Get ready for another round! The PS 8 basketball league shows no signs of stopping
For 44 years, the Staten Island Basketball League has been going strong, and it has kept the old style alive. The Staten Island Basketball League was founded by Craig Raucher 44 years ago, and it is still going strong.
The SIBL was different, unlike other leagues. No sponsors or fancy uniforms; simply the players and the court.
Raucher had no idea that he would still be able to focus on the league after such a long time.
Perhaps the reason for this is that people like to indulge in some old-fashioned fun. Moreover, they are able to enjoy themselves playing basketball in a fitness center that is 80 years old. This gym is located in Great Kills, within the PS 8 building. There are wooden slats in the upper-level court on the floor, and there are wooden backboards as well, which will remind you of those that you will find in Hickory High School in the film Hoosiers, according to Raucher.
The games were organized in this basketball league every Saturday morning and Wednesday night, and more than 250 players participated in these games. The ages of these players varied between 25 and 65.
It has been a long time since a group known as SIBL has used a fitness center situated in a school in NYC. They are doing this longer than other independent groups in this locality.
According to Craig, the league will enable players to play street ball for the sake of enjoyment. He thinks that the league is managed very well and can boast of having the perfect amalgamation of personalities, talent, competitive spirit, and top-notch expertise.
Different types of individuals from different backgrounds and professions are known to participate in the SIBL, and these comprise chiropractors, school principals, IT programmers, and professional recruiters vying with each other on the court. On any other day, you will come across vice presidents, entrepreneurs, fire lieutenants, and construction foremen playing together as well.
Craig Raucher also asserted that the majority of the players have a strong desire to win the game instead of simply playing it. And the good thing is that they are doing this in the middle of very stiff competition.
The simple thing is that winning matches will provide you with the motivation to play more. There is no need for you to become discouraged if you end up losing. This is because your turn will come once again. However, it’ll be a good idea to try to win every game as much as possible.
According to Raucher, the SIBL can be considered to be your place of God if you are really passionate about basketball.
But the question is how Craig has been able to keep playing at this competitive level for so long, even now. How has he been able to deal with so many individuals from different backgrounds in the middle of such stiff competition?
Right now, Raucher is 63 years old, and he has been able to transfer his business skills into basketball to good effect. This is because he has learned how to deal with different types of personalities due to his long stint with both domestic and global transportation companies. In fact, he has already worked with several hundred individuals from different parts of the globe, including the US, over the years.
Richard asserted that it is imperative for any person to be honest and hard-working to progress in his life. Moreover, he must have great communication and financial skills, as well as strong management skills. This will help to maintain the entity of the group as a whole.
And, the good thing is that this group has also got help from the school principal along with her employees, PS 8 head custodian along with his staff, and the New York City Board of Education over the years. Their assistance has helped this group make great progress.
Craig has admitted that he has to deal with certain issues in his life, which can include facing some negative situations and having some personal issues with the other payers. However, he thinks that he will be able to cope with these problems in the best possible way.
Raucher has witnessed many incidents, both happy as well as tragic, in his life so far. For example, during these 44 years, he has seen lots of injuries, shifting, surgeries, and so forth. Furthermore, he has also witnessed several deaths that resulted from cardiac arrest while watching these games.
Raucher is interested to see you playing the game on a regular basis, even though you might be mature in age. The most important thing is that you must have passion for the game, and this will help you win some games as well.
You are most welcome to enter the basketball court to enjoy yourself playing the game at the PS8 gym on Saturdays (8 to 11 AM) and Wednesdays (7 to 10 PM). If you would like to communicate with Raucher in the event of having some questions, then feel free to call 718-605-2189. Otherwise, there is also the official website of the SIBL at sibl.us, where you will get more information on this league.