If not for the coordinating jerseys, you'd never know that the basketball played as part of the Newtown Parks and Recreation Rising Star Summer League wasn't just a neighborhood pickup game.
There is a marked heterogeneity of players. Some teams are made up of both male and female players. Player size is all over the map.
John Quinn, Newtown High School's head basketball coach, has nothing but enthusiasm for the program. For 15 years, Quinn has helped run the program for kids in grades 6 through 9. Referees are recruited from his NHS squad. The teams are coached by parent volunteers.
"We had close to 90 kids sign up this year," said Quinn. "It's a great group of kids."
On tap this Friday afternoon were two rain-out makeup games. Team 1 in orange coached by Paul Berger against Team 3 in red coached by Martin West was up first, followed by Team 2 in navy coached by Bob Elliott against Team 6 in green coached by B. Deakin.
Quinn also said there was one all-girls team.
"In this age group, (girls) can definitely compete," said Quinn. "They're very competitive, very smart players."
Patrick Berger, a third year veteran of the program summed it up.
"It's not meant to be that competitive," he said. "It's a friendly game and everyone goes home happy."
