He catches the pass just over half-court on the right wing and begins to dribble toward the baseline. The defender overplays him and he effortlessly dribbles to his left, retreating away from his opponent. As he crosses the top of the key to the other side of the court, he propels himself into the air, falling away and to his left. Basketball coaches across America would cringe. You are never supposed to shoot while falling away from the basket. He releases the shot and the ball begins a slow rise before starting its descent halfway to the basket. Your first thought is that the shot will never reach the basket. He was falling away, you think to yourself. He couldn't get enough on the shot. It has no chance. You shake your head as the ball swishes through the net, never coming close to touching the rim.

What do all those coaches know anyway?

You don't have long to admire the play because on the very next possession he intercepts a pass that most people would not have had a chance at getting to. He somehow changes direction while backpedaling at full speed. He deflects the pass with his fingertips and his momentum carries him perilously close to the sideline where he tiptoes while gaining control of the ball and whipping a long, diagonal pass to a teammate cutting at a forty-five degree angle to the basket. A few minutes later there is a loose ball and he recklessly dives to the ground, with no regard for his body. He rolls around the lane, wrestling his opponent long after most in the game recognized it was a jump ball. This is the competitiveness that makes him such a great player. Few have his natural athletic ability, his anticipation, or his lack of fear. But it is not 1993, and Ray Younger, Jr. is not preparing to lead the Ellenville Blue Devils varsity basketball team in a quest for a Section 9 championship. It is 2009, and Younger is playing a pickup basketball game just as he has thousands of times before. An extra fifteen pounds has appeared on Younger's frame since he was an athletic, three-sport, All-Everything for the Blue Devils. But not even the slight paunch of age around his middle can hide the fact that Younger still possesses skills most men at any age would love to have.

It is different though.

The weekly pickup game is being played in the Ellenville Middle School gym and not a single one of the 15 or 16 young men who are in the gym playing or waiting to take their turn on the floor is in high school. Pickup basketball games, once a daily occurrence, are not that popular in Ellenville anymore. This is not how Ray Younger, Jr. remembers it. There were always pickup games — in the Ellenville High School gym, or, in warmer weather, on the outdoor courts behind the school. The crowds were often large. There were alumni, faculty and staff, adults from the community, and always, always, high school kids. It was not unusual for 30 or 40 players to show up. Games were competitive and intense. Lose, and you might not get another chance to get back on the court. Even the high school players who were not on the Ellenville basketball team were decent players. They used to say that if our non-varsity basketball players faced off against other schools they would more than hold their own. Those pickup basketball games are where players like Younger learned the finer points of the game from people like Reggie Steele. Steele, a lifelong "gym rat" and former Ellenville player, reminds you of the great George "The Iceman" Gervin. Steele appears ageless, and despite hovering somewhere around 50 years of age, remains a tough defensive assignment for anyone unlucky enough to have to guard him. Steele is quick, athletic, and is well-versed in the basics and nuances of the game. A high school player could learn a lot from playing with Reggie Steele. It is almost certain that Steele took Ray Younger, Jr. to "school" more than a few times when Younger was an up-and-coming player.

It is not surprising that for several decades the Ellenville Blue Devils were a force to be reckoned with in Section 9 basketball. It didn't matter who the opponent was, either. The Blue Devils were successful against everyone from Liberty and Monticello to Pine Bush and Middletown. Nobody liked playing against the Blue Devils at Ellenville. A bandbox of a gymnasium, poor lighting, sidelines that almost touched the first row of bleachers, and overflow crowds who tended to be loud and not exactly friendly to visitors. The Blue Devils were renowned for their pressure defense, famous for their fast break offense, and often scored 70 or 80 points a game. There were even a few times when the Blue Devils would break 100 points against an overmatched opponent. The old scoreboard only went to 99 and the crowd would roar anytime the Blue Devils hit the century mark.

This success was the result of several factors. The Blue Devils had community-wide support. If fans were not at the Ellenville gym by halftime of the J.V. game, there was a chance they would be watching the varsity game from the hallway entrance. There was an inherent pride in being a Blue Devil — it was an honor to be a member of the varsity team. The coaching staff was made up of veterans at every level. The faculty, staff, and students supported the athletes in the form of large and vocal crowds. But the most important single reason for the success of the Ellenville basketball team was those daily pickup games.

The current Ellenville varsity boy's basketball team will again finish the season with a losing record. The once proud program is approaching two decades of futility. Ray Younger, Jr., who scored over 1,000 career points for the Blue Devils, can only shake his head. Younger, better than most, knows that if the Blue Devils are to get back to the glory days, those usually empty basketball courts are going to have to be a lot busier with Ellenville kids playing pickup games for hours at a time.

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