Babe Zaharias - JuniorLinks

Whois Babe
I N D I V I D U A L I T Y
“A
2
Babe’s first photograph.
s far back as I can
remember, I played
with boys rather than
girls.The girls did not play
games that interested me. I
preferred baseball, football,
foot-racing and jumping
with the boys, to hopscotch
and jacks and dolls,
which were about the only
things girls did. I guess the
habit of playing with boys
made me too rough for the
girls’ games. Anyway, I
found them too tame.” 1
Babe was not afraid to be herself and
develop her unique skills. Some people
who choose to be different make
responsible choices. Others make
choices that hurt others. Find two articles
about people who dare to be different
and demonstrate their individuality by
the things they say or do with positive
and negative results.
The story of Babe Didrikson
Zaharias is a tale of inspiration,
courage and ground-breaking
achievements for women in sports.
Considered one of the greatest
female sports figures the world has
ever known, Babe was the only
woman to appear in the top ten of
ESPN’s SportsCentury list of 100
greatest athletes, coaches,
developments in sports or events of
the twentieth century.
Most athletes concentrate on
excelling in a single sport. Not
Babe! During her lifetime she was
an accomplished golfer, All-
American basketball player,
Olympic gold medalist in track and
field, an exhibition baseball and
hockey player, an extraordinary
bowler, swimmer, diver, tennis
player and even the marble
champion of 2nd grade! At a time
when many young girls didn’t
participate in sports, Babe burst on
the sports scene with an unmatched
confidence in her natural athletic
gifts. Any one chapter of her life is
the story of a legendary athlete and
person. Together these chapters
show how one
woman’s
determination,
confidence and hard
work made her dreams
come true.
Texas
Childhood
While growing up in
Beaumont, Texas,
Babe’s adventurous,
daring nature and high
energy always kept
her busy and those
around her entertained. She
preferred playing with boys and was
Character of a Champion: Babe Didrikson Zaharias
“ Before I was even
into my teens I
knew exactly what
I wanted to be
when I grew up.
My goal was to
be the greatest
athlete that ever
lived.” 1
—Babe Didrikson Zaharias
Didrikson Family
Ole and Hannah Didrikson immigrated from Oslo, Norway in 1908,
settling in Port Arthur, Texas with their three young children – Ole Jr.,
Dora and Ester Nancy. Their family grew to five with the arrival of
twins Louis and Lillie. Mildred Ella Didrikson was born on June 26,
1911, and was the “Babe” until the arrival of her youngest brother,
Arthur, four years later when the family relocated to Beaumont.
often the first to be chosen for a
neighborhood team. Whether
hitching rides on the back of
trolleys, jumping off
moving freight trains
for fun, or climbing to
the top of a flagpole
at school, Babe
remained constantly
active in very creative
ways using
Beaumont’s South
End as her
playground.
Sports grew in
popularity during the
1920s and high
schools began
forming competitive teams for both
boys and girls. Babe became a star
member of Beaumont High’s girls’
Table of Contents
Who is Babe . . . . . . . . .2-3
Babe’s Hoop Dreams . . . .4-5
One Woman Team . . . . . .6-7
Media Star . . . . . . . . . . . .8-9
Barnstorming Babe . . . .10-11
Girl Wonder . . . . . . . . .12-13
Let Me Play Again . . . .14-15
The Mystery Spot . . . . . . .16