March 2, 2009
March Madness, No ... 80-Year-Olds Playing Basketball? Yes!
By Rene A. Henry
Seattle, WA (HNN) -- At an age when many octogenarians are using canes, walkers or even motorized scooters to get around, can you imagine six men in their 80s playing 3-on-3 half court basketball? Or even remembering their positions on the court or who is on their team! This could truly be madness, but not this month.
This August several teams of 80-year-olds will compete at Stanford University in the National Senior Games. One team will be led by Sherman “Nemo” Nearman of Charleston, WV, who has been playing basketball for most of his 83 years. Nearman has already won championships in these senior Olympics in four age categories – over 60, 65, 70 and 75 – and will be going for his fifth and unprecedented gold medal.
When many men in the over-80 age group will be taking their medication or naps, Nearman and his teammates will give-and-go, set and cut off screens, clear out, block out for rebounds, shoot three point baskets and defend against layups. My first thought was that any basketball league with players over 50 years old would have to be sponsored by orthopaedic surgeons.
Nearman was a four-year starter at the University of North Carolina during an era when the basketball team was called the White Phantoms. He captained the 1949-50 team, which then was nicknamed the Tar Heels. In honor of his Carolina coach, Nearman’s team in the senior games is named the Tom Scott Tar Heels.
He had innovative, relatively non-invasive surgery on both of his knees in late January. With therapy and hard work, the 6’5” Nearman plans to be at full speed by August and ready to assume his role as coach and captain and clear the boards for his teammates. In 2007, his team finished third in a group of eight teams. This year more than 275 teams are expected to compete in all age categories beginning with 50 and over.
Each team is allowed to have as many as 10 players and can substitute after any basket and whenever play is dead. The game consists of two 12-minute halves, each team is allowed two time outs each half, each player is allowed five fouls before disqualification, and a referee keeps the action moving by making sure a team shoots within 20 seconds after getting possession of the ball.
Nearman’s point guard and leading shooter is Bill Bertka who has been an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers for some 40 years. He played and later was head coach at Kent State University. Two years ago Bertka had to leave the competition early in Louisville because of the NBA draft and Nearman says this is one of the reasons his team only won the bronze medal.
Others on Nearman’s team this year include Clyde Heck of Huntington, W.Va.; Bob Johnson of East Liverpool, Ohio; Connie Hammans of Martinsburg, W. Va., who played at Carnegie Tech; Buck Geary of Clendenin, W.Va. who played at Wake Forest; and, Bert Morris of Weaverville, N.C. who played at Morris Harvey, now the University of Charleston. Morris was with Nearman in 1991 when the team won the gold medal in the over 60 age group.
Nearman has a rich basketball history. During his college vacations and the summer months he played regularly at the Charleston YMCA with several other stars. One was George King, who led the nation in scoring during the 1949-50 season. At Morris Harvey, King was the first player to average more than 30 points a game in a single season. He went on to play for the professional Syracuse Nats and helped lead them to the NBA championship in 1955. The tall man in the group was 6’9” Mark Workman, an All-American at West Virginia University who later played two years in the NBA.
Because of his exceptional talent, the older college players allowed a young teenage kid named Hot Rod Hundley to be part of their team. At the time, Hundley was still only in junior high school, but considered equal in talent. He went on to be an All-American at West Virginia University and played six years for the Los Angeles Lakers, twice being named to the NBA All-Star team. For 35 years he has been the Utah Jazz’s broadcaster and has announced more than 3,000 basketball games.
Humana is the major sponsor of the National Senior Games which will be held August 1-15 in the San Francisco Bay Area. Men and women athletes over 50 in age categories to 100+ will compete in 18 sports and seven demonstration sports. Individuals and teams qualify on a state and regional basis in order to compete in the nationals.
* * *
Rene A. Henry is an author and writer who lives in Seattle and decided to stop playing basketball when he was in his 30s. He was born in Charleston, WV, and first played basketball at the old Charleston YMCA. He write on sports, customer service and crisis management and communications and his latest book is “Communicating In A Crisis” Many of his commentaries are posted on his website at www.renehenry.com.
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March Madness, No ... 80-Year-Olds Playing Basketball? Yes!
By Rene A. Henry
Seattle, WA (HNN) -- At an age when many octogenarians are using canes, walkers or even motorized scooters to get around, can you imagine six men in their 80s playing 3-on-3 half court basketball? Or even remembering their positions on the court or who is on their team! This could truly be madness, but not this month.
This August several teams of 80-year-olds will compete at Stanford University in the National Senior Games. One team will be led by Sherman “Nemo” Nearman of Charleston, WV, who has been playing basketball for most of his 83 years. Nearman has already won championships in these senior Olympics in four age categories – over 60, 65, 70 and 75 – and will be going for his fifth and unprecedented gold medal.
When many men in the over-80 age group will be taking their medication or naps, Nearman and his teammates will give-and-go, set and cut off screens, clear out, block out for rebounds, shoot three point baskets and defend against layups. My first thought was that any basketball league with players over 50 years old would have to be sponsored by orthopaedic surgeons.
Nearman was a four-year starter at the University of North Carolina during an era when the basketball team was called the White Phantoms. He captained the 1949-50 team, which then was nicknamed the Tar Heels. In honor of his Carolina coach, Nearman’s team in the senior games is named the Tom Scott Tar Heels.
He had innovative, relatively non-invasive surgery on both of his knees in late January. With therapy and hard work, the 6’5” Nearman plans to be at full speed by August and ready to assume his role as coach and captain and clear the boards for his teammates. In 2007, his team finished third in a group of eight teams. This year more than 275 teams are expected to compete in all age categories beginning with 50 and over.
Each team is allowed to have as many as 10 players and can substitute after any basket and whenever play is dead. The game consists of two 12-minute halves, each team is allowed two time outs each half, each player is allowed five fouls before disqualification, and a referee keeps the action moving by making sure a team shoots within 20 seconds after getting possession of the ball.
Nearman’s point guard and leading shooter is Bill Bertka who has been an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers for some 40 years. He played and later was head coach at Kent State University. Two years ago Bertka had to leave the competition early in Louisville because of the NBA draft and Nearman says this is one of the reasons his team only won the bronze medal.
Others on Nearman’s team this year include Clyde Heck of Huntington, W.Va.; Bob Johnson of East Liverpool, Ohio; Connie Hammans of Martinsburg, W. Va., who played at Carnegie Tech; Buck Geary of Clendenin, W.Va. who played at Wake Forest; and, Bert Morris of Weaverville, N.C. who played at Morris Harvey, now the University of Charleston. Morris was with Nearman in 1991 when the team won the gold medal in the over 60 age group.
Nearman has a rich basketball history. During his college vacations and the summer months he played regularly at the Charleston YMCA with several other stars. One was George King, who led the nation in scoring during the 1949-50 season. At Morris Harvey, King was the first player to average more than 30 points a game in a single season. He went on to play for the professional Syracuse Nats and helped lead them to the NBA championship in 1955. The tall man in the group was 6’9” Mark Workman, an All-American at West Virginia University who later played two years in the NBA.
Because of his exceptional talent, the older college players allowed a young teenage kid named Hot Rod Hundley to be part of their team. At the time, Hundley was still only in junior high school, but considered equal in talent. He went on to be an All-American at West Virginia University and played six years for the Los Angeles Lakers, twice being named to the NBA All-Star team. For 35 years he has been the Utah Jazz’s broadcaster and has announced more than 3,000 basketball games.
Humana is the major sponsor of the National Senior Games which will be held August 1-15 in the San Francisco Bay Area. Men and women athletes over 50 in age categories to 100+ will compete in 18 sports and seven demonstration sports. Individuals and teams qualify on a state and regional basis in order to compete in the nationals.
* * *
Rene A. Henry is an author and writer who lives in Seattle and decided to stop playing basketball when he was in his 30s. He was born in Charleston, WV, and first played basketball at the old Charleston YMCA. He write on sports, customer service and crisis management and communications and his latest book is “Communicating In A Crisis” Many of his commentaries are posted on his website at www.renehenry.com.
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