April 18, 2024

Pretty in pink

The Hot Pink Grannies to play basketball game to support Girl Scouts

Contributed photo The Hot Pink Grannies pose for a picture after their state tournament last year.

Why do mature women play basketball?

According to the Granny Basketball League, "For fun and exercise. For glory. To relive their youths. For another crack at the state tournament. To do something interesting while their husbands watch TV."

The Girl Scout troops in Osceola are sponsoring a Granny Basketball game at the high school gym 3 p.m. April 20.

The Hot Pink Grannies are a team from Des Moines. They play local teams and donate their time for local organizations to raise money and games for other benefits.

The Granny Basketball League currently has teams in Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota and Louisiana.

Helping locally

The Hot Pink Grannies have agreed to help the Osceola troops so they can maintain their Scout House on East Washington Street.

The Hot Pink Grannies play basketball with 1920s rules and dress. Their opponents will be a team consisting of local people in the area. Tickets for the game may be purchased at the door.

Girl Scout volunteer Nancy Loghry said she knew a woman on the Grannies and invited them to come play in Osceola. Players in the Granny Basketball League have to be older than age 50.

"It's interesting, especially when we'll have local people playing against them," Loghry said.

1920s

For The Hot Pink Grannies, team uniforms will resemble the original girls' basketball uniforms of the 1920s. This means no bare legs or upper arms may be revealed. That would have been a technical foul.

There will be middy blouses, black bloomers, stockings or tights and tennis shoes.

As for the 1920s rules, it will be a three-on-three basketball game with no physical contact, running or jumping. However, hurrying is allowed.

A game consists of four, eight-minute quarters with a continuous clock.

Loghry said Ryan Sweeney, Clarke High School health teacher, will be putting together the local team and it will consist of people of different ages.

"Right now, we're looking at trying to get a wide range of people from the school, whether it be administrators, teachers and staff," Sweeney.

The local team will consist of 12 players — eight from the school and four from the community. This way, people can be rotated in and out of the game.

When asked how good The Hot Pink Grannies are, Loghry replied, "They usually win," while laughing.