Basketball
Rose Students Ball Out at Elm StreetBY IAN VOOS ON FEBRUARY 21, 2014
Upon entering the Drew Steele Center on Elm Street, the game of recreational basketball, or as the players refer to it ‘rec ball,’ may seem like an easy going sport, but a book should never be judged by it’s cover.
After only a few minutes, it is easy to see that the game is more intense than one would expect. The level of testosterone in the gym is so high that it surrounds everyone who is fortunate enough to participate. Though recreational basketball is not affiliated with Rose, many students are involved, whether through playing or spectating. Senior Deontre Robinson especially enjoys his life as a rec baller. “My favorite part is the crowd coming out,” Robinson said, “I like that our fellow classmates come out and watch us ball on the court.” Some of the Rose players are extremely passionate about their new lifestyle in rec ball. Many say that they are ‘married to the game’ in a sense. For senior Harrison Coffman, his experience with rec ball has been heartbreaking due to his recent career-ending injury: a broken hand. All Coffman can think about before his team takes the court is how he is no longer able to play. “I shed tears before each game,” Coffman said. Due to this intensity, there have been many injuries similar to Coffman’s. Sophomore Foster Hill is among one of the injured. He suffered a lower back injury, but is expected to make a full recovery and get back to the game. This just goes to show the dedication of players in this sport, which is obvious in the atmosphere junior Cameron Higley describes as “extremely intense and hardcore with all of the fans cheering [his] name.” Physical proof of the dangerously high energy is seen through the mandatory use of mouthguards for every player during the game. This intensity was the reason for the new rule requiring mouthguards, which is not used in any other recreational league in the area, was implemented. “After the coordinators saw how hard I go in the paint, they were concerned about the well being of the other players I ball on,” Higley said. One common frustration among many players as a result of the intensity is the amount of technical fouls in the games. “I believe the reason for all of the technical fouls is the attempt of the organizers to dial back the level of ferocity on the court,” senior Paul Tennison said. Sophomore Gray MacKenzie is optimistic about the future of his team. “We have made a lot of progress already since the season started,” MacKenzie said. “Our team is looking to win the league overall and I believe we have a killer chance.” The common trend among the players was that they wanted more people from Rose to come out and cheer them on. HTML Comment Box is loading comments...
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