We arrived in Jonesville, Michigan, back in 1999 when I was just 42 years old. At first it really didn’t register how running a bed and breakfast could be so much more than a full time job. Get up early for breakfast, check out guests, clean the house, do laundry, bake, shop, wait for guests, greet guests, plus all of the regular stuff–pay bills, network, prepare meals, market the business, yard work, repairs, etc. All of this stuff happened every day leaving very little personal time.
One rainy day, Lori and I decided to add exercise into our schedule and went to nearby Hillsdale College to enjoy their indoor track–it’s only 7 1/2 minutes away. There was, and still is, a large number of people who walk in the controlled climate of the indoor arena at lunch time.
As we walked and talked and met some like-minded community members, I noticed that an eclectic group of guys was gathering on the basketball court. The majority of guys looked to be in their 20’s and 30’s. It appeared to be a pick-up game. Then a woman showed up and joined them. It was at that moment that I figured if they would let a girl play, they would let me play, too.
I found out they got together every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at noon and played full court 5 on 5 basketball for an hour. I decided that this would beat the heck out of walking around in circles for an hour, so I put together some basketball gear and joined the group. I was glad to find out that they welcomed anyone to play. They had no restrictions on age, size, or ability. It was just exercise, competition, and comradarie in the middle of the day. They referred to themselves as the NBA–the Noon Basketball Association, or Noon Ball for short.
I found out the game has been going since 1992. Only Charlie and Tim were older t
han me. Most of the rest of the gang was in their 20’s and 30’s. They told be that in the early days, 2 on 2, or 4 on 4 half-court was the normal game. Then it started to grow to the point that it became rare that there was not enough players to go full court. There are 3 courts to play on, so when we are busy, there can be 30 people playing at once. 2 blue courts playing 5 on 5 working their way up to play on the wood court. The record head count is 42.
I met the girl, Penny, and struck up an immediate friendship. Over time I found out that she was no ordinary female. She had played varsity sports all through high school, was offered 2 athletic scholarships at the University of Michigan, and played multiple varsity sports there, plus, participated in the Olympic Games in Barcelona! I had a new hero who combined sports with smarts and personality. When I did the math, she was only a little younger than me, but still competed at a high level. I have not seen many women over 30 who are this athletic in a team sport–I appreciate her talent.
With so many people of different backgrounds and abilities, a consistant set of rules needed to be established. I was one of the older guys and one of the most regular attendees, so I basically set up the system that we play by. Picking teams, fouls to call, infractions that slide, acceptable language, and pecking order to play, are all covered and are self enforced pretty consistently.
I’ve been with the NBA for 10 years now and have not been as regular a player as I would like to be. A bunch of the regulars are now in their 30’s and 40’s. The important thing is that the game is still going. Us older guys have been known to school the younger guys. Sometimes they outrun us, but if we can control the tempo, the older gang will win more than they lose.
So if you call the Munro House between noon and one o’clock on these days, you will either get my wife or the answering machine. Innkeepers need to take a break, too.
Mike Venturini – Innkeeper
“Life is good in Jonesville”