Basketball season officially ended this past weekend for Connecticut high schools, but perhaps nowhere in the state was the sport on display as prominently as it was at New Canaan High School Tuesday night, as the Harlem Rockets took on the New Canaan Public School faculty in the 16th Annual Outback Hoops March Madness.
High-flying dunks, half court shots and tricky ball handling coupled with hijinks and pranks have made this game one of the most popular events in town for the community, with the majority of the interest coming from students. That said, according to Sangeeta Appel, president of the Board of Directors for the Outback Teen Center, part of the overarching appeal of the event stems from the unique bonding opportunity between NCPS students and their teachers.
“It’s a way that the kids can connect and realize that teachers are human, that they have things that they like to do and that there’s something to them outside of what they see in the academic environment,” Appel told NewCanaanite.com. “I think it helps their relationship, and it’s a great way for them to support their teachers, because the teachers are always supporting them.”
Saxe Middle School math teacher Shannon Brown feels the event can serve as an example of perseverance and overcoming obstacles–lessons that can’t always be taught in a classroom.
Saxe Middle School's Shannon Brown receives a pass.
“I think it’s great for the kids to see us not succeed at something so they know that it’s OK, that you can have fun even though you’re not succeeding,” Brown said. “You can risk it, you can fail and get back up and do it again, and I think that’s a great lesson.”
“I think sometimes they think we live at the school, it’s great for the kids to see us out here,” said West School teacher Darren Bruce, a 1991 graduate of NCHS and former varsity basketball player for the Rams. “Having played basketball here, and then playing against these guys you realize the gap between a really good player and me.”
Despite the disparity in talent on the hardwood, the Rockets were not the only players besieged by autograph seekers. Many students had balls, shirts and programs signed by teachers–something Saxe Middle School’s Language Arts teacher Ben Young found both surprising and flattering.
“It definitely doesn’t happen very often,” Young said. “It’s a very nice thing. It makes you feel very special.”
South School 3rd graders Katherine O'Connor, Stella Nolan and Reagan Bailey taking in the action.
For Jay Bryant, VP of Basketball Operations for the Rockets, New Canaan’s event is a circled date on Harlem’s calendar. The buildup of the event was buoyed by special trips to the elementary schools from the players themselves. All told, more than 1,000 fans eventually packed the NCHS gym.
“It’s tremendous…we look forward to it every year,” Bryant said. “Putting a smile on the kids faces and entertaining the community is what we do, so we enjoy it tremendously. For the kids to see their teachers putting up their best shot against our team; it’s truly something special.”
NCPS faculty looking on as the Harlem Rockets begin their warmups.
With such entertainers such as James “Speedy” Williams, Shagari “Skyscraper” Alleyne and newcomer, 4-foot-6 Tafara “Big Shot” Stewart–a former star for Farmingdale State’s women’s basketball team–the smiles were wide and abundant Tuesday night, especially from the NCPS faculty, whose 53-41 loss was merely an afterthought.
“My probability of making a basket is almost zero,” Brown said, despite eventually scoring 4 points on the night. “I could make the equation and solve it…but it’s the actual physical part that’s just not going to happen.”