Playing musical chairs with the Harlem Ambassadors.Ambassadors Bring Basketball and Fun to First Flight High
The Harlem Ambassadors came to town yesterday for a game basketball with the local Scalawags. Although game is a loose description of what happened on the court.
Sponsored by the Dare Education Foundation, there was some resemblance to basketball, although it wasn't always apparent.
There were usually five members of each team on the floor, occasionally the Scalawags had six, and when the ball went through the hoop, points were scored. Not always in a way recognizable by NBA or amateur rules, but a basket did count for something.
Playing before an almost sold out gym at First Flight High School in Kill Devil Hills, the Ambassadors, made up of former college players fresh out of school, were in clearly better shape with better ball-handling skills. It's very doubtful that any of the Scalawags, mostly teachers with a few youth league coaches thrown in, could still dunk...if they ever could. Except for the lone women, all the Ambassadors were comfortable playing above the rim.
Focus on Kids
But if the day was short on classic basketball, it was long on fun and providing a great time for the kids, and there were a lot of them on hand.
At halftime the kids in the audience came out on the court for a little exercise and a quick basketball camp. Between periods the Ambassadors brought a small group of kids to the court for a different form of musical chairs.
In this version, the visiting team carries the chairs around the floor as the children follow them around waiting for the music to stop. It was still the classic where the floor is always one chair short, but it seemed like a lot more fun than usual for the kids. And the little boy who won was beaming when he realized he was the last one sitting.
Making it a special day for kids and families was really what the event was about. There was some basketball played, and the Scalawags were given a lot of point handicaps to try to keep the game close, but when the final score was posted, it didn't really matter, even if the Scalawags lost 100-90.
The event was brought to the Outer Banks by the DEF. The DEF supports a number of programs for Dare County teacher and students.
