While the success of the varsity basketball teams doesn’t go unnoticed, there is another branch of basketball that often does.
For those passionate about basketball, but not quite ready to deal with the intensity of varsity, the solution may be recreational basketball. “I joined my team so I could play basketball, not at a serious level, and just hang out with friends and have a good time,” sophomore Jonas Klein said.
Klein’s team plays in the City of Rockville Recreational Basketball League. “The name of my team is the Ohio Skibidis,” Klein said.
Klein is passionate about basketball but wasn’t ready to bring his talents to the school team this year. Although the league is not as competitive as the varsity level team, he still found ways to develop his skill set and work hard. Klein practiced with the Ohio Skibidis once a week at Frost on Tuesday nights. “We did different drills, did suicides, ran a lot, and also did a scrimmage towards the end of practices. Practices lasted about an hour,” Klein said.
Though his season started rough, Klein’s team persevered and got two back-to-back wins midway through the season. He attributed the wins to his coach who guided the team throughout the season. “My coach’s name was Kayvan and he contributed to the team by showing up to every practice and game, and on time-outs giving us feedback and just helping us become better players and better humans on and off the court,” Klein said.
Competing in the eldest age group of the Rockville Recreational Basketball League is senior Wes Greenberg. “Our team is named eight-ball because there are eight of us who play,” Greenberg said.
Contrary to Klein, Greenberg prioritizes the competitive aspect of the league over the social aspect. “The league is very competitive for a rec league. Each team really wants to win and will put the best five guys forward to have the best advantage,” Greenberg said.
Greenberg is confident in his abilities and saw this season as a chance to refine his skillset. “I play power forward and center because I’m one of the taller players on the team and I have good post moves. I have a pretty good up and under and I have a good power dribble fadeaway that I like to use against taller defenders as well,” Greenberg said.
Greenberg’s favorite moment from the season is when his squad won their first playoff game off of a buzzer-beater with 1.2 seconds left on the clock. Greenberg also attributes his team’s success to his coach. “My coach’s name is Mr. Reid and he impacts our team significantly. He draws up our plays and takes the league seriously while other teams just go out there and free-play it. He makes us work for our minutes and is not afraid to take us out if we fail to get the job done,” Greenberg said.
Another team in this league is the Maryland Blue Crabs. Junior Charlie Balian said he chose to join this team because he “felt like it gave [him] the most competitive atmosphere while also allowing [him] to have a chance to show off [his] talents.”
Similarly to Klein, Balian’s team also works on their craft at Frost once a week. “Our practices are an hour long and we spend that time split between layup lines and full-court scrimmages,” Balian said.
Looking back on the season, Balian is grateful for a variety of moments throughout every game. However, he cherishes one game in particular. “My favorite play was when I scored a half-court buzzer beater to end the game. I finished the game with 35 points and I received MVP of the season,” Balian said.
