For the Love of a Game Kalamazoo Cheerleaders: It’s in question who works harder during a Kalamazoo, Michigan, basketball game: the players on the court or their cheerleaders who never rest except to sigh over a missed free-throw. Together for two years, the girls meet once a week to practice. When they get so caught up in the game that they take on a bad attitude towards the other team or the refs, they quickly lay down their pom-poms and pray that God will help them lead the crowd with a positive attitude. Before you know it, they’ll be up and running again: “Give me a K! Give me an A...”

 

The week was something they’d looked forward to all year.  They saved money, conducted fund raisers, and, above all, practiced their game…  Some were practicing to remain champions; others were practicing to unseat the champions.  But all were anticipating with excitement the 3rd Annual 1994 National Home School Basketball Tournament.

 

Total Participants
964

Total Teams
67

States Represented
18

Cities Represented
28

 

Story & Photos by Joshua Harris

 

I picked up an old copy of New Attitude to re read our story on last year s tournament There it was— “Complete Coverage of the 2nd Annual National Home School Basketball Tournament”. But as I read through the story, I realized that the title wasn’t altogether accurate. Yes, the story gave scores, the number of teams playing, quotes from coaches and play­ers praising the fellow­ship and competition. But that’s not really full coverage. Because to fully appreciate the National Home School Basketball Tournament, you have to realize that its significance goes far beyond basketball. This tournament is one of the few national gatherings of home-school teens for any reason. And it offers the unique opportunity to observe firsthand the state of home-school teens across the country.

The first thing you realize when this many home schoolers gather is that they’re not all the same. Pretty brilliant observation, huh? But many people think they know what home-school teens look like, dress like, and talk like. But most people have only seen the teens in their own church or local sup­port group. Teens from across the coun­try might be different than you’d expect. Attending the National Tournament is like walking into a candy store; the home schoolers come in every flavor and variety.

In the dining area, at one table you have the crazy, loud, beanie-wearing group of girls from San Diego who have spent the entire week talking with Brooklyn accents. And at another table you’ll find the returning champions from Kansas City, many of whom are in ATIA, and who have businesslike per­sonalities and a serious approach to the game. You look at this diversity and you ask yourself, “What in the world do these people have in common?” The answer is simple: home schooling and basketball.

 

Throw-Together USA: The team was a mix-match of Senior boys from Oregon, Michigan, Nebraska, Texas, Caolifornia, Wyoming, and Idaho who had come to the tournament without teams. They met each other Sunday night and won their first game Monday afternoon. Finishing the tournament with a 2-2 record they were the perfect example of the what the tournament is all about: home schooers from everywhere getting together for a game of hoops.Between the scurry of activity, I had a chance to talk with many of the teams about their basket­ball programs at home. During these conversations over lunch or courtside during a game, they explained some of the problems they’re facing with the continued growth of the sport.

One concern voiced by students was the emphasis being placed on sports within the home-school groups. Unfortunately, it seems basketball is some­times more than just the reason these kids get together. It can become the yardstick by which they measure one another. One player from San Diego explained that sports were a bigger deal to the home schoolers in her group than they were to the kids at the public school she used to attend. At school you saw people excelling in other areas besides sports; one person might not be an athlete, but he did well in class. But for these home schoolers, basketball was the only thing that they shared. They didn’t see each other doing their studies; they only saw each other on the court. And as a result, being skilled on the court became the only way to prove one’s worth to others.

San Diego isn’t the only group that has experienced this. One player from Kalamazoo, Michigan (which made its first appearance at the tournament this year), related the way in which star players on the team got special treat­ment from people in the home-school group. Their team, which has been together four years, is considering hav­ing try-outs next year. In the past everyone made the team. But now that just isn’t feasible. Being on the team is becoming more important and more competitive.

Keeping the game in perspective is a challenge for everyone. On Wednesday night at the gener­al assembly, it was the parents who were reminded to mind their courtside manners. Only encourage­ment was appropriate from the sidelines.  But for the most part, everyone did a great job of setting an example of sportsmanship. More than one referee commented on the good attitude among the home-school players. And a good attitude isn’t easy to have when you’re losing by 30 points, something that happened quite a bit.

You see, the basket­ball tournament’s com­petition is still a little unbalanced. There is a large skill gap between the good teams and the not-so-good teams. This is especially true for the girls. In the Long House, the gym where all the girls’ games took place, the sight of a team going almost scoreless while their opponents romped over them was common.

The reason the good teams are so good usual­ly has to do with the fact that they have been around much longer and play in Christian school leagues throughout the season. The not-so-good teams are often formed primarily for the tourna­ment, and as a result, have little experience playing together. This situation is likely to improve in the following years as the newer teams have more opportunity to play before tourna­ment time.

T he week in Estes Park seems to fly by. When they aren’t play­ing a game, players and their families are either practicing, watching someone else’s game or eat­ing. Usually the teams move in herds. You see them in clumps walking toHouston/San Antonio Junior Girls: Like their NBA counterparts, the Rockets and the Spurs, the rivalry between the home-school teams in Houston and San Antonio is a cherished tradition. Of all the age divisions, the Jr. Girls on both sides stand out for their ability to be friends with each other off the court. Jana Craddock (l) and Diamone Broussard (r) go at each other like wildcats during the game but are the best of friends after the game. dinner or around a table. The tight game schedule and format of the week doesn’t lend itself to getting to know other teams. Besides their contact on the court, most players don’t have the opportunity or setting in which to get to know each other.

    Somehow the busy game schedule does not deter the age-old “so and so likes so and so” from flying around among the guys and girls. But the event coordinators do a good job of using the general assemblies and daily chapel ser­vices to keep a Christ-centered focus. Richard “Little Bear” Wheeler gives powerful presentations on leadership and Jim Ryun, a former Olympic runner, shares his story of tremendous athletic accomplishment and eventual realization that only Jesus could bring him fulfillment. Mr. Ryun’s wife and four children also share. Wrapping the week up, Jeff Myers from Summit Ministries gives a motivating exhortation at the closing ceremonies.

And so the curtain closes on another successful tourna­ment. Once again it has pro­vided an outlet for home schoolers to compete in a solid Christian environment. From its incep­tion, it has stood as proof that home schooling need not keep a student from sports. It has given people a glimpse of what is possible and what can be accomplished by families with vision and initiative. Five years ago, no one could have dreamed that a tournament of this caliber would be drawing close to a thousand people from across the nation.

As the last van pulls out and heads home from the Colorado Rockies, I ponder the future. Without a doubt, the tournament, along with all home-school organized sports will grow. But what will constitute success in the years to come? In a sports-obsessed society, the challenge for Christian home schoolers may be to strike a balance between involvement in sports and keeping sports in its prop­er place. This will be the next test of home-school basketball. Let’s pray we win this one.

The San Diego Girls: One person watching them in the lunch line said with contempt, "They’re a disgrace!" But a closer look reveals that the Beanie-wearing crew from San Diego just likes to enjoy life. And if that means being a little silly and talking with a Brooklyn accent (a habit they picked up after watching the movie Newsies), so be it.

 

 

FINAL
STANDINGS

Junior Boys

1 Grand Rapids

2 Indianapolis

3 Houston

 

Junior Girls

1 Houston

2 San Antonio

3 San Diego

 

Senior Boys

1 Kansas City

2 Houston

3 Kalamazoo

 

Senior Girls

1 San Antonio

2 Houston

3 San Diego

 

New Attitude apologizes to the many fine teams who were unable to be high­lighted in our coverage. We also regret not being able to list the winners of the All-American and Christian Character Awards. This information was not available at press time.—Ed.