Issue link: http://www.wacmagazine.com/i/893293
22 WAC Magazine | wac.net Players of all ages enjoy WAC league basketball play. u WAC Basketball Exercise of the Month Stop Knee Pain Meet the Athlete YO S E F C H A I M K A L I N K O Competition, camaraderie, contacts— these are just three of the many good reasons members participate in the WAC's basketball program. e extent of the program is impressive, with more than 300 members on organized teams and hundreds more in pickup games. Many former collegiate players participate in league play. e best of the best also represent the WAC on traveling teams. Member Michael Kirkham played his college ball at Lewis & Clark Col- lege in Portland and wanted to continue competing at a high level aer moving to Seattle in 2007. He currently plays on the WAC's over-35 AA traveling team, which won a 2017 national club championship. "It's pretty high-caliber basketball," Michael says. "e guys definitely care, Court connections By Mike Gastineau and there's a good intensity level." But not everyone comes with college credentials. In fact, most players just love the game. at includes Roger Young, a self-described gym rat. Roger joined the WAC in the mid-1970s and quickly came to enjoy the games and the friendships that came with them. "I came to basketball strictly as a recreational player," Roger says. "What I really enjoyed was the atmosphere around the games. I met guys in the 1970s who were business associates. We're still friends to this day." Roger played for several years, became the commissioner of his league, and eventually became the overall pro- gram commissioner. It's an important role that includes running the annual dra that creates each year's league teams. "By the end of three or four years, you've been on several different teams and you've had 40 different teammates," Roger says. "You get to know a bunch of guys in the process—that's what makes the program so successful and keeps people coming back." e game itself helps with that, too. Basketball offers a great workout, improves hand-eye coordination, and teaches teamwork. "You could go for a 10-mile jog alone, but running up and down the court with friends is more fun," Michael says. Before and aer their games, players oen catch up about business, discuss current events, and keep up with each other's families. Of course, a post-game Living Fit