The 1961 Mars Hill FFA basketball team.

In the 1930s, shortly after the Maine FFA Association was founded, Aroostook County chapters formed an FFA basketball league. The chapters, coached by their advisors, played around four games against other chapters during their basketball season. The chapters that had an FFA basketball team were the Easton FFA Chapter, the Limestone FFA Chapter, the Mars Hill FFA Chapter, the Fort Fairfield FFA Chapter, the Mapleton FFA Chapter, the Washburn FFA Chapter, the Presque Isle FFA Chapter, the Caribou FFA Chapter and the Houlton FFA Chapter.

​During the early days of the Maine FFA Association, members were mostly boys who grew up working on their family farms. Joining varsity sports was difficult for these students due to their chores, as well as the distance they had to travel to the school. The FFA basketball teams were created so that these students would have an opportunity to play a sport. To join the FFA basketball team, the students had to be active FFA members.

​Most of the Mars Hill FFA members who played basketball rode home on the school bus, so the team practiced during its lunch break at school.  

The 1968 Mars Hill FFA basketball team.

FFA basketball was more about having fun on a team than winning. Although they did not have a championship to look forward to, they played competitive games against other chapters, and some competitive scrimmages against their own varsity teams. Some chapter teams even won games against their own varsity team, which was a huge accomplishment.

The Mars Hill FFA Chapter basketball team had players who also played for the school’s varsity team. They were often conflicted between practicing for their varsity team or playing in an FFA basketball game.

The 1944 Mars Hill FFA basketball team.

“The FFA basketball team provided an opportunity to play a sport without the pressure of an expectation to win,” said Roger Shaw, a former Mars Hill FFA member and FFA basketball player, when asked about his experience on the team. “It was a great way to build camaraderie in a fun and healthy way.”

​Although the FFA basketball league no longer exists, its history in Aroostook County reflects the inclusive spirit the National FFA Organization fosters today. The teams offered students an experience beyond Future Farmers of America, helping members form lasting friendships and memories.