It seems you can take the boy out of sports but you can't take sports out of the boy. Apart from the obvious health and fitness benefits, active recreational activity through sports can be a great way to spend an evening.
Locally, a number of such opportunities exist for those who would like to become involved. They include senior rec. hockey, senior baseball, golf, volleyball as well as others.
For some time now a group of local men have been playing basketball in local school gyms in the evening.
The group, which has been operating for more some time, meets Mon-day evenings year round. "It's better for guys our age to do it regularly year round than to have a season and off season. It keeps us in shape for the entire year," explains Brad Surjik, one of the current coordinators.
Every Monday the participants set up teams made up of whoever shows up at 9 p.m . at M.C. Knoll School.
Every year Ross Greene, a longtime participant, schedules a series of games against a men's team from Melfort, his former hometown. As well, the guys also play one tournament a year after April, which is technically provincials, Surjik reports. Some years a masters team of players 35 years old and older was established to compete at provincials. Typically a masters team consists of former university players, who are generally skilled and smart players. "When we play a masters team we tend to have a tougher go at it when we play another team," Surjik states.
Recently the men have begun to play two nights a week. Wednesday night has been organized as an 'open night' at the Yorkton Regional High School at 9:30 p.m. "That's an open night for new guys coming in and playing. Monday nights sometimes gets a little crowded with the one court at M. C. Knoll School," Surjik announces. With two courts available at the Yorkton Regional, up to four teams can be accomodated.
Anyone who'd like more information or would like to play some men's basketball should come to the Regional High School Wednesday night at 9:30 p.m.
Surjik thanks John Anaka and Ross Greene for all the years they organized and kept men's basketball going in Yorkton. "Without their work and support it would have been hard to keep things going," Surjik closes.
