A Memory of the Civic Center
I don't know if I have properly explained that the Wizard (my father) was a tremendously talented basketball player in his day. He was the two time All-Church Tournament MVP (for those not familiar with the tournament, it featured teams from every Mormon denomination in the country back in the sixties) When I was three months old, I was featured on the front page of the Deseret News in my father's arms as he accepted the MVP trophy.
Well, to say the least, the Wizard was a basketball playing phenom (he even tried out for an ABA team). So for the better part of my childhood, I was dragged to basketball games all over the mountainous West, but I was dragged most often to the Rupert Civic Center.
The Civic Center was little but a basketball court and a dusty unused stage with a couple of volleyball standards and a podium. I remember this because my brother and I would consistently play behind the stage curtains inventing games and playing hide and seek during the games. We were there for hours at a time so we had to be inventive. We especially enjoyed trekking underneath the rickety wooden bleachers that they would pull out from the wall.
We always had a basketball ready in case a team called timeout or the quarter ended so we could sprint onto the court and hoist up our own jumpers. As I approached the age of 9 or 10, the city started a youth league at this very same Civic Center. I was ecstatic to be playing in the same place as my father. He and my mother were faithful supporters (I never saw them trekking underneath the bleachers) and every once in a while my Grandpa Kay would even show up to cheer me on.
In the middle of the winter like it is now, I often remember driving 15 miles on Camp Road in our wood-paneled station wagon as snow drifted and blew all over the roads just to get to the Civic Center for a game. Good times....
Well, to say the least, the Wizard was a basketball playing phenom (he even tried out for an ABA team). So for the better part of my childhood, I was dragged to basketball games all over the mountainous West, but I was dragged most often to the Rupert Civic Center.
The Civic Center was little but a basketball court and a dusty unused stage with a couple of volleyball standards and a podium. I remember this because my brother and I would consistently play behind the stage curtains inventing games and playing hide and seek during the games. We were there for hours at a time so we had to be inventive. We especially enjoyed trekking underneath the rickety wooden bleachers that they would pull out from the wall.
We always had a basketball ready in case a team called timeout or the quarter ended so we could sprint onto the court and hoist up our own jumpers. As I approached the age of 9 or 10, the city started a youth league at this very same Civic Center. I was ecstatic to be playing in the same place as my father. He and my mother were faithful supporters (I never saw them trekking underneath the bleachers) and every once in a while my Grandpa Kay would even show up to cheer me on.
In the middle of the winter like it is now, I often remember driving 15 miles on Camp Road in our wood-paneled station wagon as snow drifted and blew all over the roads just to get to the Civic Center for a game. Good times....
posted by Cool Dad at Friday, February 10, 2006
7 Comments:
Keep a hold of wonderful memories like that, K :-)
Michele sent me
cq
i LOVE basketball. my oldest son has been playing organized basketball with the local boys and girls club since kindergarten. he is in seventh grade now, and firmly entrenched in the middle of his 8th season. he wont ever be larry bird, but he IS looking at GonZaga because he might be the next John Stockton. he loves the sport.
what wonderful memories for you to have of it, and the stadium you grew up with!
What wonderful memories--both the hide and seek and playing with your family in the stands!
here from Michele's.
What great memlories you are sharing here...I am not a big any kind of sports fan, but I love reading about other peoples experiences and memories of times gone by that were deeply meaningful to them...Thanks for that!
I'm here from Michele today!
Cool story. Here's to Dad!
Michele sent me
I bet you spent many a "mutual" night on the basketball courts in the cutural hall...Ha Ha. Why do they do that?
Does the Wizard still play?
Wow, more trips down memory lane thanks to you. I spent more time under a bleacher at my brother's game than I care to remember. I never came out to shoot hoops though. Could care less for the sport.
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