|
He can dribble, he can shoot. But until recently, William Rosales, 10, thought that the Dyckman Basketball tournament wasn’t meant for him.
“I thought that it was only for big people,” Rosales said.
Rosales, who lives across the street from Monsignor Kett Playground where the games are played, thought the annual street-ball tournament was only for the big-name college and professional basketball players it’s known for.
But the tournament, now in its 20th year, was always meant for kids like Rosales. Designed by founder Ken Stevens, the tournament and its off-season events are meant to create a positive outlet for Inwood boys.
It’s not easy, though, and for many in East Inwood, the Dyckman program is considered a rite of passage.
Its competitive games, which dominate summer nights in East Inwood, showcase some of the city’s rawest basketball talent. Spectators watch from rooftops and nearby fire escapes, and play can be just as fierce in its youth divisions. Indeed, teams from all over the tri-state area drive to Nagle Avenue and W. 204th Street to compete with local Dyckman youth in three age groups.
After checking it out with his mom and filling out a short form Rosales quickly found himself on the line running sprints and working on his basketball fundamentals like the rest of the players.
The skinny 10-year-old, with a full head of curls, was assigned to point guard. But with the tournament only a few weeks in – it began on June 14 – he’s still trying to distinguish himself from the other boys.
He points to a kid sitting at the top of the bleachers devouring a bag of Cheetos during a recent practice.
“See that kid?” Rosales says, “he’s nice,” explaining that the other day he made a basket from half court while shooting backwards.
Players from the tournament have made a name for themselves in high school and college.
One of the more exciting players to watch in recent years is Adris “2 Hard 2 Guard” Deleon. The zippy point guard, who started in the league at age 15, was voted “Nike 2009 baller of the summer,” last year. Deleon, a college athlete, may have already secured himself in the annals of tournament lore when he slipped by Los Angeles Laker Ron Artest, one of the NBA’s premier defenders, in 2007.
Rosales and his friends spend nearly every day on the courts. With practices and games there is a coach or trainer on the playground nearly seven days a week.
“I spend every day here,” Rosales says. And it’s not all fun, he’s quick to point out. He gestures towards Coach Evander Ford, who is barking at a line of kids doing lay-up drills and handing out push-up assignments and comments like “you shoot like a bird,” to the players.
“He’ll kill you,” Rosales says, describing the training regiment that includes running around the Dyckman Houses and up steep Fort George Hill.
In the afternoons, Rosales and his friends in the youth divisions will be wowing the audience, and Rosales has some big ambitions.
“I’m ‘a be better than Dr. J,” he says. “I’m ‘a be better than Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Jerry West, Scotty Pippin, Kobe [Bryant], Lebron [James] and Shaq.”
|
