Spring Break
Miami athletes take part in Rec culture
Dan Kukla
Issue date: 5/2/08 Section: Sports
"There's probably a lot of trash talk behind our backs," Ballard said, "but when it's to your face they might just foul you and say, 'You're a D-1 player, you don't get fouled harder than that? Besides, what am I supposed to do?' … But after the game is over it's all good."
Playing at the RSC is a chance for Miami players to relax and have fun.
Winning quickly becomes less valued as the focus of their pick-up games is just to enjoy the sport they love.
"My record at the Rec might be like zero-and I don't think I've won a game," starting Miami point guard Kenny Hayes said.
Hayes said he enjoys playing at the RSC because it allows him to goof off and practice all at the same time.
"When you play at the Rec, you can try to work on things that you wouldn't normally do in team practices or in a game," Hayes said. "You can make a crazy pass that you would never make in a game or a crossover move that you would never make in a game but if you practice it against other people and it becomes a habit, then it can become a positive in a game."
Ballard finds that he is at the RSC most when he can't workout with team and needs to stay sharp. He said he especially likes to go to avoid missing any action when the team is on a road trip.
"I didn't travel," Ballard said. "So on game days when the team traveled away I would go to the Rec because that's like my game."
The opportunity to play with Miami's elite can leave some students star struck. Yet regardless of how they are viewed in the public eye, nothing can change the fact that these basketball players are still students, which allows for a unique interaction between fan and athlete that does not happen at the professional level.
"My freshman year," Borchik said, "I was a guy who was at the Rec thinking, 'Oh man, the basketball team is here; this is really cool.'"
The perks of being a Miami basketball player stretch beyond simple stardom. Ballard and Hayes both said that it is usually fairly easy for them to get playing time at the RSC, even when it is really busy. Whether students would rather be on their team or test their luck against them, having D-1 athletes on the court is in high demand.
Playing at the RSC is a chance for Miami players to relax and have fun.
Winning quickly becomes less valued as the focus of their pick-up games is just to enjoy the sport they love.
"My record at the Rec might be like zero-and I don't think I've won a game," starting Miami point guard Kenny Hayes said.
Hayes said he enjoys playing at the RSC because it allows him to goof off and practice all at the same time.
"When you play at the Rec, you can try to work on things that you wouldn't normally do in team practices or in a game," Hayes said. "You can make a crazy pass that you would never make in a game or a crossover move that you would never make in a game but if you practice it against other people and it becomes a habit, then it can become a positive in a game."
Ballard finds that he is at the RSC most when he can't workout with team and needs to stay sharp. He said he especially likes to go to avoid missing any action when the team is on a road trip.
"I didn't travel," Ballard said. "So on game days when the team traveled away I would go to the Rec because that's like my game."
The opportunity to play with Miami's elite can leave some students star struck. Yet regardless of how they are viewed in the public eye, nothing can change the fact that these basketball players are still students, which allows for a unique interaction between fan and athlete that does not happen at the professional level.
"My freshman year," Borchik said, "I was a guy who was at the Rec thinking, 'Oh man, the basketball team is here; this is really cool.'"
The perks of being a Miami basketball player stretch beyond simple stardom. Ballard and Hayes both said that it is usually fairly easy for them to get playing time at the RSC, even when it is really busy. Whether students would rather be on their team or test their luck against them, having D-1 athletes on the court is in high demand.
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