Where everyone gets involved: Shelter Island Recreation Dept. hosts pickup games for all ages and skills

Every Monday, Thursday, and Sunday, basketball players of all ages and skill levels come together for some friendly competition through the town’s Recreation Department “Pickup Basketball” at the school gym.

I dropped by last Sunday to see what the program is all about.

What stood out when first walking into the gym, are the regulars. Jimbo Theinert, a Shelter Island High School math teacher, is one of those familiar faces.

“I started coming here when I was a sophomore in high school, thanks to my teammate, Chris Evangelista,” Jimbo told me. “That was 22 years ago, and I’ve been playing here ever since. My basketball game has evolved so much over the years, and I’ve had more fun here than I did during my high school basketball seasons.”

He’s not the only one who shows up to almost every session; Corri Cass, Manny Payano, Dave Liszanckie, and George Kneeland, have all been attending for almost 30 years. Even though they know each other well, they’re always welcoming to new players, making it easy for anyone to join in.

The Town Recreation Department Director Bethany Ortmann said that the program of pickup games has always been well attended.  “We will get as many as 20 people playing,” Ms. Ortmann said. “The program is offered at no cost to the community.  We continue to offer the program because it’s a way for adults to improve their physical health, and we feel it can help people find community and connect with friends.” 

Last Sunday’s session had 14 players, which allowed for a 4-on-4 game on one end of the court and a 3-on-3 game on the other. The age range among the players was impressive. The youngest, Harrison Weslek, is 17 years old, and a senior at Shelter Island High School. The oldest, Ron Adler, is 74 years old, almost a 60-year age gap between the players.

Each side of the court was set up to have players of similar age and skill levels facing off, keeping the games competitive, but within reach for everyone. Playing to 11 points each game, everyone had the chance to face different levels of competition and play with different people.

As the session started to slow down, everyone switched to a full court 5-on-5 game, putting players on all-new teams. The pace of play varied, depending on the game format. The 3-on-3 games were laid-back, still competitive, but with a slower pace. The 4-on-4 was more intense, with tougher defense, a faster pace, and a focus on team basketball. But the 5-on-5 game was a whole different experience — much faster, with a totally different feel as everyone adjusted to new teammates and opponents.

Overall, the sessions are very casual. Players came and went, with some attending parts of the session and others staying for the whole time. It’s definitely a program worth checking out if you’re into basketball, no matter your age or skill level. Whether it’s your first time attending, or you’ve been coming for years, the players and regulars are a crowd worth getting to know.

After the session, Rob Reilly summed it up well: “I’ve been playing in this program for about five years now, and it’s like being transported into a different time, in a good way. You get to know all the people who live here — firefighters, teachers, police officers — everyone is part of this basketball league. It’s so rare to have that level of community in today’s world. It’s truly a nice feeling living on Shelter Island, when you have programs like this and a sense of camaraderie.”

Harrison Weslek added, “It’s so nice that these guys just want to see me develop as a player and as a person. I’ve met some of the wisest people at these sessions and learned so much about basketball and about life.”

Adult Basketball

Sunday 11 a.m., Monday, Thursday, 8 p.m., Shelter Island School. Free, drop-in, open play.

Adult Soccer

Tuesday 8 p.m., Shelter Island School. Free, drop-in, open play.

Adult Volleyball

Wednesday 8 p.m., Shelter Island School. Free, drop-in, open play.