Monday, November 20, 1972 - CROSSROADS - Page 7
Kurtz Leads Intramural Program
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A 1920’s team pose in front of the Ad Building.
Early Days Of Basketball
by Fr. Paul Milde O.S.B.
Up to 1920 there were
basketball groups at Belmont
Abbey College which played
“league” games on outdoor
courts. These were in the area
occupied today by O’Connell Hall
parking lots; one in front of the
old grandstand, the other on the
junior tennis court. The Gym,
now the “Little Theatre,” was
equipped with gymnastic ap
paratus. In 1920, Prater Gregory
(Eichenlaub) and Mr. Paul
(Milde) gave gymnastic, in
struction to the students after the
dinner hour. Sometime in the
Fall, permission was given to
remove the apparatus. During
Christmas Holidays, Prater
Aloysius (Wachter) put up
baskets at either end and lined
the court. Brother Francis
(Zwiesler) put up guards on the
arc-lights. Indoor basketball
was in business.
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Next season, additional
baskets without backboards
were set up on the six poles that
supported the floors above the
Gym. Here the members of the
Varsity squad, after the evening
meal, coached the class-league
teams in shooting and ball
handling. The season ran 16
Varsity games, with a .688
average; 7 games for the B-
Team, with .571.
Frank Kurtz
Frank Kurtz, a senior at
Belmont Abbey College, has a
demanding schedule as student
intramural director. A native of
Frenchtown, N.J., Frank came
to the Abbey with a firm
background in sports. His father,
Frank J. Kurtz, Sr., played semi-
pro baseball and was the
greatest influence on Frank with
respect to sports.
Frank’s work, which con
sumes about six hours each day,
is to coordinate various extra
curricular athletic activities for
the students. The program is
designed to involve as many
students as possible, and about
300 are currently participating in
the various sports.
Football, volley ball, baseball
and softball are the more
popular ones. In additiion to
these, ping pong, handball and
badminton receive a high
degree of participation. A
by Allen Morris.
Turkey Day Race is held
November 16, and the lucky
winner is awarded a genuine
turkey (raw or cooked.) At the
end of the school year a track
meet is also held. Swimming
meets and golf complete the
well-rounded program.
Kurtz said that intramural
sports play an important role in
student life, and while com
petition is intense, it is friendly
and adds to an overall happy
atmosphere in campus life.
There are presently nine units in
the program, each represented
by a unit manager. Each social
fraternity comprises a unit and
each class makes up a unit, with
the exception of the freshman
class which has two units.
Kurtz advised that one of the
new features this year is to get
the faculty more involved in the
program. He expressed the hope
this might open new lines of
communications between the
students and faculty.
Frank also said that the
department is now in the process
of redesigning the program to
include the anticipated
enrollment of female students
next year. He believes the new
coed recreational program will
help solve some of the problems
that might come about on the
first-time coed residential
campus.
Frank, along with his two
student assistants, John Monaco
and Gene Burnette, is working to
make their college one having
greater student pride and par
ticipation.
Another season got by. In 1923-
24, Father Leo (Frierson)
became Director of Athletics.
He organized a football team,
took it on several trips, and laid
out a rocky field for the games.
Then Father Joseph became
Director of Basketball, coached
it, and in 20 games ran up an
average of .400, with .533 in 15
games for the B-Team. In
succeeding years. Coach Marvin
Ritch, a Georgetown College
letterman, was succeeded by
Bobby Denault, Mr. Cantwell,
and Fred Shipp, and finally in
1929, by Howard Wheeler, who
held the position of Athletic
Director of the College for
almost 40 years.
The squad moved in. Father
Paul coached, assisted by
Father Aloysius (Wachter).
Area high schools, yet without
indoor facilities, were eager to
play indoors. A series of games
ensued; all but one, at Belmont
High School, were played here.
Father Robert (Brennan) was
Director of Athletics for the
school.
Abbey Crusaders of 1972, put it together.