O God Of Players: The Story Of The Immaculata Mighty Macs (Religion And American Culture)

O God of Players: The Story of the Immaculata Mighty Macs (Religion and American Culture)

From Booklist How did Catholic girls in Philadelphia in the 1940s amuse themselves? Why, by playing basketball, of course! Drawing on that 30-year-tradition of hoops mania, little Immaculata College won the first three women's NCAA college basketball championships in the early 1970s. Byrne, a religion professor, brings a fascinating point of view to the history of this unlikely ball club, arguing that the young women's spiritual values, as much as their physical skills, helped make them champions. The sports-religion connection is examined in fascinating depth, as Byrne probes the traditional Catholic position on sports, effectively building the case that basketball allowed young women the opportunity to be expressive without sacrificing their Catholic beliefs. Interviews with hundreds of Immaculata alums provide Byrne with plenty of anecdotal evidence to back up her claim that these athletes helped shape a generation of women. In an era when athletes' values are routinely under attack, this is perhaps the most unusual sports book of the season. Mary Frances WilkensCopyright ? American Library Association. All rights reserved Between 1972 and 1974, the Mighty Macs of Immaculata College-a small Catholic women's school outside Philadelphia-made history by winning the first three women's national college basketball championships ever played. A true Cinderella team, this unlikely fifteenth-seeded squad triumphed against enormous odds and four powerhouse state teams to secure the championship title and capture the imaginations of fans and sportswriters across the country. But while they were making a significant contribution to legitimizing women's sports in America, the Mighty Macs were also challenging the traditional roles and obligations that circumscribed their Catholic schoolgirl lives. In this vivid account of Immaculata basketball, Julie Byrne goes beyond the fame to explore these young women's unusual lives, their rare opportunities and pleasures, their religious culture, and the broader ideas of womanhood they inspired and helped redefine. Review The sports-religion connection is examined in fascinating depth, as Byrne probes the traditional Catholic position on sports, effectively building the case that basketball allowed young women the opportunity to be expressive without sacrificing their Catholic beliefs... In an era when athletes' values are routinely under attack, this is perhaps the most unusual sports book of the season. -- Mary Frances Wilkens - BooklistEntertaining and eyeopening...Students in women's studies, religion, and sociology would benefit from this well-documented book. - Library JournalA vivid portrait of how faith can develop strong athletes, and how sports can help grow faith. -- Nancy Kruh - Dallas Morning NewsTerrific... [Byrne's] nostalgic about the days when a little-engine-that-thinks-it-can could actually win a national championship, and clear-eyed enough to understand that the implementation of Title IX has erased the possibiity that it could happen again... [T]he story of the team that won three titles on a shoestring and a prayer makes a good book. - NPR, Only a GameO God offers a vivid portrait of how faith can develop strong athletes, and how sports can help grow faith. -- Nancy Kruh - Knight Ridder TribuneThe Immaculata story has long needed a comprehensive telling, and Julie Byrne does an excellent job inO God of Players....[It] is a necessary addition to basketball literature. - Philadelphia City PaperThe reader will discover how these pioneers opened the door for young girls across the US, encouraging them to enjoy sports, especially basketball, and have fun idolizing their role models, who did their part to liberate national attitudes about women's athletics. This is a great book. Essential. - ChoiceByrne's engaging social history of the Macs examines everything from the development of Philly's fearsome hoops culture to racial and religiou