23 years

My wife wanted me to 'remind' everyone of this age difference.   23 years is the difference between my age and the next oldest player in the alumni basketball game I played in Saturday night.  I was back in Coshocton County, Ohio for my sister's funeral and needed some fun time.   It had been a very long week and quite draining mentally and physically.  I needed to have something to take my head to a different place  and the alumni game seemed to be way to get there.  

Every year, the River View High School basketball programs has a preview event and this includes an alumni basketball game and this year it also included a small ceremony to honor the 1975 AA State Champion Basketball team,   which I happened to be a member. Since I was not going to be in the area due to work commitments, I gave little thought to getting into the alumni game.  Before I left home I threw in some bball wear, just in case I could get in the game.  I do some crazy stuff on occasion.     At the funeral, I had a short discussion with Chad who is active in the RV sports,  and he indicated that they needed some players.  Well, I certainly could get in the show, so I decided to give it a shot. 

 

 

I did my normal warm up and stretching in the locker room and behind the bleachers.  Once I got loose, I joined Linda in the crowd and when the teams were warming up, I jumped in the queue and warmed up some more.   I had a lot fun yelling at the oldtimers from my team--they were all nicely dressed in the front row and obviously not ready to rumble, or sweat or whatever ....  I think they may have been a little stunned that I was getting ready to ball.

 

I played about half of the game and was cold as ice shooting.  But I kept up pretty good on the floor, had some assists and rebounds and had a grin that was impossible to wipe off my face.  It was lot of fun to run up and down the floor and play some bball.  The track training helped immensely with being able to stay up with the younger Black Bears.  The last time I had played on this floor--1980--I broke my left foot.  Well, it is still broken.  It never did heal and the bone still floats around on the left side of my left foot.  I have some history with this floor.  KT Tape kept the foot out of harms way for this game.

 

Few times in your life do you get to  have a blast, and this was a blast.   Our team got creamed--it was as fixed as the Generals vs the Globetrotters.   But that does not matter, I had  a massive that smile and some really great memories.  I had some soreness the following couple of days, but it was more due to the drive home than anything else. I basically got thru unscathed.  For a while, that night,  I got to get my mind to a better place and relived some fun with the champs. 

 

I might have to do this again!!

 

Walt Harrop, in the suit holding the Finals game ball, was our head coach and a great person and coach. He was the boss. Period.  He was also a Father Figure to me,  and that had a lot to do with my personal success.  It was great to see him again.  He and his wonderful wife Donna made it to the ceremony.  At 75, Walt has a bad back and had some trouble walking around, but he is still the winner we all remember.

 

As the group ages, we are all still alive, it is imperative that we embrace the social media to keep pace with each other.  I am going to do my part.