Standing in the historic Walsh Gym, one experiences Jesuit in a completely different way. Even when the gym is empty, the plain white walls somehow teem with years of school spirit that’s stained within them. However, when it’s full, the energy is electric. For many students, the notion of making Jesuit’s highly competitive team seems unlikely, even if they play in their free time. As a part of Intramurals, the Jesuit Basketball Association provides a welcoming environment for casual sport.
On April 19th, the Jesuit Basketball Association (JBA) held their annual JBA Playoffs to cap off the year of Intramural Sports. The team of 8, cleverly named “Not in My Kassa,” found themselves at the top of the leaderboard after beating “The New Boyz” three games to one.
Commenting on the win for his team, David Fulkerson ’17, a member of the team, felt “great winning the JBA Championship… I felt really confident going into the game because we had a really strong team.” With a large percentage of the team seniors, Fulkerson continued, “It also felt great winning because we had been playing for multiple weekends building up to that point.”
When asked about preparation, Fulkerson responded, “There wasn’t a lot I did to prepare for the games because it was pretty much a pickup game, but I guess I really just did my old routine from when I was on a basketball team which started with lay-ups and then got further out as I felt more comfortable with my shot.” The simple, non-competitive essence of the JBA, seeking to mimic the very competitive NBA, seems to breed the individual development of each and every player.
An endorsement of the program, Fulkerson concluded that he does “plan on playing [in the] JBA next year and I am looking for to seeing who will be on my team and then helping to lead that team to the championship again.”
