Early 1900s - A Brief Survey of Greek Amateur Athletics in New York City
A BRIEF SURVEY OF GREEK AMATEUR ATHLETICS IN NEW YORK CITY
By Steve Frangos
Published in The National Herald, June 10, 2006
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I am excited to announce that The National Herald has given Hellenic Genealogy Geek the right to reprint articles that may be of interest to our group.
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It must have been two years ago
or so. I was sorting through the
sports documentation at Notre
Dame when George Rugg, the
special archivist in charge of the
collection, came into the research
area with a xerox in his hand. The
always generous Mr. Rugg handed
me the “Greek” entry from the
“Encyclopedia of Ethnicity and
Sports in the United States
(George B. Kirsch et. al., editors,
Greenwood Press, Westport, Connecticut:
2000: 197-200).”
I found the opening paragraphs
by Nicholas Notaridis and Nick
Koliarakis astounding: “The earliest
record of organized Greek
American ethnic sports participation
dates back to circa 1906.
Greek immigrants, like other newcomers,
viewed sports as a means
of preserving their group identity
and providing pleasure while they
were away from home. According
to most credible sources, the earliest
Greek American sports organization
in the United States was the
Greek American Sports Club.
There is no official record or other
information as to the exact year of
its founding. However, it is believed
that it was organized in the
early 20th Century, around 1906
or 1908. Soon after, another
Greek sports organization was
founded in New York City. Its
name was Hermes Sports Club; it
is believed to be the first Greek
American sports club to have
started a soccer team. The two
clubs merged around 1930 under
the name Greek American Hermes
S.C.”
None of this information is correct.
I am not a sports historian, just a reader. I read everything I can
find on the history of Greeks in
North America. The amount of
published material on the history
of Greek immigrants and sports is
more than I could ever hope to
read.
Since Notaridis and Koliarakis
are not surveying the entire United
States in their article, but basically
limit themselves to New York
City, I will limit my account here
to that city, as well.
Readily available published
sources, from 1901 to the 1930's,
basically the first 30-40 years of
Greek immigrant amateur athletics
in North America, can be effortlessly
outlined for New York
City. True, for the moment, not
every name or every single statistic
can be presented. But we can certainly
begin to provide the very basics,
on which our well intended
colleagues, Notaridis and Koliarakis,
fear to thread.
The first published account I
have found in English on Greek
participation in New York City
sports is dated September 23,
1901: “The annual games of the
Greek American Athletic Club,
Sparta, at Ulmer Park, Bath
Beach, L.I. (Long Island) were attended
by a large number of outof-town
Grecian athletes from
Philadelphia, Boston, Lowell and
even Washington. Much interest
was taken in the events, which
were well contested and which, as
a rule, resulted in close finishes
(New York Times).” Even in this
all too tiny vignette, we learn that
this event was not the first of its
kind, and that the GAAC had established
ties with other Greek immigrant
athletes in other cities, at
least in the eastern region of the
country.
The summary of the 1901 GAAC annual games provides us
more than the mere statistics of
bygone days. Even in this very early
news report, a vast array of
sporting events is documented.
This simple fact can not be overly
stressed. In the few contemporary
accounts which do exist on Greek
American amateur sports, too
many writers have projected back
into history the importance of soccer.
Competition at these 1901
GAAC games included “Target
Shooting at 100 Meters,” won by S.
Blograints, with N. Dotoroto taking
second. John Primpos of Lowell,
Massachusetts won the “FiveMile
Bicycle Race,” with D. Flores
taking second. M. Leccas won
“Throwing the Discus” with a
throw of 87 feet, 9 inches (D.
Geargoulas took second, A.
Triploun took third). N. Brimbus
won the “Five-Mile Run” (time
32:17), with N. Stravrides coming
in second. Nicholas Yiahnes won
“Throwing Iron Ball” (16 pounds)
with a throw of 39 feet, 7 inches
(D. Georgoulas came in second,
and Michael Leccas third). Finally
in the “Hop, Skip and Jump” competition,
Leonidas Prihtakos won
with a distance of 42 feet 3 inches
(D. Georgoulas came in second).”
Next, on 5 February 1911, we
learn about the GAAC's first indoor
event: “The Greek American
Athletic Club… has decided to
take an active part in… games at
the 22nd Regiment Armory,
Brooklyn, on Saturday, February
18. The program will include a 60-
yard dash, half-mile run, half-mile
walk, running high jump, threemile
run, standing broad jump…
putting 12-pound shot, and hop,
step and jump. There will also be gymnastic and wrestling exhibitions.”
Once again, we find the unexpected.
Embedded in a February
13, 1911 story of the “New Model
Aero Club, we learn that the
“Greek American Athletic Club…
has offered prizes to members of
the club for two contests. The club
has offered a cup for a new kind of
contest called “spectacular flight,”
and the members will show what
control they have over their machines
by performing dips, loops,
spirals, glides and boomerang
flights.”
You may ask, in the end, how
important is it to know that, by
1911, Greek immigrants were involved
in amateur model airplane
races and competitive target
shooting? To begin with, it answers
the fundamental question of
which sporting activities Greek immigrants
first engaged in upon
their arrival in North America.
Soccer, as you might have noted
already, is nowhere to be seen.
More importantly, wider American
Society has too often portrayed
the newly arrived Greek immigrants
as unschooled, talentless
and rough-hewed peasants who
learned to be civilized useful citizens
here in North America. This
is not only simplistic, it is racist in
the extreme.
Now it must be stressed tat this
is about Greeks participating with
other athletes, other ethnic groups
and “native-born” Americans.
They did not have to do this, by the
way. Several news accounts report
that some tournaments were
closed to non-GAAC members.
They were enjoying themselves,
but they also tested themselves
against all comers.
At this point, we may as well
ask, exactly who participated in
the GAAC in this early period.
While a complete membership is
not currently available, we do
know that, from 1910 to 1914, the
GAAC President was G. Panapulos
who, in November 1914, had to
resign because of business commitments.
The new presidentelect,
as of 9 November 1914, was
E. Kehagas. During the same annual
meeting which saw Kehagas
elected, we find that Nicholas G.
Psaki was elected vice president;
C. Doganis, secretary; P. Tsigas,
treasurer; A. Haggis, physical director;
P.L. Adams assistant track
captain; Theodore L. Matsukes,
manager of athletics; D. Ladopulos,
sergeant at arms; G. Strassinos,
T. Anderson, P. Sioris, E. Stamulis
and P. Katasiroubas as
trustees.
What follows is a list of 75 individuals,
who are all cited as members
of the GAAC of New York
City between 1901 and 1912:
S. Agamemnan, C. Agsostah,
John Alexander, J. Andromedas,
A. Anastopulos, C. Apostalakis, S.
Blograints, F. Bountas, N. Brimbus,
L. Buyuchas, T. Caragianis, L.
Catsoulis, George Chambiris, P.
Cocoros, A. Conkoros, M.
Donkas, N. Dotoroto, G. Elfaris,
L. Eflikidis, A. Emmanuel, T. Exachakis,
D. Flores, D. Geargoulas,
D. Georgitsas, J. Georgopoulos, P.
Gianoulopoulos, K. Imschner, P.
Johmoloyas, T. Karhakis, A. Karaganas,
V. Kefaliakos, K. Kollins,
A. Koropola, T. Kostaknis, E.
Kostakos, T. Kostakos, Michael
Leccas, G. Macahalis, G. Macklakos,
H. Mamli, T. Matsoukee,
Mel Meletiades, H. Marrilis, Nappires,
F. L. Onken, James Pantagis,
J. Pantozzi, N. Pappiris, J.
Partazis, A. Patsurius, Anthony
Petrontsas, J. Pontagis, N. Poppas,
Leonidas Prihtakos, Vasil
Pseodogianis, G. Sapounas, Bill
Sarganis, T. Sohokus, T. Staros,
George Stassimos, G. Stassinas, J.
Stratas, N. Stravrides, T. Stavropulos,
G. Sitopablos, George Thorakos,
A. Triploun, George E.
Tsamkiras, G. Tsampiros, V. Vassiloudes,
T. Voutiritsas, T. L. Watsukes,
G. Wilson, T. Xarhakis and
Nicholas Yiahnes.
The published accounts surrounding
the GAAC have wider
significance than simply their
place in amateur sports history.
The sheer numbers of Greeks involved
in these activities, the diversity
of events entered and their
undeniable record of award-winning
accomplishments directly
challenges the contemporary
stereotype of the dowdy, illdressed
and ill-spoken immigrant.
All these news stories move well
past the confines of sports history,
challenging the immigration histories
subsequently written about
our intrepid forefathers.