we got downs...

Whatever happened to pick up basketball games? The kind that would happen at the local park or local playground. When I was a kid, I would spend hours at the court honing my skills. Guys would drive for miles to find a good game of hoops.

It was not uncommon to spend 3-4 hours a night at the inner city courts, hooping it up. Some of the best competition could be found on hot summer nights on these courts. I personally loved it and could hardly wait to get there.

Teams would be lined up ready to play the winners. Sometimes 5 to 6 teams deep. You would be the next team to play if you had DOWNS. I couldn't wait to get a chance to run. When we announced we got downs your heart started pumping profusely.

Yesterday, I took my kids to my former stomping grounds, in Hagerstown, a place we called The Dump. I spent thousands of hours shooting hoops here. Some of the best basketball players in the area dropped 3's on these courts.

We spent time retelling the stories of my former days, and my kids wished they had these kind of places, remiss of leagues, practices, where you just played for the love of the game and life slowed down.

As I told them, this was way before internet, cell phones, PSP's, and other forms of technology. When pick up games could be found, and hoops were the highlight of your summer night. It sure was good to drop some shots at THE DUMP last night, and dream about times when we stayed on the court as winners all night.