YMCA of the Prairie branches in Holdrege, Lexington and Gothenburg are giving adults a new opportunity to stay active this summer with the adult Town Team Basketball League.
Teams will play for six weeks (June 22-July 27) with game locations rotating between Holdrege, Gothenburg and Lexington followed by two nights of tournament play in Lexington on Aug. 3 and Aug. 10.
“The goal of our adult leagues is always to combine physical health and wellness with a social aspect,” said Daniel Holbrook, Sports Director at the Orthman Community YMCA. “This league is no different. A new goal for this league is to reach into other communities and bring everyone together under a common love for the game of basketball.”
Don Sjogren Community YMCA Sports Director Joel Pelster said in addition to giving participants a chance to meet new people or catch up with those they already know, the program offers a fun way to stay active.
“If they are anything like me, they prefer playing a sport to get their exercise rather than going out for a run,” Pelster said.
Holbrook said the idea for the league came from YMCA CEO Riley Gruntorad, who plays in the YMCA winter basketball league in Lexington.
The league may also give the communities an economic development boost.
“Perhaps a team carpools to Holdrege and fills up with gas at a local gas station, or goes to a local restaurant in Gothenburg after their game,” Holbrook said. “Players and teams will undoubtedly be playing with town pride, but we also hope for camaraderie as these ‘town teams’ come together to play some basketball.”
Pelster said staff at the YMCA in Lexington, Gothenburg and Holdrege have been discussing collaborating on programs for years.
“If everything goes smoothly with this league, we can start exploring other programs to collaborate on starting with other adult programs like women’s and coed volleyball and pickleball and working into youth programs,” Pelster said.
Teams for the new Town Team Basketball League can be co-ed, and players must be at least 18 years old. Games will be played on Wednesdays between 6-10 p.m. and are self-officiated. Besides teams from Lexington, Holdrege and Gothenburg, league planners are hoping to attract teams from towns in between, such as Loomis, Bertrand, Overton, Elm Creek, Cozad, etc.
Team registrations are due June 10 by contacting any of the three YMCAs or by registering online at www.ymcaoftheprairie.org/register. The fee is $150 per team, and the winning team will receive 40 steaks to split among its players.
For more information, contact Joel Pelster in Holdrege at jpelster@ymcaoftheprairie.org, Daniel Holbrook in Lexington at dholbrook@orthmanymca.org or Hunter Kiburz in Gothenburg at hkiburz@ymcaoftheprairie.org.
The YMCA is dedicated to strengthening the community through programs focused on youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. For more information about the Y, visit www.ymcaoftheprairie.org.
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