Thursday, April 28, 2011

MY PARENTS MADE A LIVING BARNSTORMING CROSS COUNTRY


Florence Cleo Holder -Hovland      center    front row




                                                 Florence Cleo Holder-Hovland



                                              Florence Cleo Holder- Hovland  left side





                                               Dempsey Hovland  athlete, owner, coach ,manager .agent of  7  barnstorm
                                                sports teams    My Dad.


                                           Florence  (Holder) Hovland on left -my mom


                                    YOU THINK THE HELMETS ARE FUNNY SOON AFTER A CHIMPANZEE    CHASED   FLORENCE FROM THE LOCKER ROOM  GOOD HEAVENS FOR  THE PLAYFUL HEADGEAR.
                                            Florence and Leona working off steam before  a basketball game  



My mom Florence on the bench on left . A little time to catch up on mail from home, recent news clippings of the team and travel itineraries





                                           My  aunt Francis  Holder Homan
                                           My mom Florence Holder-Hovland
                                           My moms childhood friend and HS basketball rivalry Leona Evans
                                          All from  rural Arkansas  Winthrop, Ashdown, Gilham

                                             My dad Dempsey Hovland cooking for his athletes.



                                             My mom Florence  on far right (just a baby) on the road in hotel room.

            



                                             My aunt Francis in front seat  darn it another mountain road wipeout


                                              My aunt Frances far left  my mom Florence 4th from left




                                              My mom Florence on rear of the wreck , a schedule was instituted
                                               one loaded personal luggage one player loaded and inventoried equipment
                                               into   the custom advertising rack. In the summers my dad filled it with
                                               sand  for us Hovland kids to play in, in our backyard.
                                            
        Packing a basketball team of women into a station wagon with my dad and my oldest brother (just a
        baby)  traveling every sate in the US and Canada.


                                          Cherokee Gerry traveled with the basketball team for a few years
                                          As a singing guitar playing cowgirl entertaining at halftime. Mr and Mrs
                                          Hank Williams joined her for a few halftime shows, during the games.
                                          ( Lynda Kay this is your role. )



                                            My mom Florence in her Levi jeans provided exclusively to the team, Acme
                                            Boots another team  off court  outfit sponsor.




My mom Florence  leaves rural  Arkansas to travel  the world as professional athlete straight out of high school..   it is easy to understand  how my dad fell in love with her and proposed . If she would have chose to attend college on her athletic scholarship vs going pro on my dad's team myself and my siblings would not have been.




   My mom Florence, Marla and Betty Lou  in off court Texas Cowgirl gear for NY Times photo shoot
    Before they play opening game at he Garden  Knicks vs Celtics Game.


                      Texas Cowgirls  with Lakers  before  game  my mom Florence on the far right




                                              Joe Lapchick  with the Texas Cowgirls when he invited them to play
                                               opening   game  for the NBA
 








Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Barnstorm Basketball Women's History

http://texascowgirlsbychoice.blogspot.com/?spref=gb

Sunday, April 3, 2011

NBA teams name changes arenas played by Texas Cowgirls

NBA ARENA HISTORY (1949- inception of NBA inception of Texas Cowgirls )


Highlighted arenas were double headers for NBA arenas teams Texas Cowgirl's played opening games on NBA rosters




Atlanta Hawks 2000-Present Philips Arena Present Arena 
 1997-99 Georgia Dome Home of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons 
 1968-72; 1997- 
99 Alexander Memorial 
Coliseum Georgia Tech's fieldhouse.  Used for 
basketball and other sporting events. 
 1972-1997 The Omni Demolished in 1997; New Philips Arena 
being built on site. 
St. Louis Hawks 1955-68 St. Louis Arena Demolished in 1999; Office Park is 
planned for the site. 
Milwaukee Hawks 1951-55 Milwaukee Arena 
(MECCA) Still standing; home to concerts, some 
NCAA basketball; other social and civic 
events. 
Tri-Cities 
Blackhawks 1949-51 Wharton Fieldhouse Still standing; High school basketball 
now played here.


Boston Celtics 1995-Present Fleet Center Present Arena 
 1949-95 Boston Garden Demolished in 1998;  Now a parking lot. 
 1949-52 Boston Arena (played a 
few games here) Renamed to Matthews Arena and home 
of Northeastern University athletics. 
 1975-78 Hartford Civic Center I 
(played between 3-6 
games each year) 
Civic Center II renovated on the site after 
Civic Center I's roof collapsed from 
heavy snow. 
 1979-95 Hartford Civic Center 
II (played between 2-5 
games each year) 
Now home to a variety of athletic events 
including minor league hockey, arena 
football, NCAA basketball and other 
social and civic events. 
 Various times Providence Arena  


some games here) 
Fort Wayne Pistons 1952-1957 Memorial Coliseum Home to minor league hockey; NCAA 
basketball and other activities 
 1949-1952 North Side High 
School Gym Home to North Side High's high school 
team. 


Francisco Warriors in 
1966-1967) 
1966-1967  Arena I II 
San Francisco 1966-1971; Cow Palace Still standing; host to various social,



Warriors 1962-1964 civic, and athletic events. 
 1964-1966 Civic Auditorium Renamed Bill Graham Civic Auditorium; 
Hosts various social and civic events  
 1964-1966 University of San 
Francisco Memorial 
Gym 
Still standing; used for UCSF athletics 
Philadelphia Warriors 1949-1962 Philadelphia Arena  
 1952-1962 Convention Hall


New York Knicks 1967-Present Madison Square 
Garden IV Present Arena 
 1949-1967 Madison Square 
Garden III Demolished in 1968; 
 1949-1959 69th Regiment Armory 
(played a few games 
there) 
Still standing; some boxing matches are 
held here. 


Philadelphia 
76ers 
1996-Present First Union Center Present Arena 
 1967-1996 Corestates Spectrum 
(known as the 
Spectrum from1967- 
1994) 
Soccer, Lacrosse, and minor-league 
hockey are played in the building 
 1963-1967 Convention Hall  
 1972-1973 The Palestra (played 6 
games) Home to NCAA basketball for 
Philadelphia's universities 
Syracuse Nationals 1951-1963 Onondaga County War 
Memorial Various athletic events including 
lacrosse. 
 1949-1951 State Fair Coliseum  


Los Angeles 
Lakers 
2000-Present Staples Center Present Arena 
 1967-1999 Great Western Forum 
(known as The Forum 
1967-1988) 

 1960-1967 Los Angeles Sports 
Arena Current home of the NBA's Clippers 
 1949-1960 Minneapolis 
Auditorium  
 1949-1960 Minneapolis Armory 

Still standing: vacant; County wants to 
build a jail on the site, but it is preserved 
for its architecture. 
 1949-1960 St. Paul Auditorium  


Kings 
 1985-1988 Arco Arena Renovated into Arco Arena II 
Kansas City Kings 
(also Omaha in 1974- 
75) 
1974-1985 Kemper Arena Soccer and minor-league hockey are 
played in the building. 
Kansas City/Omaha 
Kings 1972-1975 Omaha Civic 
Auditorium (Omaha) Home of NCAA's Creighton Bluejays 
 1972-74 Municipal Auditorium 
(Kansas City) Various sporting events including 
Woman's Big 12 basketball 
championship. 
Cincnnati Royals 1957-1972 Cincinnati Gardens Home of NCAA's Xavier Musketeers 
Rochester Royals 1955-1957 Rochester War 
Memorial
 1949-1955 Edgerton Park Sports 
Arena  


Washington 
Wizards  
1997-Present MCI Center Present Arena 
Washington Bullets 1974-1997 USAir Arena (known 
as Capital Centre 1974- 
1993) 
Vacant 
 1972-1973 Cole Field House 
(College Park, MD- 
played a few games 
here) 
Home of the NCAA's Maryland 
Terrapins 
Baltimore Bullets 1963-1973 Baltimore Civic Center Home to lacrosse and minor-league 
hockey and various other sports. 
Chicago Zephyrs  1962-1963 Chicago Coliseum Demolished in 1982; 
Chicago Packers 1961-1962 Chicago Amphitheater Slated for demolition in 1999 

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Women break ground as equals in pro basketball mid century

The Texas Cowgirls are historically recorded for firsts in their tenure : First girls pro club to play Madison Square Garden.  1950's 1960's First female pro club to play the Maritime Provinces of Canada. 1950's 1960's   First female club to play on NBA cards, 1950's and first female athletes on tour with the Harlem Globetrotters 1950's and 1960's . First multi cultural female barnstorm  team  to play in  segregated schools, colleges, arenas in the 60's.


First female basketball team to play before  14,000 spectators.


First pro female basketball team featured on CBS  famed  sportscaster  Heywood Hale Broun travelled with the team.


Only female basketball team to play against  M.V.P.  NFL Hall of Fame-  Minneapolis  Supreme Court Justice Alan Page


Only female pro basketball team  sent by Robert MacNamara on oversees goodwill  tour .






What NBA teams placed the Texas Cowgirls on their rosters to play preliminary games for NBA games?

    NY Knickerbockers
      Minneapolis Lakers
        Rochester Royals
          Syracuse Nationals
            Fort Wayne Pistons
              Boston Celtics




              ALL of the above   and St. Louis Hawks