The summer basketball program, called a Child’s Place League, will be coming to an end on championship Saturday when playoffs determine a championship in all age brackets and at the same time awards will be presented. All the action will be outdoors at the P.S. 127 Playground with all day action in East Elmhurst.
In the event of inclement weather competition will be staged indoors at the ElmCor Youth and Adult building. There are mostly teams from the metropolitan New York City and Long Island areas in this age group circuit. However, a majority of the players reside in the Brooklyn-Queens area. The kids go where the action takes them.
The kids want to go out on the court whether it be indoors or outdoors and try to reach the next level.
Some teams or organizations are in the circuit for their first or second times while other teams are in the league for many years and are real veterans in it. They really love to play in East Elmhurst.
Last year the league was called the ElmCor circuit and because some personnel changes took place during the off season the name was changed to Child’s Place. The organizers decided to compete all the games outdoors.
Everybody loves this summer program regardless of its name and site. Remember, this PS 127 playground produced players who are competing and competed in the National Basketball Association.
“I like to play here and there is a lot of talent here, and we like to play against good talent,” said Coach Mike (this is the name the players gave coach).
Coach Mike, a former player, himself here in Queens, coached AAU ball. He also coached a team called B-Q Warriors. And then he branched out and had his own team.
“My wife and my head coach talked about me coaching my own team,” he added. “So one day I woke up and started my own team, It’s called Cobberts. We wanted to get a team.”
So far, the boys have been very successful on the court and they will continue to do so in school come this fall.
The key to this year’s team was being consistent. In addition, the defense came through when needed. He felt that he put together a great team but the boys had a lot of their own egos. He said that there isn’t too much talent in this area of Springfield Gardens where he and wife reside.
“We want to have more talent here,” he added.
Every year in August, they try to stage a tournament in the area where they reside. It is set for Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 22 and 23, during the same time that the finals of the tournament in East Elmhurst will be contested. They try not to compete with other tournaments at the same time, but this year it might have to be.
Basketball is not only his occupation, for being a doorman in Forest Hills is where his lively hood falls in place.
“My goal is may be to have a camp,” he went on. “My wife wants a rec (recreation center) somewhere in south Jamaica, maybe in the Baisley Park area. She wants everything (sports and more), like what ElmCor has.”