Ballers Circle Like Hawks
| September 23, 2009
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Check out the tight new hardwood floors at one of LA’s premiere courts.
Only two weeks ago, Rancho Park at Cheviot Hills unveiled a slick new indoor court. Ballers from all over the area circled like hawks. They couldn’t wait to test out the new hardwoods. And just in time for the fall season.
“We have one of the biggest basketball programs in the city,” Cheviot Hills athletic director Marcus Charuvastra boasts. He’s not exaggerating. Their youth basketball program hosts 80 teams that run all day on Saturdays and Sundays. Not to mention the 35 girls’ teams and the kids’ coed league.
It’s no surprise that these Rancho teams have been rackin’ up wins across town. The center offers year-round clinics and tournaments to keep the kids ballin’ tough. Last year, the 9 to 10-year-old girls took the city championship and the 11 to 12 year-olds made it to the finals. The 10-year-old boys team cracked the regional finals for the first time in park history this past season. But that’s just the beginning.
The center is also home to a senior’s run every morning at 9am sharp. An adult league runs on Wednesday evenings. Nightly open runs on the 2 full courts and 2 half courts outside regularly attract ex-pros, college players, and ballers from nearby Fox Studios.
“It gets crazy crowded,” Marcus comments on the scene out on the blacktops. “Outside you can always get a game from 7 to 10 at night. If you’re an older guy, you can usually find a good 3-on-3 game on the outdoor half-courts.”
Marcus warns that these courts aren’t for the meek. The weathered outdoor blacktop can be rough on the knees, so make sure you’ve strapped on a pair of Zoom Kobe’s or Air Force 1’s to protect your joints and keep you coming back to the courts at Cheviot Hills.
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