The Staten Island Basketball League – 44 Years Old and Speeding To The Half Century Mar
The Facts:
1) Founded in 1980 and managed for 44 plus years by Craig Raucher
2) The league has played for all of these years at the 85 year old Public School 8 in Great Kills, Staten Island.The school is one of the oldest Public Schools , in one of the oldest neighborhoods ( Great Kills) ,in one of the oldest boroughs ( Staten Island) of New York City.
One of the very few gyms left with the original wooden backboards intact.
3) The league plays Wednesday nights and Saturday mornings.
4) The league has been the subject of numerous newspaper articles, television spots and various on line publications throughout the years. It has been a magnet for some of the best players from Staten Island and to a lesser degree Brooklyn over the years..
5)It is run not a traditional league but as a high level pick up basketball game.
6) Ages run from 30-75. All are strong players.
7)The school is run professionally by Mrs. Lisa Esposito , Principal and her excellent staff.
8) Over 460 players have walked through the doors throughout the years since the league started in 1980.
9) Mix of players historically have been form every walk of life. Rich, poor, upper class, lower class ,middle class.
Ex -convicts, police captains ,detectives, fire department lieutenants, alcoholics anonymous attendees, former drug abusers and dealers, stockbrokers, surgeons, business men, CEOs, factory workers, emergency room physicians, inventors, retirees.
Plumbers, carpenters, union men, non union men, subway conductors, small business owners and big business executives. Gay men and straight men. College graduates, high school dropouts, PHD’s and computer nerds.
10)Some players were Autistic had Tourettes Syndrome or battled Cancer. Players returning from knee, hip or shoulder replacements .
11) Players have played in high school, college, leagues, pick up games, parks, recreation centers .Almost all have been coached at one time or another. with many being fundamentally sound.
New players are evaluated and asked to stay or to go. Common denominators: every player plays to win and are good character people
11) We have lost players due to illness, old age, 9/11, the Pandemic, accident and relocation.
These are the facts about the Staten Island Basketball League but facts alone do not provide the essence of the group.
How does an ever changing group of basketball playing men transcend 4 plus decades and still continue unchanged? Why does such a diverse group of players move through different political environments that have in recent years upended this country and still remain intact?
Why has strife, dissension and ill will that permeates daily life in society not affected this group?
The success is simple: the league is based on the bedrock principles of high competition, skilled players, determination to win, fait play and sportsmanship.
The longevity of the Staten Island Basketball League in terms of blending races, religions and diversity has been a testimonial to the power of competitive sports to bind all of the people together.
When you bring in the right kinds of people in tandem with the right values and mix in a highly competitive sport absent politics you then can understand re prescription for success. The longevity has been n accident.
In the 44 plus year history of the League their has never been one incident of racial animosity, no theft of or damage to property in the school and no police department incident reports filed. No fist fights., no racial slurs
Why? Because the group is run on three guiding principles that are made very clear to all who enter to play: play competitively, play hard and respect your opponent. Political or racist comments gets you out fast.
Craig Raucher -Commissioner
718-605-2189/craucher@ aol.,com