GMHS Lasso Online News Story

Rec Basketball League Invaded
By Mason Coaches

By Ted Peetz and Thomas Yancey (January 25, 2007)

There are nine teams in the 11-12 boys’ Rec Basketball League, and four of those nine are coached by George Mason students. Everyone can remember going through the Rec Basketball leagues, where there was always that one team coached by some goofy teenagers. This year almost half of the league is coached by high school students, and as you can imagine, there’s a little bit of competition between fellow Masonites.

It all started back in mid-November, when at some point four different groups decided to coach a basketball team, all in the same league. These coaches were; Ryan Larcamp with Jimmy Piscopo and Sean Follin coaching “Shake and Bake”; Derek Blodgett with Kevin Montgomery and Byron Mendenhall coaching the “Ballers”; Joey Liner with Tim Brooks coaching the “T-Wolves”; and Thomas Yancey with Jesse Wilson and Ted Peetz coaching the “Guacamole Squad.” Since that time every team had a month of practice before the season started, plenty of time to come up with team names and hand out jerseys. Of course, most of the time is spent teaching the kids how to play basketball, and having some fun in the process.

The kids, well they’re always going to act like kids, and while their unmatchable energy and short attention spans can get frustrating, the coaches can remember what it was like to be 11 or 12. They poke each other, they steal the ball from your hands, and they will keep shooting after you tell them to stop, and they may even decide to play by themselves against an entire imaginary team, but they do come around in the end.

Dressed in coats and ties, Mason coaches watch from the sidelines as their young charges in the Rec League, play their energetic game. From left, are Jesse Wilson, Ted Peetz and Thomas Yancey.

Senior Jimmy Piscopo, one of the coaches of “Shake and Bake” put it this way, “Sometimes the kids can get a little crazy, and it gets annoying, but I remember being like that, so I can't get mad at them for it.” After a month of craziness and practices, the teams were ready to start their games.

Finally when the season began it was time to see who was going to come out on top, not just between the four teams, but the whole league. Already, match-ups between the four teams have been fierce, including an intense comeback win in overtime for the “Ballers” over winless “Shake and Bake.” On the other hand the, Liner and Brooks coached “T-Wolves” demolished a short handed “Guacamole Squad” in Liner’s and Brooks’s first win of the season. The “Guacamole Squad,” of the four teams, is doing the best with three wins and two losses, one loss coming to the infamous Bulls.

The regular season lasts 16 games ending March 3, and after that there will be a playoff consisting of all nine teams. Even if none of the four teams coached by Mason students ends up winning, it’s a learning experience for the coaches and their kids, and a good time for all.