In 1959 I graduated from high school and that year received “Honorable Mention” from the Iowa Girls Basketball Association. I also received the “Look” Magazine commendation as being named 1 of Iowa’s top players by the sports writers of the Des Moines Register and Tribune.
After graduation I received a letter from Dempsey Hovland, owner of the Texas CowgGirls, asking if I would like to ‘try out’ for the team. It did not take me long to answer that letter!
When I arrived at camp, I found plenty of talented girls that also wanted to be on the team. I did make the cut and played for 5 seasons. A season was usually from the middle of September to the middle of May. My second year the team toured Spain and French Morocco and Alaska for the Department of the Army.
While in the States, we traveled in a Dodge Van that had a rack on top that held our luggage. We were allowed 2 pieces of luggage, one for personal and one for gym.
We loved having a full schedule (a game every day). One 30-day month we had 32 game, two days with double headers. Sometimes the next days game would be several miles away. I remember one trip that was 701 miles for the next days game, and it was a snowstorm! We did make it to the game and played with only a couple of hours of sleep.
Our routine was to come on court to the music of “Orange Blossom Special” and be wearing western hats, vests and guns. Then we would go into a “circle” and do ball handling to the music of “The Happy Whistler”.
I feel that basketball has done more for me then I did for basketball. I was provided with the opportunity to do what I loved and see the world and meet many wonderful people. I am also grateful that God favored me with any ability that I did have and the experiences that went with that chapter of history.
Harlean Hudson Hansen can be contacted at www.timelymessages.com