Nice quote from Kowalczyk on "Why I love basketball"

"As a player, it’s awesome to compete. But as a coach, you’re competing in the game, you’re competing on the recruiting trail, you’re competing through it all. The competition is addictive. And then as I get older and develop in the profession, it really has become about helping young men grow and leave college well-prepared for the future. There’s nothing better than the relationships with guys you’ve coached in the past."

http://www.ncaa.org/static/champion/why-...#kowalczyk

Even today in my later years I recall shooting baskets in the driveway by myself and can feel the resonance with this quote from David Barrett.

Submitted by David Barrett

"My father died when I was 12. It was a difficult period, and I was a lost and lonely kid. I had never really played basketball before, but I had a friend named Chucky who had a basketball rim.

One night we were shooting, and it was snowing. A carload of other lost and lonely kids pulled in and said, ‘Hop in. We’re going to go and have some fun.’ I remember thinking, ‘No, I’m going to stay here. I like this.’ I stayed another hour by myself and shot baskets in the snow. The other kids ended up going to an abandoned house and getting into all sorts of trouble.

It can be such a solitary affair. If you’re a young man or a young woman who is processing things, there’s a strange psychic rhythm of shoot, retrieve, shoot, retrieve.

The rhythm of the game gets in your veins and gets in your blood. It’s hard to describe to the uninitiated."

(10-23-2018 12:29 PM)Sleepy Wrote:  Even today in my later years I recall shooting baskets in the driveway by myself and can feel the resonance with this quote from David Barrett.

Submitted by David Barrett

"My father died when I was 12. It was a difficult period, and I was a lost and lonely kid. I had never really played basketball before, but I had a friend named Chucky who had a basketball rim.

One night we were shooting, and it was snowing. A carload of other lost and lonely kids pulled in and said, ‘Hop in. We’re going to go and have some fun.’ I remember thinking, ‘No, I’m going to stay here. I like this.’ I stayed another hour by myself and shot baskets in the snow. The other kids ended up going to an abandoned house and getting into all sorts of trouble.

It can be such a solitary affair. If you’re a young man or a young woman who is processing things, there’s a strange psychic rhythm of shoot, retrieve, shoot, retrieve.

The rhythm of the game gets in your veins and gets in your blood. It’s hard to describe to the uninitiated."

An almost identical thing happened to me. Well, except the other kids ran into some smoking hot girls from another school and they all found $1,000,000 bucks in a box in the basement of the abandoned house and now they all live in gated communities in Florida with full court, lighted courts in their yards and coaches for their kids who are all getting D1 schollies. But I did make a lot of progress on my drop step, reverse spin move that night.

(10-23-2018 01:59 PM)H2Oville Rocket Wrote:  

(10-23-2018 12:29 PM)Sleepy Wrote:  Even today in my later years I recall shooting baskets in the driveway by myself and can feel the resonance with this quote from David Barrett.

Submitted by David Barrett

"My father died when I was 12. It was a difficult period, and I was a lost and lonely kid. I had never really played basketball before, but I had a friend named Chucky who had a basketball rim.

One night we were shooting, and it was snowing. A carload of other lost and lonely kids pulled in and said, ‘Hop in. We’re going to go and have some fun.’ I remember thinking, ‘No, I’m going to stay here. I like this.’ I stayed another hour by myself and shot baskets in the snow. The other kids ended up going to an abandoned house and getting into all sorts of trouble.

It can be such a solitary affair. If you’re a young man or a young woman who is processing things, there’s a strange psychic rhythm of shoot, retrieve, shoot, retrieve.

The rhythm of the game gets in your veins and gets in your blood. It’s hard to describe to the uninitiated."

An almost identical thing happened to me. Well, except the other kids ran into some smoking hot girls from another school and they all found $1,000,000 bucks in a box in the basement of the abandoned house and now they all live in gated communities in Florida with full court, lighted courts in their yards and coaches for their kids who are all getting D1 schollies. But I did make a lot of progress on my drop step, reverse spin move that night.

I had a rim.
Was never all that great but enjoyed playing.
We used to play timed games to the music on a cassette tape. When the music ran out the game was over.

Chain link nets tearing up the rubber basketball at Sacred Heart. Until it goes into the street and gets dribbled by a passing car, which always seemed to happen. Playing b-ball with an egg-shaped rubber basketball. Does wonders for the ball-handling skills. Playing while on skate-boards, until that Priest chases you off.

Best ball game in the city was on the water-front in Rossford. I wasn't invited. Legends there.