2 points & a future
By Ethan Smith
Published in News on April 28, 2015 1:46 PM
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News-Argus/MELISSA KEY
W.A. Foster Center leader Gladys McClary makes Ania Sands, 12, a team captain and gives her jerseys to choose her teammates for the girls only basketball games held at the center on Monday night.
Just before the last game of the night, W.A. Foster Center leader Gladys McClary stands at center court.
She is giving the basketball players pointers -- advice on when and where to move, on when to shoot, on how to shake defenders.
"You always want to be cutting toward the center of the court, because once you get to the center, you have many different directions you can go," she says.
But she is not their coach, and this is not an organized league.
There are no referees, no trophies -- no sign of designated uniforms.
And there are no men -- only women are allowed.
But this program is not only about basketball.
It is a chance for those in attendance to refine their skills on the court, sure.
They can attempt jukes and shots they wouldn't be able to try in a formal game.
But there are higher stakes at play here -- a fight to keep young girls off the streets and out of trouble.
"There's been a couple of them that I'm worried about the streets getting them," Mrs. McClary said. "But as long as they're here, I know they're safe."
So, every Monday night at 6:15 p.m., girls and women of all ages gather at the W.A. Foster Center to play in a league all their own.
The league started organically -- several women, including Mrs. McClary, who played in high school and college who wanted to lace up their shoes again and drain a few more three-pointers.
"It started out as a ladies night," Mrs. McClary said. "We'd get together and we would play basketball. I played in high school and college, you know, and I wanted to ensure women had a place to play away from men because I wanted the girls to be successful. Girls -- and only girls would understand this -- girls need so much more than just coaching."
As far as Mrs. McClary knows, there is nothing else like the W.A. Foster Center's ladies night in Wayne County.
Girls as young as sixth grade -- all the way up to 40-something-year-olds -- flock to the court to dip and to weave between players and to drain buckets.
And the players do not take it easy on each other.
Several times during the course of the night, the players would clash, wrestle over the ball, clatter to the ground and scream under the strain of effort when running down the lane toward the basket through players' elbows.
"What is happening here is not happening anywhere else in Wayne County," Mrs. McClary said. "They'd always say they didn't have anywhere to play where it was just girls. Now, if young women want somewhere to play, they have it."
Women, young and old, flock from all over the county to come play. Players from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, Southern Wayne High School, Eastern Wayne Middle School and more hit the court for a chance to receive mentoring from the older women.
Some players on the court are even mother and daughter.
"This belongs specifically to the women," Mrs. McClary said. "Kids will come with their moms and get in the games."
Mrs. McClary said the older women who participate view it as a chance to give younger girls what was instilled in their generation -- a healthy sense of competition and respect.
"We're doing it for fun, too -- we all have something to offer, so why not share it?" Mrs. McClary said. "We're giving to them what was given to us. We were so competitive, and we're teaching them to work for it like we did."
Instilling the sense of competition and work ethic in younger girls is paramount, she said.
"I tell a lot of them that this can literally be their way out, their way off the streets," Mrs. McClary said. "I tell them that if they work hard enough at this they can do what we did and play for a college somewhere."
She said there are no plans of stopping the program anytime soon, and that any girl is allowed to walk into the W.A. Foster Center on Monday nights.
"Outside of this, there is no safe place for them to play or a place where they receive constant encouragement," Mrs. McClary said. "This keeps them out of trouble and it gives them mentors and teaches them to focus on their goals. It provides a safe haven with support, encouragement, guidance and no interference with the game. We've been where they want to go, and there's so much out there that already takes them away from what they want to achieve that we want to provide them with a place to really go after what they want."