You hear the screech of shoes squeaking, the pound of a basketball hitting the court, parents and friends screaming from the crowd. However, you find yourself calm amidst this chaos since you’re playing with your closest friends, careless of whether you win or lose.

There are many different levels of sports but when people aren’t necessarily at the competitive pro level, they find comfort in recreational basketball. Multiple students from WJ have taken the opportunity to compete in the recreational basketball league for Montgomery County which allows league students to enjoy the game but also build lasting bonds with friends.

One of the appealing aspects of rec basketball is that it is not time-consuming. Most teams only practice for an hour once a week and have one game every weekend. The basketball season is 8 weeks, plus 4 weeks of practice only to start, and after the holiday break, practices continue and weekly games begin.

Many have played since elementary school and either played continuously throughout middle and high school or started up again in their high school years. The rec teams provide an exciting way to disconnect from school stress and endorse unproblematic basketball.

“I have been playing rec basketball since elementary school and my dad is the coach. It is really fun to do with your friends because it gets very competitive,” senior Mckenzie Raue said.

Not everyone participating in rec basketball plays with their high school friend group. A team can be made up of people from anywhere nearby so it’s a great way to connect with new and differing students.

“I wanted to have some fun with my friends, they live far away and I don’t meet with them that often due to the difference in schools. So rec basketball allows me to have fun and meet with them,” sophomore Bogdan Shtuka said.

Rec basketball is a common undertaking for seniors, as a way to add more memories to their last year, making the season even more carefree.

“My friends and I wanted to make a team for fun so that we could hang out and play this sport for fun,” senior Maggie Cullen-Ising said.

Cullen-Ising plays basketball for the Wildcats, going for the win every time on the court; however, when she plays on the recreational team, practices appear a little different.

“Our practices have little structure. We kinda just shoot around and we practice plays and we want to win, but we don’t stress it. We like to take them seriously, while also listening to music and laughing as a team. So far, we haven’t been able to stop laughing at any games,” Cullen-Ising said.

So next winter, think about gathering a group of friends and making your own rec basketball team to let loose, win or lose some games and make a few hilarious memories. Record and edit a film of your practice and games, award a player of the game every week, relax and make sure to remember it’s just rec basketball.