PHOTOS BY BILL GEMMELL

Hoop Dreams

Twenty-four teams are playing each Sunday morning in the
B'nai B'rith Basketball League.

STEVE STEIN STAFF WRITER

I

hey come to the South-
field-Lathrup High
School gym every Sun-
day morning from
Farmington Hills, Oak
Park, Southfield and
West Bloomfield.
Some make the journey from Ann
Arbor and East Lansing.
They are doctors, lawyers, ac-
countants and students. Some are
in the prime of their athletic life.
Others are trying to stay in shape
or playing for the love of the game.
They range in age from 18 to 60.
There is one common denomi-
nator: They are all competitive.
They want to play well and they
want to win.
If there are a million stories in
the Naked City, there are more
than 150 in the weekly B'nai

B'rith Basketball League.
This weekend will mark the
halfway point of a 10-game, reg-
ular-season schedule.
Twenty-four teams play in the
most popular of the three B'nai
B'rith Sunday morning sports
leagues, all of which were found-
ed and are run by Marty Melton,
the athletic chairman for the
B'nai B'rith Detroit Council.
This is the 20th year for bas-
ketball, which will continue
through April. The 24th season
for softball will be held from May
through August and volleyball
will have its 23rd season from Oc-
tober through December. There
were 14 softball and 10 volleyball
teams in 1994.
"About four or five years ago,
basketball passed softball as our

biggest league," Mr. Melton said.
"I'm not quite sure why basket-
ball became so popular, but I
know the trend began when
everyone was excited about the
Detroit Pistons during their glo-
ry days.
"We had to turn teams away
again this year because we were
at capacity. I'm certain we have
one of the largest independent
basketball leagues in the area."

"We had to turn
teams away this
year because we
were at capacity."

— Marty Melton

B'nai B'rith Men's
Basketball

FEBRUARY

All in all, about 700 B'nai
B'rith members play in the three
leagues each year. About 25 per-
cent of that total take part in
more than one sport and there
are a few women in each league,
the most in softball.
There have been discussions
about the possibility of forming
flag football and golf leagues, so
the B'nai B'rith athletic program
could grow bigger.
Southfield-Lathrup is the
fourth site for the basketball

league. It began at
the YMCA on Seven
Mile and Lahser in
Detroit and moved
to Berkley High
School and Oakland
Community College
(OCC) in Farming-
ton Hills before go-
ing to S-L in 1994.
When the games
were held at OCC,
the B'nai B'rith
Youth Organization Daniel Yaker takes aim.
(BBYO) also played
its basketball league games there. teams will be selected. In the "B"
Many BBYO players have moved and "C" leagues, the top squad
on to the B'nai B'rith league once in each of two divisions plus the
they turned 18.
two teams with the next best
B'nai B'rith vs. BBYO all-star records will participate in the
softball games were held in past playoffs. El
years.
In all the leagues, teams are
placed in divisions according to
their skill level.
"The idea of the leagues is to
sweat a little bit and have some
Standings and results for Week
fun on a Sunday morning," Mr.
Melton said. "A lot of times, the 3 in the B'nai B'rith men's bas-
guys go out for breakfast after ketball league:
their games.
STANDINGS
"A"LEAGUE
"The most difficult part about
running the leagues is trying to Centennial 3-0; Michigan Regional 2-1;
Detroit 11 2-1; Detroit I 1-2; Pisgah 1-2;
make sure the divisions are com-
Brotherhood V 0-3.
petitive.
"B"LEAGUE
"Some moves to tougher or eas-
East Division
ier divisions are automatic based Morgenthau12-1;
Brotherhood112-1; De-
on a team's performance the pre- troit III 2-1; Keidan 2-1; Zager Stone 0-3.
vious season, and some are
Division
determined by the respec- Barristers 3-0; West
Brotherhood 12-1 Lead-
tive sport's board of ership I 1-2; Downtown Fox 1-2; Brother-
directors.
hood VII 0-3.
"Once the season begins,
"C"LEAGUE
the leagues pretty much
East Division
run themselves. Because
Pisgah II 3-0; Bloch 2-1; Leadership II 1-
we've encountered just 2; Brotherhood IV 1-2.
about every situation
West Division
through the years, we have Leadership III 2-1; Brotherhood IV 2-1;
rules in place to handle Morgenthau II 1-2; Centennial I 0-3.
them."
RESULTS
"A"LEAGUE
Teams must be invited
to participate in the play- Centennial 60, Pisgah 157; Michigan Re-
64, Detroit145; Detroit II 56, Broth- C)
offs in all three leagues. If gional
erhood V 46.
Cr)
a team has been causing
"B"LEAGUE
problems either through
Downtown Fox 40, Brotherhood VII 37; ti
poor conduct, improper Banisters
65, Brotherhood143; Morgen-
uniforms or not paying its thau150, Brotherhood 1146; Detroit III de-
fees, it may not receive an feated Leadership I; Keidan 49, Zager
invitation.
Stone 25.
In basketball this win-
"C"LEAGUE
ter, four teams will make Brotherhood IV defeated Morgenthau
the playoffs in the "A", "B" Brotherhood VI 59, Leadership II 49; Rs-
gah II 37, Leadership I 35; Bloch defeat- ,
and "C" leagues.
In the "A" league, the ed Centennial I.

The action was fast and furious on a recent Sunday.

Double team stops Daniel Yaker.

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