The pick up basketball article below was recently written by Thomas Lake of CNN Digital and it mirrors our league strongly. The Staten Island Basketball League, 45 years young, has provided a highly competitive run since 1980 having had over 450 players walk through the gym doors.The league is one of the oldest leagues in New York City.It is is comprised of players from many different and distant countries, religions, ethnic backgrounds, various ages ( from 30-75). Gay and straight-black, white, brown and mixed. The common denominator is everyone of the players had been in search of the best consistent high level pick up game they could find and we have provided that forum.
Playing 2 week nights and Saturday mornings weekly, monthly and yearly we have played thousands of pick up games to date.
Racism, political talk, intentional fouling and comments intended to hurt are not tolerated and they get you removed from the group. The SIBL is run as a dictatorship albeit a benevolent one.
In 2024, based on an overwhelming number of requests by parents, the Staten Island Basketball Youth League was formed to teach children aged 6-12 how to play basketball from the ground up. These children had no place to learn how to play basketball and we provided an open environment where children could learn the fundamentals of basketball without ridicule or judgement. We are averaging 20 children at our sessions and growing.
Basketball is the universal common denominator whiter played in South Korea or South Dakota. It has the very best components to bring people together instead of apart. Isn’t that what the world needs more of?
Craig Raucher 718-605-2189