"The Court" in small-town America

… a rite of passage for athletic guys 

On a Sunday night in beautiful downtown Lilly, Pa. in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, a huge night of hoops was taking place. For those guys who were perhaps just freshmen in high school, it was a chance to be picked for one of those teams that would show that you were truly one of the major players in the local basketball world.

"The Court" was located on Washington Street across from the old Lilly High School, near Albarano's store. There were swings and merry-go-rounds there, too, on the playground, along with a sliding board and a see-saw and a sandbox.

None of that remains in the 21st Century, which is somewhat sad.

Sunday night 

Those elements of the playground, however, were for little kids. The big game was the one played on "The Court," not just on Sunday, but almost any other night of the week.

Sunday night was king, the time when everyone would gravitate to the court for a special spectacle. The quality of competition was a little better on Sundays than during the rest of the week.

Competition was intense, and this was a way to prepare for the high school competition the next winter, or to just have a good time.

U-G-L-Y 

As far as aesthetics went, the court left something to be desired. The blacktopping was not the best, creating pools of water on parts of it that showed after the rain. That macadam madness made things challenging. Dribbling on the court was tough for the guards with all of the hills and valleys that a player must navigate.

It was a macho task since this was prior to the women's sports coming along in the late 70s and 80s. No girls that I can remember ever played with the guys. Shooting around, perhaps, but not a member of the guys' teams.

It was a sexist time.

In addition, the iron poles supporting the basket required large pipes that basically took away the baseline drive for those quick, athletic forwards and guards.

The backboards and rims were often well beyond their prime. Again, the quality of competition was paramount; it was the effort that mattered, not the beauty of the facility.

Fans

People driving past would pull over and watch the competition, and girls would come down Stiney's Lane and pretend that they just happened to find the guys as they walked past.

What was attractive about guys playing without shirts and wearing shorts and being smelly and sweaty? Complicated answer.

Death of "The Court"

When the Penn Cambria School Board decided to raze the old Lilly High School building to build a new, ugly elementary school, those days ended. The school built a new court that was much nicer aesthetically but lacked the ambiance of "The Court."

Sunday nights were never the same.

Memories

That construction ended those epic battles on "The Court," but it provided a plethora of memories for those who cherish that competition in a little town.

Today, basketball courts are now available at the War Memorial Field on the former tennis courts. They even have lights for night basketball. They look so much better than did "The Court," but I doubt that anything in the 21st Century can ever match those Sunday night battles downtown.

Add your recollection of "The Court."