Granny Basketball set for spring season

In southwestern Wisconsin, two basketball teams are getting ready for their spring season. But the teams are not bitter rivals. In fact, many of the players are friends. And unlike the March Madness action currently occupying TV and mobile screens, these players participate in a gentler version of the sport. In this “Newsmakers” conversation, host Ezra Wall is joined by Kim Littel and Peg Boucher, respectively a coach and player with the Viroqua Driftless Dribblers; and Carol Ziehlsdorf, a player with the La Crosse Does. The teams are part of the Granny Basketball League, which bosts more than 40 teams in ten states. The organization brings together women age 50 and older to play basketball according to a unique set of rules from the 1920s. Some of the interesting rules include uniforms of bloomers and long-sleved tops, no physical contact between players, and an extra point for any basket scored by shooting underhand.

You can see the teams in action at two upcoming events:
Saturday, April 6 at Viroqua High School in Viroqua and Saturday April 13 at Logan Middle School in La Crosse.