Senda Berenson Abbott
Encyclopedia
Senda Berenson Abbott was a pioneer of women's basketball
, authoring the first Basketball Guide for Women (1901–07). She was inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame
as a contributor on July 1, 1985, the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
in 1987, and into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
in 1999.
She modified existing men's basketball rules for women in 1899.
Abbott was the sister of the art historian Bernard Berenson
and a great-great-aunt of the photographer Berry Berenson
and the actress and model Marisa Berenson
.
Senda Berenson was the first person to introduce and adapt rules for women's basketball to Smith College
.
(now in Lithuania
) as Senda Valvrojenski, she immigrated to the United States with her family when she was seven years old, settling in the Boston area, and becoming Senda Berenson.
Berenson did not have much interest in athletics as a child, and preferred music, literature, and art. Back problems forced Berenson to give up the piano and in 1890 she decided to enter the Boston Normal School of Gymnastics. She spent much of her time enduring an exercise to strengthen her back, lying across three stools for hours at a time. At first, she hated exercise of any kind, but after her back improved, she grew to enjoy exercise, to the point that when a physical education job opened up at Smith, she was recommended for the position. Berenson would remain at Smith for 21 years, as a teacher of physical education, and the organizer of many sports. She introduced fencing to the school in 1895.
Berenson was active in developing the gymnastics program, attending the Royal Central Institute of Gymnastic in Stockholm, and organizing the Gymnastics and Field Association at Smith in 1893. After her return from Stockholm, she started a folk dance program at Smith, and in 1901, introduced field hockey
with the help of Lady Constance Applebee of England.
Berenson read about the new game of basket ball, invented by James Naismith
, in the YMCA publication Physical Education. She felt the rules as developed were not appropriate for women, so she modified the rules, and introduced the game to Smith students in 1892. She divided the court into three regions, and prohibited players from leaving their assigned region. Players could not dribble more than three times, could not hold the ball for more than three seconds, or snatch the ball away from an opponent. Berenson formalized her rules into a set of official rules, in 1899, and continued as editor of the rules for eighteen years. The rules would remain in use, with only minor modification, until the 1960s.
She later also adapted volleyball
for women.
In 1911, she married professor of English at Smith, Herbert Vaughan Abbott. Soon afterward, Berenson resigned from her position at the College, although she continued her interest in sport by serving as the Director of physical education at the Mary A. Burham School located in Northampton, Massachusetts.
Known as Mother of Women's Basketball, Berenson was the first woman enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame
. She remained editor of the Basketball Guide for Women and as chair of the U.S. Women's Basketball Committee for six years.
Women's basketball
Women's basketball is one of the few women's sports that developed in tandem with its men's counterpart. It became popular, spreading from the east coast of the United States to the west coast , in large part via women's colleges...
, authoring the first Basketball Guide for Women (1901–07). She was inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame
Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...
as a contributor on July 1, 1985, the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
The International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame was opened July 7, 1981, in Netanya, Israel. It honors Jewish athletes and their accomplishments from anywhere around the world....
in 1987, and into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame honors men and women who have contributed to the sport of women's basketball. The Hall of Fame opened in 1999 in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA...
in 1999.
She modified existing men's basketball rules for women in 1899.
Abbott was the sister of the art historian Bernard Berenson
Bernard Berenson
Bernard Berenson was an American art historian specializing in the Renaissance. He was a major figure in pioneering art attribution and therefore establishing the market for paintings by the "Old Masters".-Personal life:...
and a great-great-aunt of the photographer Berry Berenson
Berry Berenson
Berinthia "Berry" Berenson Perkins was an American photographer, actress, and model. Perkins was also known as the wife of actor Anthony Perkins and died in the September 11 attacks as a passenger on American Airlines Flight 11.-Early life and family:Berinthia Berenson was the younger daughter of...
and the actress and model Marisa Berenson
Marisa Berenson
Vittoria Marisa Schiaparelli Berenson is an American actress and model.-Early life:She is the elder daughter of Robert L. Berenson, an American diplomat turned shipping executive, who was of Lithuanian Jewish descent; his family's original surname was Valvrojenski...
.
Senda Berenson was the first person to introduce and adapt rules for women's basketball to Smith College
Smith College
Smith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters...
.
Biography
Born in Vilno guberniaVilna Governorate
The Vilna Governorate or Government of Vilna was a governorate of the Russian Empire created after the Third Partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1795...
(now in Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
) as Senda Valvrojenski, she immigrated to the United States with her family when she was seven years old, settling in the Boston area, and becoming Senda Berenson.
Berenson did not have much interest in athletics as a child, and preferred music, literature, and art. Back problems forced Berenson to give up the piano and in 1890 she decided to enter the Boston Normal School of Gymnastics. She spent much of her time enduring an exercise to strengthen her back, lying across three stools for hours at a time. At first, she hated exercise of any kind, but after her back improved, she grew to enjoy exercise, to the point that when a physical education job opened up at Smith, she was recommended for the position. Berenson would remain at Smith for 21 years, as a teacher of physical education, and the organizer of many sports. She introduced fencing to the school in 1895.
Berenson was active in developing the gymnastics program, attending the Royal Central Institute of Gymnastic in Stockholm, and organizing the Gymnastics and Field Association at Smith in 1893. After her return from Stockholm, she started a folk dance program at Smith, and in 1901, introduced field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
with the help of Lady Constance Applebee of England.
Berenson read about the new game of basket ball, invented by James Naismith
James Naismith
The first game of "Basket Ball" was played in December 1891. In a handwritten report, Naismith described the circumstances of the inaugural match; in contrast to modern basketball, the players played nine versus nine, handled a soccer ball, not a basketball, and instead of shooting at two hoops,...
, in the YMCA publication Physical Education. She felt the rules as developed were not appropriate for women, so she modified the rules, and introduced the game to Smith students in 1892. She divided the court into three regions, and prohibited players from leaving their assigned region. Players could not dribble more than three times, could not hold the ball for more than three seconds, or snatch the ball away from an opponent. Berenson formalized her rules into a set of official rules, in 1899, and continued as editor of the rules for eighteen years. The rules would remain in use, with only minor modification, until the 1960s.
She later also adapted volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
for women.
In 1911, she married professor of English at Smith, Herbert Vaughan Abbott. Soon afterward, Berenson resigned from her position at the College, although she continued her interest in sport by serving as the Director of physical education at the Mary A. Burham School located in Northampton, Massachusetts.
Known as Mother of Women's Basketball, Berenson was the first woman enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame
Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...
. She remained editor of the Basketball Guide for Women and as chair of the U.S. Women's Basketball Committee for six years.