
DATE: Sunday, April 27, 1997                TAG: 9704250260

SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON   PAGE: 06   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: COVER STORY 

SOURCE: BY DOUG BEIZER, CORRESPONDENT 

                                            LENGTH:  107 lines

IT'S LUNCH TIME, BUT THIS IS NO FOOD COURT ON ANY WEEKDAY, AT ANY BEACH REC CENTER, YOU'LL FIND 25 TO 35 PEOPLE PLAYING PICKUP BASKETBALL.

CALVIN PERSON, 21, and Dan Rhodes, 30, meet for lunch several times a week.

But not to eat.

Instead they dribble, pass and snatch rebounds from each other during friendly lunch-hour games of basketball.

Visit any of the city recreation centers on an average workday and you'll find up to three dozen players who've traded silk ties or construction boots for sweats and athletic shoes to spend an hour or so on the basketball court.

The popular program attracts between 25 and 35 players midday at each of the five city rec centers. The participants are almost all males whose ages range from 18 to 50 and whose backgrounds are varied - white collar, blue collar, young, old, experienced, inexperienced.

Some have played college ball, many played for their high schools and others have never played any organized basketball.

``There really are no superstars, it's mostly just people that want to get a workout and have some fun,'' said Bobby Hewitt, a recreation assistant at the Great Neck Recreation Center.

Despite the diversity in ages, skills and backgrounds, most of the people who forego food to play basketball share the same simple goals: To have a fun time and to be with other people who love the game.

The city recreation department structured its program to provide the fun of the game but to avoid some of the rough play and arguing that goes on in many outdoor pickup games.

``It's a great game and it's great exercise,'' said Gerald Backus, 32, and a restaurant manager who played for Lake Taylor High School and now plays four or five times a week at Great Neck. ``The playgrounds have gotten a little rough, that's why I come in here because it's supervised. Everybody who comes out here does it because they love playing basketball. I've developed some good friendships and renewed some old ones.''

When players arrive at the gyms they are assigned to six teams of five. While four teams play each other, two other teams sit out. After each 13-minute game the staff rotates them round-robin style. Since the ``winner stays on'' rule isn't in effect and because the clock is always running, arguments are kept to a minimum.

``Our system is fair,'' said Jimmy Butts, a recreation specialist who has worked at the Kempsville Recreation Center for 10 years. ``We treat everyone with respect and anyone can come in and play.''

When he's not working, Butts occasionally will go to other gyms to play himself.

``I really like the friendships I've developed over the years, and I like seeing the guys compete and having fun,'' he said. ``I just love the camaraderie. It's very special.''

In fact, socializing with other players is just as important as the games for some of the program's regulars.

``It's fun. I like the competition,'' said Chuck Russell, 25, an assistant manager at Office Max who was playing at Kempsville recently.

``Knowing the people who play here is the best part,'' he said. ``The friendly competition is what's fun.''

Russell, who didn't play high school basketball, said he plays at least a couple of days a week when his schedule allows it.

Calvin Person, 21, played basketball for Kempsville High School and tries to get over to the Kempsville or Bayside gyms at least a couple days a week to play.

``It keeps me in shape, and I've made a lot of friends playing here over the years,'' he said.

Alexander Clark, 24, plays five days a week at Kempsville. Clark, who is in the Navy, played college football and now he is using the basketball games to help rehabilitate his injured knee.

``We play for exercise, but this other guy and I play here all the time. We act like we're playing for a championship every day,'' Clark said with a chuckle.

His wife, he admitted, thinks he spends too much time playing.

Another former high school player, Dan Rhodes, 30, plays three days a week at Kempsville. He also is a volunteer coach at Norview High School.

``A lot of the guys I grew up with play here,'' he said. ``J.R. Reid and I played high school together, and he and I used to play up here a lot. And Alonzo Mourning, when he lived in Chesapeake, used to play here sometimes.''

Some players take the game more seriously than others.

``The round robin is good, but it is still pretty competitive,'' said Fred Russell, 21, who works nights at a Food Lion supermarket ``I still think people play to win.'' ILLUSTRATION: ON THE COVER

Tim Mulkey, left, and Fred Russell play a lunch-hour pickup game of

basketball at the Great Neck Recreation Center. Photos including

color cover by L. TODD SPENCER/ \ Charlie Rehpelz of Charlie's

Seafood Restaurant enjoys lunch-hour games at the Great Neck Center.

Steve Sanford, left, and Cornell Berry scramble for the ball.

Gerald Backus works his way down the court at Great Neck Recreation

Center during a pickup game of basketball.

Cornell Berry does some leg stretches to ready himself for the game

as his teammates wait.

Graphic

GETTING IN THE GAME

Players must be at least 18 years old to participate in the