Granny basketball to come to Monticello

     They are members of the Granny Basketball League (GBL), all 50 or older.

     They wear 1920s-era women’s basketball uniforms that consist of tennis shoes, middy (sailor) blouses, bloomers, and long stockings or tights.

     They play 6-on-6, dividing the court into three sections, with players required to stay in their own section.

     And they are coming to Jones County. Specifically, the Cedar Rapids Late Bloomers will play an exhibition game Sunday, Dec. 9, 2-4 p.m. at Monticello High School.

     The Late Bloomers are on the recruiting trail, hoping to find a few more players to join their team for the coming season, which begins in March.

     The following year, with the help of Shannon Poe of the Monticello Parks and Recreation Department, they hope to form a team in Monticello. So, the exhibition is a chance for those interested to get a look at the game and see if they want to join.

     “I think that will really help generate interest,” Poe said. “During exhibition games, they welcome anybody to come out and play against them.”

     Poe confirmed that the Monticello Fire Department, Monticello Police and Ambulance, and staff members from Monticello High School all plan to have teams participate.

     The idea for a local team began with Cindy Inglis of the Late Bloomers, after she heard about an Express article that made a reference to granny basketball.

     “I called Shannon, and things started developing,” Inglis said during an interview with three of the Late Bloomers, at the Berndes Center. “Our team has lost probably half our players. We actually have five from this area, and we commute every other Sunday to Cedar Rapids.

     “We’re tired of the drive.”                                 

     The GBL includes about 30 teams from nine states. The schedule is already set for the coming season, so the Late Bloomers will play for one more year out of Cedar Rapids.

     “This would be the formative part of it,” Roanne Willey said. “Next year for sure, if there’s enough interest and we’ve got a team developed, we would have a team out of here. We’re hoping (to get people from) Anamosa, Monticello, Wyoming, Cascade and more.”

     The Late Bloomers have had some success, including a fourth place finish out of 15 teams in last season’s state tournament, and a third place the year before.

     This is not surprising, since three of the players were members of the Midland High School teams that made it to a pair of state tournaments in the early 1970s.

     JoJo Busch, formerly all-state guard JoJo Von Spreecken, currently lives in Atkins, but wouldn’t mind coming to Monticello to play.

     “I don’t care where I travel. I like playing with my high school basketball girls,” Busch said. “In my case I was able to renew old friendships that are important to me. Cindy and I renewed our friendship; I went to school with her from first grade on.”

     They all encourage new people to get involved.

     “It’s good for getting out, exercising, camaraderie, a little bit of travel here and there, meeting new people,” Willey said. “It’s just very good, especially if you’re sports-minded and if you did sports in high school. It’s something fun to do.”

     Busch said team rosters are about half and half between those who had played organized basketball previously and those who had not.

     “The rules can accommodate just about any skill level,” Busch said.

     Those rules are similar to the traditional Iowa 6-on-6, but with some modifications. Players are allowed to dribble the ball twice and then must pass. There is no running, jumping or bodily contact allowed. And a player fouls out with just three fouls.

     The biggest differences are that players must be 50 or older, and that the court is split into three sections, rather than two. Each team has two players in each section, and they must stay there.

     All players wear the same uniform, and teams are distinguished by the socks they wear.

     “Currently ours are orange and black,” Busch said. “Witch stripes.”

     The Late Bloomers start GBL play in January with a league jamboree, and then play about every other week, through April. A state tournament is held in June at the Iowa Senior Olympics, and teams can go on to national competition in July or August if enough players are available to make the trip.

     A big part of what GBL teams do is charitable. Each team chooses a charity, and then invites free will donations at home games. Players and teams are on their own for most of the costs they incur.

     “If any business or individual is interested in sponsoring a local team – we don’t currently have one – call for details,” Busch said.

     Poe added: “There is a one-time fee per team, and players pay an annual fee. So if there is somebody interested in sponsoring them, that’s going to ease their burden.”

     Interested fans and players will get the chance to see what it’s all about Dec. 9.

     “Regardless of whether the Late Bloomers move here permanently this year or not, we’re going to try to do some practices, so that new people in the community can start to learn the game and start to become familiar with it,” Poe said.

     “If you’re interested at all, come and play,” Willey said.

     For information, call Poe at the Monticello Parks and Recreation Department, 319-465-6640, or visit www.grannybasketball.com.