Los Banos Rotary Club History
Basketball Teams Honored at Dinner

The Los Banos high school and Los Banos Elementary School basketball teams were feted at a dinner party Tuesday evening at the school cafeteria. The dinner is an annual affair, sponsored by the Lions Club and participated in by the Rotary Club and 20-30Club. There were well over 100 adults and 65 players in attendance.

Speaker of the evening was Robert Burnett, head basketball coach at Stanford University, Burnett briefly reviewed the history of basketball from the time it was conceived some 58 years ago, in America, until today when the game is played and enjoyed almost all over the world. Every year, he said, sees previous attendance records broken as capacity crowds jam gymnasiums throughout the country to follow this exceedingly fast and exciting sport. Mostly because of the limited playing area, Burnett pointed out that basketball is ideally suited for television showing, and predicted that the new interest created by televising the games will result in the further shattering of attendance records.

Burnett said the scandals which raged through collegiate basketball circles last year was somewhat damaging to the game, temporarily, just the public generally realized that was an isolated incident and no permanent stigma is attached to the game itself.

With the faster speed of air travel today, the speaker predicted that within the foreseeable future American college basketball teams would journey to Europe and South America for special inter-collegiate games as a matter of regular itinerary.

Commenting on the fact that basketball scores continue to be larger and larger, Burnett said that first, American kids today are better athletes than those of yesterday and play better basketball. We continue to break track, swim and other competitive records, he said, and the same goes for basketball. Development of the jump shot, and changing of rules to give added advantage to the offensive team, Burnett said, are also contributing factors to the ever greater scores.

Complimenting the Lions Club and visitors for their interest in the game and encouragement given to the young players, Burnett also complimented the local men who each year fete the high school football team with a trip to a college game, followed by dinner, "Don't worry about the future of your kids," he said, "when you have men in your community who take the time and trouble to do things like that."

John Torre, vice principal at the grade school, served as toastmaster at the dinner. Other speakers included Mayor John Erreca, high school principal L. J. Spindt, and grade school principal R. M. Miano, Douglas Pederson, high school basketball coach, introduced the members of the high school team and commented briefly on the past season's play; and Robert Williams, grade school coach, introduced his players and gave a brief resume of the recent season play.

Sam Benidettino, Lions Club president, officiated at the dinner, and shared gavel honors with William Woo, president of the Rotary Club, Benidettino also presented miniature silver basketballs to the high school players who will graduate this spring. They include Amos Nunes, captain; Roger Post, Hamilton Machado, B team captain Bobby Pisacco and John Mevi.

March 31, 1952

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