Our adult league has seven teams; fire fighters, a high school team, three Marshallese teams and two teams of middle aged guys who think they’re still in their 20’s. With no other high school teams to play, the upperclassmen get the opportunity to play against their teachers, coach’s and other members of the community in a truly unique experience.
Basketball is the island of Ebeye’s favorite sport but doesn’t look much like American basketball with highly aggressive and out of control play. The Marshallese teams play a style of basketball that many people refer to as ‘rat ball’. Players regularly chuck the ball up and down the court with little regard for turnovers or fouls. The pace of play does help give them an advantage against some teams though. Generally speaking, Marshallese men are much shorter than Americans, which leads to funny looking games with new challenges to our officials.
For many, recreational sports are one of the primary ways to stay active. With the small town feel, rivalries are quick to form and bragging rights mean a lot. Teams vie for the coveted painted coconut trophy each season complements of our local art club. With the playoffs just around the corner, Jason’s team (hOOPS!) is number two in the standings eyeing an opportunity to play the undefeated Marshallese team (Icy Hot) for the championship.