By BRAD BAUGHMAN | For The Democrat
On a Sunday afternoon in February, basketball fans might find up to a half dozen college games on TV that they could cozy up to.
For those who want to do more than just watch a sport they love, the Brown County Parks and Recreation adult winter basketball league may be what they need.
This year, five teams are participating in the league, which is down from previous years.
“We average around eight to 10 teams every season, with the highest being 13 teams in 2011 and 2014,” explained program specialist Andy Rudd.
The fact that the league did not operate last year due to COVID-19 may explain the lower participation numbers this year.
Rudd said that players must be at least 16 years of age to participate and that some 70 year olds have played in recent years. While the participants are predominantly men, some women have competed in the past.
The league collects a $45 player fee and a $225 team sponsor fee. That money helps offset the cost of team shirts and also helps pay for supervision of the games, contest officials and score keeping personnel.
For many years, the Sunday afternoon games were played in the auxiliary gym at Brown County High School, but the last couple of years all the action has taken place at the Brown County Middle School gymnasium.
Every team gets a nine game regular season schedule, but it is the single elimination seeded tournament at the end of the season that determines the league champion, according to Rudd.
Drew Minett has been supervising the weekly winter league as well as officiating the contests for 10 years. Minett said officiating is the tougher of the two responsibilities.
“It’s pretty common with the game of basketball. You get all this testosterone flying around, but these guys, they’re all pretty good about watching what they say,” he said.
Minett enjoys his Sunday afternoons in the gym.
“Mostly it’s just seeing the kids come back. They go through high school and then they come back and play. We got a couple teams here that have a lot of former players from Brown County High School,” Minett said.
”It’s just fun to watch them play again, and the camaraderie that they have and the friendships that they still have.”
One of those teams Minett was referencing was sponsored this year by Rafters Food and Spirits at the Seasons Lodge. The team was made up of several former high school players and most of them played together in high school.
Team member Quincy Robinson said that this particular group had been playing together in the adult keague for the past six or seven years.
“We look forward to it every year because it’s just great to see everybody’s families. We love playing basketball together. We just love the sport, and we actually have some good competition here, too,” Robinson said.
Brothers Garrett Davis, Jordan Rose and Evan Rose also play for Rafters.
Like his teammates, Jordan Rose has a passion for the game, but he also looks forward to his Sunday meetings with his brothers.
“This gives us some time that we get to see each other every weekend,” Jordan said.
Jordan Rose was also quick to respond when asked about the possibility of injury in what can often be a very physical contest.
“A lot of jammed fingers, a lot of twisted ankles, but I think you know the risk when you sign up,” he said.
The oldest player in the league this year is 63-year-old Randy Hedrick. Hedrick played junior college basketball after graduating from Brown County High School in 1976. He said he has memories of playing in a Brown County adult league as far back as the late 1970’s.
He played a game on Feb. 20 without taking a break. And what is his secret?
“I play typically three days a week, two to three, so stamina to play is not a problem,” he said.
From ages 16 to 63, players are meeting every Sunday afternoon to exercise, compete, reconnect, renew old rivalries and prove to themselves they still might have 40 more minutes of basketball glory in them.
Fans are always welcome and there is no charge to come watch a game. Check the upcoming schedule on www.bcparksrec.com.
