits, I only hope it doesn’t restrain one of Illinois’ most successful basketball programs because you don't know what you've got, until it's gone.