From late November to mid-March, a competitive buzz goes through the air throughout both campuses of LT. A cauldron bubbling full of anticipation awaits each Saturday when LT students and other high school students alike intermingle and take part in the local church basketball league.

Trash talk and friendly wagers are placed as friends and classmates are turned into sworn enemies and archrivals. One of the best parts of the winter and early spring in the LT community is when the church league is in full force; it feels as if the whole student body is involved or at least informed about the status of the league. A common saying among the players and alumni stated as follows: “God doesn’t choose favorites, but he does choose champions.” 

In early October and early November, rosters are formed, not just for the LT basketball team but for the church league squads as well. As players get cut from the basketball team during the tryout window, the church league provides a viable option to play competitive basketball. In a school with around 4,000 students in its body, it’s quite an accomplishment for someone to even make the varsity team, which only fields around 20 people, and maybe only half of those athletes get any playing time.

Even for people not trying out for the school basketball team, it’s nice to have an option to stay active and competitive, whether they’re in between seasons or just out of season. 

A competitive season full of high-level athletes makes for an intriguing campaign. Every year the best athletes from the community, including other local high schools, compete in a high-intensity, high-flying fashion. It makes for an interesting watch; most of the kids that play in the church league have played organized basketball in the past, either in middle school, travel basketball, or even in the lower levels of LT basketball. One of the best parts of my weekend is playing church league basketball or watching my friends and classmates play in a separate game. 

While it might not be exactly like March Madness, the church league playoffs are filled with upsets, intense games, and impressive performances by the league’s top teams. Especially later in the postseason, you begin to see the top teams duke it out, and you begin to see the true best teams battle for a ring—or, in the church league’s case, a T-shirt—in highly entertaining matchups that make for must-watch higher level basketball. 

Church league basketball has become a weekly phenomenon. As a competitor, I appreciate the church league for the intensity and competition that comes along with it. I’ve been lucky enough to play as far as the Final Four as a member of St. John of the Cross, and speaking from experience, it’s an incredible feeling to be a part of a successful church league team, even if it is just a recreation team. I’ve played since sophomore year and every game I’ve played was brought upon by a week full of anticipation and adrenaline. I’m somewhat of a perennial church league transfer, I’ve played for three years and I’ve played for three teams. I played my sophomore year for St. John of the Cross, my junior year at First Presbyterian, and my senior year currently at First Congregational. Each year comes with a new experience, a new challenge, and a new opportunity to compete against friends, classmates, and colleagues. 

It’s not just me; people care about the church league. The bragging rights, competitive spirit, and intensity make the church league one of the best parts of the winter in the LT community.