Students form basketball lunch league

It was a hot day in late June, and Brett Beierle and his friends made a rare decision for kids these days.

They chose to go to school when they didn’t have to.

On a day that many students would be sleeping late and celebrating the end of the year, the then-sophomores at Sparta High School went in and played pickup basketball for most of the school day.

They were not varsity players, just kids who loved to play and have fun with their friends.

For Beierle, this innocent day of sport sparked an idea that would give any high school student a chance to play and showcase their basketball ability without having to make the team.

It began with a few students getting permission from the school’s security guards to play basketball in the annex gym during lunch, then turned into something that Beierle never could have expected.

Almost immediately, interest to join the lunchtime basketball league came pouring in. Within days of a post on social media, 11 teams had signed up to join the Sparta Lunch League.

Every day, promptly at 10:45 a.m., games begin. The league is strictly student-run, from operating the scoreboard to keeping stats, even providing “security” to keep the spectators in line.

The league has opportunities for everyone. Coaching is an option for students who want to participate but do not want to play. More than 70 students are involved in the league in playing or coaching roles.

After a few weeks of playing games, students started to pour into the annex gymnasium to watch. There are echoes of chants from the crowd after a made three or big moment each game.

“It’s great to see kids that never got to play on the varsity basketball team get cheered on by the crowd,” said Beierle.

With the large crowds attracted to the games, the school’s administration got involved. Beierle worked with Vice Principals Jamie Barker and Courtney Kopf to ensure that the league remained intact.

It is important to Beierle that the league continues because he believes it has a big impact on the school’s environment.

“It gives the underclassmen a chance to bond with the upperclassmen and also to meet new people,” he said.