Beginning in the 1890's the newly-invented game of basketball quickly became the most popular women's sport. It served as a catalyst for female physical educators, allowing them to have greater control over women's collegiate athletic experiences. Female physical educators modified the game so as to remain safely within the "women's sphere" of socially acceptable female behavior. They rid the game of any objectionable, "unladylike" features-- women wore flannel skirts, and were confined to distinct court zones, as contemporary views about f ....