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Addy Smith

Caleb Buckman '18 shows off his dribbling skills during Rec League basketball at Alexander Elementary on Wednesday nights.

On Wednesday nights, the sights of youth physical education students eagerly playing games of dodgeball and PIG that typically fill the Alexander Elementary Gymnasium are replaced with athletes in  makeshift jerseys trash talking their competitors. Known as Rec League, this night brings together some of the areas most inexperienced yet most egotistical athletes for arguably one of the most anticipated seasons of the entire athletic calendar year.

This season’s line-up includes the Spag Bois, Literally Trash, Big Bois, GBFC, Tate Warriors, and the Big Bender Brand.

One team, GBFC, reigns above the rest. Currently undefeated, the team, comprised mainly of senior ex-basketball players, is looking to take home the coveted championship medals.

The secret to GBFC’s success remains under wraps, considering they put in little to no work outside of Wednesday night games.

“Besides our normal athletic ability and lifting and stuff, nah we don’t even practice. I know some teams practice, but we don’t,” unofficial team captain Witt Harberts ’18 said.

Although Harberts’ team doesn’t practice, he believes that a potential contributor to their success so far may be chalked up to the fact that he and his teammates “all have at least a general idea of what [they’re] doing, as opposed to some of the other teams.”

In addition to finished the season off as undefeated champions, GBFC is also aiming to cream, for lack of better terms, any team with or without cheap white tank-tops that tries to stand in their way.

“We played Patrick’s team this week and we were gonna try to score 100 [points], but everybody was either sick or at the choir concert. So the second half really just turned into me trying to score a basket,” Harberts said.

Harberts, like evidently many of the other Rec League players—judging by an ungodly amount of uncalled travels and airballs— is navigating the challenges of puberty that are presented on the basketball court.

“Since I’ve grown I haven’t really shot much, so it’s differently obviously. Now when I shoot, I’m like, ‘Oh, that’s gonna go in’, but then [the ball] sails like five-feet over. So it’s like I’m just trying to figure out how to adjust to my new body, and that takes some time.”

With puberty comes increased levels of testosterone, evident in inflamed tempers and ego-motivated trash talk. Last season, two athletes were asked not to return to the league after a post-game altercation with the officials. This season, in order to be proactive about any issues that may arise, the league has hired one to three (depending on the night) referees.

“I’m surprised they even agree to do it, to be honest. It’s just a bunch of kids complaining when they think they’re fouled,” Harberts said. “I mean I’m sure they’re not getting paid enough to do this job, so they do a pretty good job considering. I kinda feel bad for them sometimes, but generally speaking I think they actually enjoy us goofing around.”