If you enter the Athletic Center and walk up the stairs to the gym on a Sunday or before week day basketball practices have commenced, you will often see balls flying around the court. Pick-up games of one on one, three vs. three, and even full court five on five are common in the winter. Without lawn games or softball, many find themselves bored and looking for friendly competition with their friends. It seemed likely that some type of recreational basketball league would be formed to fill this void and the GIBL (Groton Intramural Basketball League) has done just that. This new league, thought up during a check-in conversation between Commissioner Rashawn Grant and Director of Student Activities Tim Leroy aims to provide a more organized and competitive form of pickup basketball on campus.

The first round of GIBL games is set between January 16th and January 23rd, and the hype is steadily building. The basic rules are as follows: the games will be five on five, full court; there must be at least two boys and two girls from each team playing at any instant; the games will be played to 21 with a two-point shot scoring as one and a three counting as two; and finally games will be self-refereed with three fouls resulting in disqualification. The fouling out rule displays the league’s emphasis on sportsmanship. This is furthered by Mr. Leroy’s statement in the email for students to “Respect your fellow classmates. It’s intramural.” If disputes do occur, they “must be brought to the league’s Commissioner, Rashawn Grant, Co-Commissioner, Tyler Brooks, and President, Mr. LeRoy.”

In its inaugural season, the league has eight teams that are all excited to play. Six of the teams are comprised of predominantly upper-schoolers. There is also a team of only third-formers and one of only second-formers. “I like the wide range of people,” said Commissioner Rashawn Grant, “It should make for fun and interesting competition.” Interestingly, most of the league’s 75+ participants do not play basketball for Groton but do other afternoon activities such as squash, conditioning, and winter running and are simply looking for a chance to compete in a sport they don’t regularly play.

By providing fun competition for this wide range of students, the league hopes to boost morale through the dreariness of the winter. When asked about why he decided to create the league, Co-Commissioner Tyler Brooks states, “The idea was actually Rashawn’s. He felt that the winters were too dull and depressing so an intramural league would help boost the school moral and I agreed 100%.” Judging from the student body’s immediate enthusiasm, most appear to agree.  Now, instead of Sunday shootarounds simply evolving into fun games of pick-up, there will be extra competitive motivation as teams vie to be the first GIBL Champions.