Of the 64 teams invited to the Big Dance, only two were on the floor to compete for the NCAA college basketball championship. The trophy goes to the victor! March Madness has transferred into April serenity. Opening Day for major league games has created hysteria in certain cities, and baseball team rivalries (i.e., Red Sox vs. Yankees) are heating up even before the initial pitch. This is a good time of year for competitive sports, the end of one season and the beginning of the next. Now everyone is thinking about the next World Series ring.
Everybody loves a winner. No matter the degree of intensity or if the jump shot falls short of the basket. People who say "it doesn't matter if you win or lose; it's how you play the game" probably were never present in the final seconds of the big contest. From T-ball to the World Series, the main objective is to be successful by scoring the most points. There is absolutely no reason to grin if you can't grin.
In Massachusetts prisons, the game is handball. Its popularity in the penal system grew over time as the wooden paddles and racquets required for other sports were gradually eliminated for security reasons. But the need to compete cannot be eliminated. Now, players use their hands and must utilize both well to be winners and dominate the court. Whether the game is singles or doubles depends on the time and the specific location of the action. Players come together in the gym, the yard, or even the cellblock. A wall, a ball, and the call to compete are the only requirements.
Even in prison, a winner receives much love from the populace. The ability to perform matters as much or maybe even more than race, age, or hometown. If you can ace the opponent off the serve, lob the ball past an outstretched limb, or drop a kill shot in the opposite corner, then let the games begin. The circumstances of the ball player's criminal case are unimportant, unless, of course, there was a major violation to the convict code, for example, if the victim is a young child or if the prisoner snitched to law enforcement agencies. Then it may be in the best interest to simply speculate among the crowd.
Prison sports are major action. The gym is used almost as often as the chow hall. Open basketball leagues allow men- those who aren't under limits or restrictions- to participate in regular competition. But it's the over-40 basketball games that are usually lots of fun for both players and spectators. These moments are valuable, even as the final time of lacing up the sneakers looms near. Men in prison utilize these activities, along with more solitary pursuits such as lifting weights or riding a stationary bike, for maintaining positive mental and physical health.
Even non-athletes devote much energy studying data information of the professional leagues during each season. As the world turns, so do the jock scholars. They may have favorite teams and though sports attire is prohibited on the inside, access to the playing site is provided through television, radio, and daily publications.
Sports enable people in chains to connect to the world in a significant way. Either learning to play on a team or simply touting the once-local home team, may provide the only route of return to a community.
Published on www.edgeboston.com on 04-12-05
Arnie King writes from a Massachusetts prison cell, which he has occupied for 33 years. A petition for commutation of his sentence, with favorable recommendations, awaits Governor Romney's approval. Arnie can be reached at: throughbarbedwire@yahoo.comor by mail c/o Bay State Center, Box 73, Norfolk, MA 02056.
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