Basketball

1937-38: In the early stages of the new gymnasium being opened at P.S.H., the popularity of basketball for the students became apparent. Although there were some boys who preferred outdoor sports such as football and soccer, the constant rain of the school year drove them inside. This was the first year that there were basketball teams at the school, and for most students, due to the gym being brand new, had minimal experience playing basketball. Under the guidance of Mr. Stradiotti, the basics of basketball were taught to those who were interested, and there were enough players for him to form a junior and a senior basketball team. Although there was no official league, there was a single knockout tournament organized between the local schools, in which the teams from P.S.H. did very well. They were able to pull off the victory in this tournament over Chilliwack, thanks to a strong performance from Bill Kunzmann. Like the boys, basketball also became very popular, very quickly for the girls of P.S.H. Under the guidance of Ms. York, the girls were also given a chance to succeed in the league, although they did not fare as well as the boys did. They lost many of the exhibition games, and were knocked out of the tournament by Mission. “Bill” Bailey scored most of the points for the girls, and in one game against Mission, it was observed that she scored a whopping nineteen out of the teams twenty-three points. In the toast to the staff, Ms. York is praised with the following words:

To Miss York, whose subjects are many –

Geography, Grammar, Health, she expounds.

Her gym girls are kept in trim,

Her sports realm is without bounds [1].

1938-39: This year, the Senior boys and girls basketball teams were very successful, as they each one the Fraser Valley High School Basketball Championship. These teams were once again coached by Mr. Stradiotti and Ms. York, and were very successful in their team play this year. Of note, the Philip Sheffield victory song for this year was as follows, and the rival schools probably heard it a lot this year due to their success in sports.

On, on to victory,

Fight all the way.

Don’t be a quitter,

Help win the day.

Remember Sheffield,

We’re all for you.

We will fight to the end

For our old school [2].

1939-40: Although there was a boys and a girls basketball team started in the 1937-38 school year, there was the formation of an actual school league until the year of 1939-40. Prior to the formation of this league, the junior and senior teams would play each other frequently in interschool matches, with occasional friendly matches against other schools, such as Haney High School. This league consisted of Mission, Chilliwack, and Abbotsford and the teams frequently played games against each other. Coached by Mr. Stradiotti and Ms. York, these teams had varying degrees of success in the initial years. In the 1939-40 school year, the senior girls won the title for the “school league”, which was impressive for the inaugural season of this league [3].

1940-41: Unlike the previous two years, there was no formation of the school league, which meant that there was no grand champion like there were in the previous years. Despite this setback, there was still some inter-school games played against Mission, Chilliwack, Fort Langley, Haney, and Matsqui, but there was instead a heavy focus on the inter-house games. Although it is not stated explicitly, there is many mentions of World War II throughout this year book, so it is plausible that these inter-league games were not played due to lack of funding and keeping up the war on the home front. However, one constant remained for the basketball teams, as Mr. Stradiotti and Ms. York continued to coach the teams in their limited games and practices [4].

1941-42: Much like last year, there was a no formal school league made this year, although in the yearbook, it is noted that this is because of the war effort on the home front. There was not the time or resources to devote to having a league this year. On top of that, this was the first year that Mr. Stradiotti was not coaching the team, so all of the coaching responsibilities fell onto Ms. York. Mr. Stradiotti was using his time to teach the new Cadet club, which was for the boys who wanted to learn about becoming soldiers. Due to this, the boys team also played limited games between different schools, and only played two games against Matsqui. The Junior boys team was a bit more successful, as not as many of their members were part of the Cadets. The war effort was leeching its way into sports and it showed how committed everyone was to winning the war [5].

1942-43: This year, the basketball program was scaled back, likely due to the war effort. There was only a girls basketball program, and it was coached by Mr. Smith (Smitty for short). Like previous years as well, there was no league formed and informal games were played between Mission and Chilliwack. There were very limited transportation for the students, so these games were few and far between. The boys team on the other hand, played many games against the districts of Langley, Mission, and Chilliwack, as well as friendly matches between various schools. They also played many games with Basic Training against Sardis Army Camp. Through it all, the boys did not lose a single game all season [6].

1943-44: This was the first year that there was a major discrepancy between the funding of the girls team and the boys team. As Mr. Stradiotti and Ms. York have moved on, both teams were experiencing new coaches and ways to run the teams. For the girls, they played very few games and cited that it was due to a lack of transportation, not a lack of skill. The boys however had a very eventful year and played teams from Vancouver to Chilliwack, including some against the local airmen. Despite the war effort, basketball for the boys was still made a priority, and they played more games this year than they had in any of the previous years at P.S.H.S. Likely, basketball was seen as an excellent way to keep the senior boys in shape and practice communication and teamwork skills in preparation for fighting in World War II, and this was recognized across the province, which is why there were so many games played between schools. The yearbook notes as well that the basketball team was short several players this year due to them being in the Canadian Armed Forces [7].

References

[1] Philip Sheffield High School Consamannum 1937-38, The Reach Gallery & Museum.

[2] Philip Sheffield High School Consamannum 1938-39, The Reach Gallery & Museum.

[3] Philip Sheffield High School Consamannum 1939-40, The Reach Gallery & Museum.

[4] Philip Sheffield High School Consamannum 1940-41, The Reach Gallery & Museum.

[5] Philip Sheffield High School Consamannum 1941-42, The Reach Gallery & Museum.

[6] Philip Sheffield High School Consamannum 1942-43, The Reach Gallery & Museum.

[7] Philip Sheffield High School Annual 1943-44, The Reach Gallery & Museum.