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Physical education and sport in local union YMCA Prague during interwar period

Publication at First Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport |
2016

Abstract

The presented article discusses the history of local union YMCA Prague, among whose members sport was pretty popular during interwar period. YMCA in Prague contributed to popularize many sports in Czechoslovakia, among which were basketball and volleyball in first place.

It happened especially thanks to their tireless propagators - local trainers, who learned the basics of these sports during their foreign studies at physical education institutions of the YMCA organization. The local union in Prague had an extraordinary position among local YMCA unions in Czechoslovakia.

This was the place where the greatest sum of money was invested. Great part of it was spent for building sports background.

In 1928 Palác YMCA, which provided a lot of sports opportunities, was built. Among the members the most popular sport was basketball, in which the YMCA teams dominated in Czechoslovakia in 1930s.

With the upcoming end of 1930s the local union in Prague started to restrict its activity. In 1943 was the YMCA in Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia forbidden.