Olan Barclay

Throughout his life, Olan Barclay has demonstrated an aptitude and talent for competitive sports. Around age 10, for example, Olan Barclay won a Marbles Championship for children at a local park. Six years later, balancing his responsibilities as a student and newspaper delivery boy, Olan Barclay excelled as a member of his high school sports teams. In fact, Olan Barclay was such a gifted player that in 1946 he had the opportunity to try out for a New York Yankees’ farm team in Joplin, Missouri. The Yankees had finished in the middle of the pack the year before, ending the season fourth in the American League and improved their performance in the 1946 season. After graduating from high school and entering the workforce, Olan Barclay continued to play competitively, soon taking his talents to the basketball court. As a member of the Amateur Athletic Union’s (AAU) Kansas City Faultless Laundry Company team, Olan Barclay played against some of the league’s most challenging opponents. Although Olan Barclay enjoyed basketball, baseball and softball were still among his favorite pastimes. Thus, he also played for the Union Wire Rope Corporation team of Kansas City, Missouri. Olan Barclay fit in well on the men’s fast-pitch softball team, since some of the most talented players in the league joined that group. Over a period of 12 years, each season, the team won on average 8 out of 10 games played.