April 8, 2005 - Women's Basketball

LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth

Women's Basketball Night

At 5:45 p.m. on a cold winter's night, the lights were still on in the gym at Rehoboth Elementary School. Slowly the women began to gatherfirst a pair, then one more, then two women with kids. Finally, somebody arrived with a basketball.

This is the second winter season for the women's pick-up basketball league (club? klatch?) organized by Sue Early and made up of anywhere between 8 and 12 women on any given Wednesday evening.

The gals play an "anything goes" game, with no rules, no scoring and often no bothering to divide up into teams. There's not a lot of whistle blowing (if there even is a whistle) and nobody minds a little walking with the balljust as long as it's fun.

The crew, clad in shorts, sweats or whatever, plays half-court ball, shooting, dribbling and grabbing rebounds. With every "Swish!" there's applause, laughter and cheering.

Naturally, the team uses the time honored woman-to- woman guarding rules and frankly, the night I was there I saw enough traveling with the ball to constitute an Olivia Cruise.

While some players hail from the Kobe Bryant era, much of the team recalls the Larry Byrd days of basketball.

"Hey, we don't usually play this hard!" shouted a gal making a free-throw while fending off lots of waving hands and leaping lesbians. It's always hard to tell if the women are guarding each other or helping each other. Not to say there isn't talent in the gym. On the night I attended, there was a former college star and a friend of hers, setting the bar pretty high on the court.

"Over here!" "Way to go!" "I think I need oxygen."

The players bound and re-bound, getting some exercise, socializing and "still getting home early enough to apply the Ben Gay," says one team member. On the night I spied on the crew, players included: Teri Dunbar, Cathin Bishop, Elva Weininger, Linda Elliott, Shelly McLane, Kathy Quinn and Janet Nosao plus organizer Early.

It's an informal evening, and the players invite interested women to join in the Wednesday games. Stop by the gym on Wednesday evenings at 5:45 and get in on the fun.

LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 15, No. 3 April 8, 2005