High School Musical is all that comes to mind when I think back to any time I’ve watched basketball and I suppose that doesn’t even count so I planned to head over to the Cheltenham leisure centre as local team Gloucester City Kings were playing up against Cardiff Met. Despite not watching any basketball previously, I still believed I would have a decent idea of the rules and game play, I was wrong.
Although I only live a ten-minute walk away from the centre itself, I’ve still never ventured up there and of course I used Google maps for the short journey, so this was a few firsts for myself. Just turning on to the road I pass someone prepared for the chilling weather dressed in what is called an Oodie, grey and covered in red hearts, with no care in the world. Maybe this is just my opinion but that is not a great statement piece, but the confidence was admirable.
Coming into the car park, a man dressed in sportswear with a burgundy jacket, on that had a logo I didn’t recognise, pulled in at the same time I did; awkwardly approaching the entrance I slowed my pace just so that we wouldn’t be walking in together. Speedos. Everywhere. The iconic ‘we have a swimming pool’ reception area that features in every British leisure centre. At least I knew I was definitely in the right place. The man ahead in the burgundy asked about where the basketball was but I didn’t catch the receptionists answer so twenty seconds later I repeated his question, and she relayed her answer with a little less enthusiasm.
As you walk through, there’s a lobby area and seeing the sign for ‘soft play’ straight ahead I imagine this is usually populated by parents, and it was as such this Sunday evening. Attempting to avoid looking lost, I headed down the hallway on my right and two people who look as though they know their way around definitely noticed how hesitant I looked as I stared through every door, walked past. Before I came here, I looked up anything I could find on the event and the layout of the court so I knew somewhere there should be an entry to the stand up stairs and luckily I found it, the echo of music mostly gave it away.
Finding a seat separate to the groups of families, I found an empty row and watched on as the two teams were training on the court with hip-hop music blaring over the speakers. I knew coming here I would be sat amongst families of the players looking rather out of place. When doing my social media deep dive, I found that this match will be commentated and it was as such, by a man who turned up in a hoodie with a blazer over the top, I assume it was a business casual look he was going for.
Once all of the Gloucester City Kings names were announced to the hall over a mic that was painfully loud, the commentator instructed the crowd to stand up with the purpose being “you can only sit down when your team scores”, a fun way to include the crowd and I suppose also created more of an atmosphere particularly for the first shot. The game went ahead with Gloucester taking an early lead and it was at one of the points when they gather as a team to talk that I realised the man I walked in at the same time as was the coach for Cardiff Met.
As a home game, Gloucester dominated in support with one family cheering on Cardiff; after a few player collisions and I’m assuming a couple of controversial decisions by the referee, it was made very clear who was supporting Cardiff. “You’re a joke referee, you’re a disgrace to this game.” Rather than attracting the attention of the referee, three teenage boys walked over to my side of the stand near the passionate Cardiff fan, I’m sure just to wind him up as they cooed to the players. What they didn’t expect to happen however did and as they tried to faze Cardiff and their committed fan, the guests took the upper hand of the game and the Gloucester fans quickly kept quiet and sat back down.
Once Cardiff extended their lead, not a whole lot else occurred as it became clear that the home team were about to accept a defeat. Coming away, my ears were ringing from the airhorn that was blasted over the speakers after every stint but all-in-all I enjoyed my first basketball game, still unsure on the rules, but the atmosphere and quick paced formation of the game was interesting to watch.
