If you have ever played pickup hoops, you will LOVE this

[Cheriehoop]

Have any of you men played a girl? I have my own additional stereotypes from back in those days.

The aggressive "I wasn't really trying" guy,
the passive-aggressive "didn't want to hurt you" guy,
the "in your face block" guy who thinks a block erases those boring baskets you made-whose sole goal is to attempt to intimidate and block every shot,
the nice but beleaguered guy who waits till his friends are gone and done mocking him before saying "nice game, how did you learn to play?"guy,
the really good player you enjoyed playing but who just beat your butt, the "next up" guy,
the defensive, combative you're invading my territory guy "you really think you're better than boys, bet you are one of those les?? feminists"
the scared, insecure hidden by bravado guy "I don't need to play you to know I'm better "
the "your ball is smaller than my ball" guy who's obsessed that girls play with a smaller ball(a rule changed when the NCAA and guys took over the womens' game)
and the worst, the "I'll let you win" guy who doesn't even try to play in a game but just wants to get it over so he can "really" play someone he wants to.


Just having fun...

 

[Conrad13]

Have any of you men played a girl? I have my own additional stereotypes from back in those days.

The aggressive "I wasn't really trying" guy,
the passive-aggressive "didn't want to hurt you" guy,
the "in your face block" guy who thinks a block erases those boring baskets you made-whose sole goal is to attempt to intimidate and block every shot,
the nice but beleaguered guy who waits till his friends are gone and done mocking him before saying "nice game, how did you learn to play?"guy,
the really good player you enjoyed playing but who just beat your butt, the "next up" guy,
the defensive, combative you're invading my territory guy "you really think you're better than boys, bet you are one of those les?? feminists"
the scared, insecure hidden by bravado guy "I don't need to play you to know I'm better "
the "your ball is smaller than my ball" guy who's obsessed that girls play with a smaller ball(a rule changed when the NCAA and guys took over the womens' game)
and the worst, the "I'll let you win" guy who doesn't even try to play in a game but just wants to get it over so he can "really" play someone he wants to.


Just having fun...

The only time I ever played in a pick up game with my wife was when we were still dating. She set a blind pick on the guy covering me and completely leveled him. As I went in for the open layup I knew that I had to marry her.

There was a woman who played at the gym where I went to grad school. She was a great player but she used to foul the crap out of us knowing that we weren't going to call it.

 

[Cheriehoop]

She was a great player but she used to foul the crap out of us knowing that we weren't going to call it.

Bush league and yes - you should have called her on it - loudly!

 

[orangefog]

I agree with everyone saying what a great thread this is. I miss playing pick up games. I remember one guy who must have been a track athlete, because in between games, those of us who could, would throw down some dunks. This could jump, but his approach was as if he was doing the Fosbury Flop. He had that run like he was approaching the high jump that seemed very out of place on a basketball court. Of course, he never found himself open in a game to make such an approach, but he could jump pretty high with the right preperation.

 

[NineOneSeven]

Have any of you men played a girl? I have my own additional stereotypes from back in those days.

The aggressive "I wasn't really trying" guy,
the passive-aggressive "didn't want to hurt you" guy,
the "in your face block" guy who thinks a block erases those boring baskets you made-whose sole goal is to attempt to intimidate and block every shot,
the nice but beleaguered guy who waits till his friends are gone and done mocking him before saying "nice game, how did you learn to play?"guy,
the really good player you enjoyed playing but who just beat your butt, the "next up" guy,
the defensive, combative you're invading my territory guy "you really think you're better than boys, bet you are one of those les?? feminists"
the scared, insecure hidden by bravado guy "I don't need to play you to know I'm better "
the "your ball is smaller than my ball" guy who's obsessed that girls play with a smaller ball(a rule changed when the NCAA and guys took over the womens' game)
and the worst, the "I'll let you win" guy who doesn't even try to play in a game but just wants to get it over so he can "really" play someone he wants to.


Just having fun...

The "we should use a smaller ball even though there's 9 guys out here on the court" girl

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I always love when some team you're playing in league ball decides to go zone to conserve energy!

Most tavern leaguers have zero clue how to play zone--you can have a field day against it.

There's a simple solution to that - play a 3-2 instead of a 2-3. Most tavern league players can't cover the space up top because they're either too slow or don't understand the assignment. You don't rebound out of it as poorly as you might expect. You do give up the baseline on offense, but so long as your two big guys can prevent a little bit of driving most tavern players have a hard time hitting baseline jumpers. It's pretty devastating if you can get people to understand that you're better off just keeping two bigs right by the basket and your guards around the three point line. You end up seeing A LOT of corner three airballs. It's fun.

 

[Cheriehoop]

"The "we should use a smaller ball even though there's 9 guys out here on the court" girl "
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With a husband and 3 sons, there were always more mens basketballs than womens in our house. As I grew up , then played college basketball, in the frontier days, all women played with the mens ' basketball. Collegiate womens basketball was run under the auspices of the AIAW till 1982 when the mens' NCAA took over the sponsorship. The smaller basketball was mandated by the NCAA for women in 1984 (men were hoping it would aid women dunking).

In 1984 I had to start using the smaller ball in city rec and like most old dogs, despite the small difference, we didn't like using it. Wish they'd just go back and use the same ball, dunking hasn't and won't be a major part of the womens game regardless.

 

[Toga]

While back a group of us 40+ year olds were playing our Sunday pick up when a group of girls showed up and played. Not sure if they were D1 or D2. Not pretty - and I'm not talking about the girls.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Have any of you men played a girl? I have my own additional stereotypes from back in those days.

The aggressive "I wasn't really trying" guy,
the passive-aggressive "didn't want to hurt you" guy,
the "in your face block" guy who thinks a block erases those boring baskets you made-whose sole goal is to attempt to intimidate and block every shot,
the nice but beleaguered guy who waits till his friends are gone and done mocking him before saying "nice game, how did you learn to play?"guy,
the really good player you enjoyed playing but who just beat your butt, the "next up" guy,
the defensive, combative you're invading my territory guy "you really think you're better than boys, bet you are one of those les?? feminists"
the scared, insecure hidden by bravado guy "I don't need to play you to know I'm better "
the "your ball is smaller than my ball" guy who's obsessed that girls play with a smaller ball(a rule changed when the NCAA and guys took over the womens' game)
and the worst, the "I'll let you win" guy who doesn't even try to play in a game but just wants to get it over so he can "really" play someone he wants to.


Just having fun...

I play with and against many women up here. Three played at UVM, including two starting point guards and a starting forward. One was the coach at St. Mike's until she moved away to get married to her husband. Still friends with all of them.

Funny story about playing pick up with a woman. One of the more agro guys that I've played with in the past was guarding my friend Shannon. Canadian born, a former forward at UVM, with the sharpest elbows ever. She's a great lady. She drives in on this guy and initiates some contact, he flops, and calls the offensive foul. Man was he abused after that. Calling an offensive is weak in pickup as we all know, but this was just silly.

Playing against girls is tough, but if you are comfortable with your own masculinity, it's just playing. Especially when the girls are actually better than I am. Then its fun, except when I'm giving up all the points on D.

 

[suttree]

I play with and against many women up here. Three played at UVM, including two starting point guards and a starting forward. One was the coach at St. Mike's until she moved away to get married to her husband. Still friends with all of them.

Funny story about playing pick up with a woman. One of the more agro guys that I've played with in the past was guarding my friend Shannon. Canadian born, a former forward at UVM, with the sharpest elbows ever. She's a great lady. She drives in on this guy and initiates some contact, he flops, and calls the offensive foul. Man was he abused after that. Calling an offensive is weak in pickup as we all know, but this was just silly.

Playing against girls is tough, but if you are comfortable with your own masculinity, it's just playing. Especially when the girls are actually better than I am. Then its fun, except when I'm giving up all the points on D.

I'm going to get annihilated for using the S-word in this excellent thread, but to this point about men and women competing together, I've played a lot more soccer than basketball in my lifetime--including against women who have won multiple national championships (w/UNC). I literally can't remember playing against a woman who expected to get treated differently--and all the ones I can remember were absolutely ready for any and all physical clashes and never complained about the contact. As the father of twin 7.5-year-old daughters, I hope to see the same attitude from them. I've been completely wiped out, outjumped, shouldered aside, and juked out of my socks by some phenomenal athletes of both genders. Getting ready to play coed city league ball this summer here in Austin and very much looking forward to it.

Back to your regular programming...

 

[Eric15]

Most tavern leaguers have zero clue how to play zone--you can have a field day against it.

Heck, most college and pro coaches have zero clue how to play zone.

 

[g kushner]

I'll be 84 in April and play at the local Y in the "legends league". I can handle anyone up to 15 years younger than myself. Unfortunately there is only one other left beside myself in that age category in the group. But we have all the people you have mentioned plus the black hole guy- once he gets the ball it's between the legs, behind the back etc so take a nap and the guy who gets a gleam in his eye when he gets the ball and he never sees anyone else no matter how open and he's going to shoot. But it is still fun and great exercise. Hope I can do it for another 15 years

 

[orangefog]

I'll be 84 in April and play at the local Y in the "legends league". I can handle anyone up to 15 years younger than myself. Unfortunately there is only one other left beside myself in that age category in the group. But we have all the people you have mentioned plus the black hole guy- once he gets the ball it's between the legs, behind the back etc so take a nap and the guy who gets a gleam in his eye when he gets the ball and he never sees anyone else no matter how open and he's going to shoot. But it is still fun and great exercise. Hope I can do it for another 15 years

I can't believe nobody else mentioned "black hole guy". We all know that guy, and if you don't, you ARE "black hole guy".

 

[NineOneSeven]

I'll be 84 in April and play at the local Y in the "legends league". I can handle anyone up to 15 years younger than myself. Unfortunately there is only one other left beside myself in that age category in the group. But we have all the people you have mentioned plus the black hole guy- once he gets the ball it's between the legs, behind the back etc so take a nap and the guy who gets a gleam in his eye when he gets the ball and he never sees anyone else no matter how open and he's going to shoot. But it is still fun and great exercise. Hope I can do it for another 15 years

Wow. That's pretty unreal. Good for you sir!

 

[g kushner]

Oh crap!! I've reached the stage in life where I am "Sir." Well it beats "I remember him well"

 

[BuffOrange]

Positive I saw something very similar like 8yrs ago.

 

[Eric15]

I'll be 84 in April and play at the local Y in the "legends league". I can handle anyone up to 15 years younger than myself. Unfortunately there is only one other left beside myself in that age category in the group. But we have all the people you have mentioned plus the black hole guy- once he gets the ball it's between the legs, behind the back etc so take a nap and the guy who gets a gleam in his eye when he gets the ball and he never sees anyone else no matter how open and he's going to shoot. But it is still fun and great exercise. Hope I can do it for another 15 years

Wow - good for you. May I ask what your secret is to being in such incredible shape at your age?

 

[g kushner]

I had the wisdom to choose good parents, plus all the things that are now considered good for you I always liked (veggies etc.) and the things that are considered bad now I never liked (lots of salt, fatty meat etc.) Just returned from the Y and all the characters mentioned were there today