Basketball has been more than just a game to me. Growing up here, I have always considered our JCC my home, and the gymnasium my favorite room.
Not to say that I am good at basketball. Even on my best day, as a kid, I was nowhere near as competent on the court as the people I played with and against in rec leagues here. Nor was I anywhere close to being as good as the players on the Maccabi teams I faced when I traveled to Austin and Phoenix with our Maccabi Teams as a teenager. As an adult though, I come here, to my favorite room, every Sunday to play pick-up basketball because I enjoy the community found on the court and I appreciate that no matter who you are, when you step into the gym on a Sunday, you get to play.
Childhood Memories
As a kid, the JCC was a magical place. I remember being in the gymnasium almost every day playing a lot of basketball afterschool during Before-And-After-School-Enrichment (BASE). Note, it would have been every day, but on Fridays we got to watch a movie! When I think back to those afternoons, I can see the staff throwing basketballs across the gym into the hoop or dribbling around 10 kids to score, or just passing a ball back and forth on the floor with us. It made me feel connected to the group that everyone got to play, no matter our age or skill level. I don’t remember playing for points, keeping score, whether we dribbled or just ran with the ball away from someone else, or even caring what basket we shot at; what mattered was that we were playing and playing together.
As I got older, I got much better at basketball and spent more time in the afternoons during BASE balancing my want to get better at basketball with letting everyone play in the gym. My love of basketball only grew with these experiences.
Teenage Years
I remember as a teenager that basketball at the JCC became a little more competitive when I joined our Maccabi teams. The games were faster, they had stakes, and the friendships were deeper. We spent countless hours practicing, honing our skills, and strategizing for the next big game. Or at least it felt like we did. We had a few practices a week and spent a lot of our free time just goofing off in the gym. However, the destination trip that we took as a part of our Maccabi delegation was always something to look forward to once the camp seasons ended.
During my teenage years, basketball also became a way to cope with the challenges of adolescence. The court was a place where I could escape from the pressures of school and social life. It was a space where I could be myself, where my worries seemed to fade away with each dribble and shot. I spent a lot of weekends here in our gym just shooting, dribbling, and throwing the ball across the gym to see if I could make a full court shot yet.
Adulthood
Returning to our JCC as an adult, I feel that I see the basketball court in its entirety now. It is a place to practice and build skills, it is a place to chase my toddler around in the mornings as he tries to grab the ball, it is a place where the current kids in afterschool go to unwind, it is a part of my weekly workout routine, and it is a major part of my weekend. I find that my ability to play basketball has decreased somewhat from my teenage years, but that my enjoyment of basketball when I do play has increased exponentially. I think it’s because, through all these years, what I still find on the basketball court here is a sense of belonging. It is a place where if you come, you get to play.
Basketball at the JCC has been a constant in my life, a thread that weaves through my childhood, teenage years, and adulthood. It’s more than just a sport; it’s a community, a source of joy, and a lifelong passion. Whether I’m playing in a game, or simply shooting hoops for fun, the JCC basketball court will always be a place where I feel at home.
