40 | JANUARY 16 • 2020 

BY STEVE STEIN 

sports HIGHlights

brought to you in partnership with 

F

rom tragedy to tradition.
That’
s the story of the Kenny 
Goldman Basketball League, which 
has been a year-round staple at the Jewish 
Community Center in West Bloomfield since 
1984.
Hundreds of basketball players ages 4-25 
play in the league during its fall, winter, 
spring and summer seasons, filling the JCC 
on Sundays.
Players in house and open divisions learn 
basketball fundamentals, play games, receive 
trophies and medals, and win champion-
ships.
Just as importantly, players, coaches and 
parents must abide by a code of ethics to 
keep the games fun and in a spirit of friendly 
competition and camaraderie.
Here’
s one code requirement for players: 
“I will never yell at my teammates or blame 
them for mistakes or missed plays. I will 
refrain from boasting and trash talking to 
members of other teams. I will graciously 
accept defeat, and I will refrain from brag-
ging when my team wins.
”
Here’
s one code requirement for coaches: 

“I will never argue with or complain about a 
referee’
s calls or decision.
”
Here’
s one code requirement for parents: 
“I will not place a burden on my child to 
win games. I understand that the purpose of 
youth sports is to develop physical, mental 
and social skills.
”
So, who was Kenny Goldman?

A young man who loved basketball, who 
played for hours with friends on his family’
s 
driveway in Farmington Hills.
“Kenny was short and skinny, but at 10 
years old he could shoot better than me 
from any distance,
” said his brother, Arnie 
Goldman.
Kenny Goldman died July 21, 1982, at age 
13, one day after he was injured in a car acci-
dent at 11 Mile and Inkster roads. He and his 
father were on their way home from attend-
ing a Detroit Tigers game at Tiger Stadium at 
the time of the accident.
Milt and Rochelle Goldman, Kenny’
s par-
ents, wanted to preserve their son’
s memory.
Mort Plotnick, then the JCC director, sug-
gested forming a basketball league in Kenny’
s 
name. They liked Plotnick’
s idea, founded 
the league and endowed it through the JCC’
s 
Kenny Goldman Athletic Fund.
“Kenny died a few months after his bar 
mitzvah, and the emptiness was unbearable,
” 
said Arnie Goldman. “But my parents perse-
vered and started something that preserves 
Kenny’
s memory and gives kids a chance to 
learn about and play something they love.
”

quick hits

NMLS#2289

Bouncing Back from Tragedy

Kenny Goldman Basketball League still going strong at the JCC.

STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

PAUL KATZ

It will be a learning experience 
this season for the Frankel 
Jewish Academy boys 
basketball team.
 With many of the key 
players from last year’
s 
Catholic League playoffs-
qualifying team gone because 
of graduation and new coach 
Nehemiah Crowder at the 
helm, the Jaguars are getting large doses 
of on-the-job training.
They were 2-2 before the winter break.
“Our players are getting used to their 
roles, getting to know each other on and 
off the court, and learning my coaching 
style,” Crowder said.
And what is that coaching style?
“Having freedom within our system,” 
Crowder said. “The guys need to run my 
plays, but they’
re basketball players and 
the game can change at the drop of a 

dime, so they must be able to 
adjust.”
Crowder said his players are 
getting better at making those 
adjustments.
FJA’
s roster includes Caleb 
Kleinfeldt, Jeremy Jenkins, 
Merrick Michaelson, A.J. 
Goodman, Mitch Blackman, 
Adam Levitt, Ethan Mostyn, Aidin 
Kleinfeldt, Will Bloomberg, Morgan Reifler, 
Daniel Klausner, Raphy Ifraimov, Brandon 
Gladstone and Charlie Tobias.
Crowder was a member of the 2009 
state champion Melvindale Academy for 
Business and Technology basketball team 
in high school and he played college and 
semi-pro basketball before getting into 
coaching.
He was an assistant coach for the 
Amherst (Pa.) College women’
s basketball 
team last year.

Nehemiah Crowder

Teams are needed for the 44th season 
of the B’
nai B’
rith basketball league.
Only four teams had signed up as of 
last week.
“It would be great if we could have 
seven teams in the league like we did 
last year, but six is actually the perfect 
number because we have a three-hour 
block of time for games Sunday morn-
ings,” said league organizer Gary Klinger.
League games are played at the 
Jewish Community Center in West 
Bloomfield.
Regular-season league games will 
begin Jan. 19 and continue for 10 
weeks. Playoffs will be held March 29.
 
Interested in joining the league? 
Contact Klinger at gkslurpee@aol.com 
or (248) 229-1816.

 League organizer Gary Klinger 
(center) is among those trying 
to rebound a shot by Scott 
Kapeller (not pictured).

ARI KLINGER

Ami Katz shows off the Kenny Goldman 
Basketball League shirt his father Paul Katz 
wore when he played in the league in the 1980s.

