In the spring of 1993 former Ballard Hall of Fame girls' basketball coach Merle Olberding was reading the morning paper when he read something that was going to change his life forever. The state of Iowa was ending 6-on-6 girls' basketball and moving to 5-on-5 play for everyone starting in the 1993-94 season. "It happened that quick," Olberding said. "Nobody had a clue it was coming that fast." Olberding was an assistant coach on the Ballard girls' basketball team at the time. The head coach, Craig Scott, had no desire to coach 5-on-5 ball, so Olberding took over the reigns of the program...
