Pickup basketball is cathartic — a fun and enjoyable method of relieving stress.
As a basketball player in Guyana, I played pickup with older members of my basketball club. I developed a routine on Tuesdays and Thursdays: drive to the court, lace up my LeBron Witnesses and lose myself in the rhythmic bounce of the basketball.
The simple activity brought me so much joy during the week, relieving me of academic stress and the pressures of daily life.
On the first morning after I moved into my first-year dorm at Northwestern, I put up shots at the outdoor court outside of the Foster-Walker Complex. As the weeks went by and I continued to train on my own, I began to miss the companionship of playing with other people. I eventually found a friend in my dorm who shared my love for the sport.
Off the court, our bond grew as we watched basketball games together and talked about our favorite teams and players. On the court, he proved to be a fierce competitor and a great pickup partner.
My new routine after classes became playing pickup at Henry Crown Sports Pavilion or Blomquist Recreational Center. I moved from outdoor to indoor courts, from my car to my bike and gave up my LeBron Witnesses for purple Book 1s.
Yet, the exhilaration of the adrenaline rush from playing pickup remains the same.
I view basketball as an art, and pickup basketball is an abstract, freeform version. Recreational basketball removes the pressures of structured competition, allowing players to fully enjoy informal play.
Strangers learn quickly about styles of play over consecutive runs. Being apt and aware while stepping out of your comfort zone creates chemistry. No-look passes and long-range threes replace set plays, add a dimension to movement and create a new challenge in competitive play.
The most enjoyable part of pickup for me is forming bonds with my teammates. A plethora of students at NU take to the court, of all ages and fields of study. Members of the Evanston community also join students in pickup, allowing us to hear stories from an older generation about their youth.
During the intervals between runs, we discuss our majors and share memorable game-time experiences from competing in both structured competitive play and open gym runs.
Pickup basketball created a wholesome community beyond academia for me and has allowed me to expand my social interactions. With each new day, there is an opportunity to engage with a new person, learn about their style of play and hear their experiences.
Over the next few years, I look forward to spending my time in the gyms and on the courts at NU, gaining invaluable relief from life’s stressors by appreciating my sport and the connections it offers.
While I may change my sneakers, I take comfort in the security of the enjoyable interactions that I have in playing pickup.
Catharsis in recreational sport lies beyond the box score.
Alisande Jaiserrisingh is a Weinberg first-year and author of “Beyond the Box Score.” She can be contacted at [email protected]. If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Letter to the Editor to [email protected]. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.
