Discussion Guide - Black Public Media

Discussion
Guide
Season 6.0, 2014
Doin’ It in the Park: Pick-­‐Up Basketball, NYC (USA), 56 minutes 1
Introduction
This guide contains suggested discussion questions to orient viewers and discussion facilitators on how best to frame conversations about the films featured in AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange, season 6.0 (2014). First there is a short list of general discussion questions that can be used to initiate a discussion of all the films after the screening or broadcast. These general questions provide a solid platform for channeling the immediate emotional response of the audience into a collective experience or narrative. After the General Discussion Questions, each of the AfroPoP films contains content for a discussion guide to frame the historical, aesthetic and emotional reactions of the viewer in a participatory way. GENERAL DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Prior to screening the film, remind the audience that there will be a discussion afterwards (with the filmmaker if s/he is in attendance). It’s generally a good idea to start the discussion immediately after the film with a few broad questions. Following are some suggestions: • What are your immediate reactions to this film? • What did you learn from this film? • Describe a moment in the film that you found particularly moving. What was it about that scene that was especially compelling to you? 2
Doin’ It in the Park: Pick-Up Basketball,
NYC
The Film In New York City, pick-­‐up basketball is not just a sport. It is a way of life. There are 700+ outdoor courts, and an estimated 500,000 players, the most loyal of which approach the game as a religion, and the playground as their church. In 2012, filmmakers (and basketball players) Bobbito Garcia and Kevin Couliau visited 180 courts throughout NYC’s five boroughs. The resulting documentary explores the history, culture, and social impact of New York’s summer b-­‐ball scene, widely recognized as the worldwide “Mecca” of the sport. We meet players as storytellers and historians, playground legends, players-­‐turned-­‐pro, and completely anonymous ballplayers who put their reputations on the line every day when they call “next” game at their local playground. For them the game is a way to earn respect, organize a community, improve skills, or simply release physical energy. As a portrait of this aspect of street culture, DOIN’ IT IN THE PARK provides an unprecedented window into urban America’s most popular, and accessible, free recreation. Keywords: b-­‐ball, city parks, manhood, NBA, New York City, pick-­‐up basketball, public courts, street ball, urban Background Featured in the Film Pick-­‐Up Legends Joe “The Destroyer” Hammond Richard “Pee Wee” Kirkland Jack “Black Jack” Ryan James “Fly” Williams Corey “Homicide” Williams John “The Franchise” Strickland Tim “Headache” Gittens 3
Sherman “Ice” Anthony Earl “The Goat” Manigault Pick-­‐Up Players Ernesto “The Ness” Morris – Rucker Historian Butch Purcell – Rucker Hall of Fame Coach Greg Brown – Goat Park All-­‐Star Mark “The Movie” Norman – Nelson Park All-­‐Star Ed “The Sundance Kid” Davis – King Tower Legend Geroy Grant – Dean St. Park Sean Couch – playground historian and coach John “Mookie” Thomas – playground fashion police George “White Chocolate” Ganley – St. James Park regular Michael “Skin Tight Big Mike” Drake Julio C. Pacheco – Rikers inmate Johndell “Freshyrozmo” Veazy James “Ookie” Wilson – Tillary Park veteran Rock – West 4th regular Raphael “Blade” Edwards – Wingate Park All-­‐Star Samera “Ballgurl” Marsh Alex Wolf – author of The In-­‐Your-­‐Face Basketball Book Edwin “Coco” Green – Goat Park historian “Mugsy” Green – Goat Park All-­‐Star Jamel “Mel” Brown – deaf player at Each One Teach One Pro Players With Pick-­‐Up Roots Julius “Dr. J” Erving Kenny “The Jet” Smith God Shammgod Geoff Huston “Smush” Parker Kenny “Chibbs” Anderson Niki “Lil’ Ratchet” or “The Model” Avery Milani “M & M” Malik Brandon “The Takeover” Jennings Find more information about the people in the film at: http://doinitinthepark.com/characters 4
Context Dr. James Naismith, a Canadian pastor, physician, and physical education instructor, is widely cited as the inventor of the game of basketball. In 1891, looking for a sport that could be played indoors in a small space during cold, snowy winters, he affixed peach baskets to poles, divided his charges at the YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts into teams, and handed them a soccer ball and thirteen rules. As is the case today, the goal was to get the ball into the opponent’s basket. Today’s players might be surprised to find that the original game was exclusively about passing. There was no dribbling. By 1936, the game had grown to be so popular that it was included in the 1936 Olympics. The NBA was formed in the years immediately after World War II. Today, estimates are that more than 250 million people across the globe play basketball in some organized fashion, and countless more play “pick-­‐up” games. No one can say for sure when “pick-­‐up” basketball began, but in 1946, Holcomb Rucker took the game out of the gym and started outdoor youth tournaments. Rucker helped street basketball become an urban tradition, dependent on access to free courts in public parks. Because of him, courts like West 4th Street have become legendary. At all the courts, the unwritten rules of the game vary according to the number, skill level, and preferences of the players involved, though certain regions of the country have come to be associated with specific customs. There are no schedules. The person who calls (or has) “next” picks teammates and can continue to play as long as his team is victorious (meaning that the best players can control who is on the court for as long as they want). There are no referees – players are expected to respect fouls called by other players. Instead of free throws, the fouled player’s team gets the ball. “Pick up” basketball (also referred to as “street ball”) has also spawned more organized versions of its games. There have been well-­‐publicized tournaments from midnight basketball programs to corporately sponsored Hoop-­‐It-­‐Up competitions and even programs on the sports network, ESPN. Some purists object to such organized efforts, seeing them as counter to the informal essence of “pick up,” while others appreciate the publicity and the opportunity to showcase the street’s high level of talent. Discussion Prompts General Describe one new insight you received from watching this film. What actions might you take as a result of that insight? 5
What major questions were the filmmakers trying to answer and how do you know? How did the filmmakers answer those questions? Did you agree with the answers? Why or why not? Were there other questions you wanted to ask, and if so, what were they? Share a moment from the film that you found to be particularly inspiring or disturbing. What was it about that scene that was especially compelling for you? What emotions did the film evoke for you? How did this aspect of your viewing experience compare or contrast to others in the room? What do you think accounts for the similarities or differences? Reviewing Core Content What did you learn from the film about -­‐ the culture of street basketball? -­‐ the relationship between pick-­‐up basketball and the professional game? Value Messages and Lessons How would you describe the core values of the culture of pick-­‐up basketball? Which of those values would you want to convey to your own children? Which values do you wish it would change? Smush Parker describes the players at his neighborhood court as having raised him to be the man that he is today. As young boys watch older boys and men playing pick-­‐up, what lessons do you think they are learning about gender and how to “be a man”? Do you share these concepts of manhood? In street ball, you earn your way onto the court and some kids never get to play. Compare the lessons learned from this experience to those learned by children who participate in leagues where the coach is required to play every child on the team. Kenny Smith describes humiliation as a consequence for losing games. Pee Wee Kirkland recalls making moves specifically intended to embarrass the opponent. Why would people who make up their own rules choose to include humiliation as a core component of the game? What does humiliation add to the experience? Pee Wee Kirkland describes the nature of the game saying, “It was about living up to what you said. It was about your pride. It was about who you was. It was about who you was trying to become.” What’s the relationship 6
between the game being a “proving ground” and the tradition of betting on games? Why is “trash talking” an integral part of the game? Why do you suppose that the verbal jabs don’t routinely turn into physical brawls? The film describes an unspoken dress code for pick-­‐up games. Why would anyone care about what someone else was wearing? What does the clothing signal? Given what you see in the film, how would you describe the role of the crowd in creating the culture of the pick-­‐up game? What did you learn from the film (and the game) about power? If you played street ball, what do you think you learned from the game? How did your experience compare to what you saw on screen? Reflection of Ourselves? The filmmaker says that on the court, “nothing is given; everything is earned.” This aspect of pick-­‐up basketball puts into practice the American ideal of meritocracy (i.e., that effort and talent are rewarded without regard to other factors like socioeconomic status or race). In what other ways is the game a reflection of American ideals or culture? Though it is now played all over the world in all sorts of circumstances, pick-­‐up basketball took the game invented by Naismith and made it a “city game.” In what ways is the game a reflection of urban life? In what ways is it an expression of African American urban experience? The film gives viewers a whirlwind tour of dozens of courts in New York City. What did you learn from the “tour” about the importance of public parks and their role in their communities? What would a tour of the parks in your city or town reveal? The Riker’s guard says that violence in the jail decreases when inmates can play ball. Why do you think that’s the case? Is it just because basketball provides a physical release or is there more to it than that? 7
Legacy James Naismith invented basketball to give young men a physical and spiritual outlet that would positively affect society as a whole. Based on what you see in the film, how would you describe its contribution? Because it requires inventing and re-­‐inventing rules to fit physical surroundings and players’ skill levels, street basketball is inherently creative. How is that creativity expressed in other ways, both on and off the court? As you watch an NBA game, where do you see influences of street ball? One player describes how the regulars at his neighborhood court provided a sense of family while another notes the lack of crime on the courts (a contrast to the surrounding neighborhood). All players describe the game as inclusive, meaning that if you have skills, then things like age, gender, race, college degrees, or awards don’t matter. How might people translate these facets of basketball to community life outside the park? What do you think accounts for the game’s lasting popularity? Resources Official Film Website: http://doinitinthepark.com/film -­‐ for more information about the film and the people in it AfroPoP series information page: http://AfroPoP.tv/ General Information About Pickup Basketball New York City Parks & Recreation www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/basketball -­‐ for a full list of NYC’s b-­‐ball courts and information on the courts featured in the film Infinite Hoops http://infinitehoops.com/games -­‐ to find a pick-­‐up game near you “Who Invented Basketball?” http://www.basketball.org/who-­‐invented-­‐basketball/ -­‐ a brief history of the game, including its original rules NBA Players at Rucker Park: A Photo Gallery 8
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/1103/nba-­‐rucker-­‐
park-­‐players/content.1.html Pickup Basketball Humor Pickup Basketball Etiquette: The 11 Unwritten Rules of Pickup Basketball www.askmen.com/sports/bodybuilding_1000/1063_pickup-­‐basketball-­‐
etiquette.html -­‐ tips from correspondent Jon Finkel 19 Signs That You’re a Hardened Pickup Basketball Player www.buzzfeed.com/ktlincoln/19-­‐signs-­‐that-­‐youre-­‐a-­‐hardened-­‐pickup-­‐
basketball-­‐player -­‐ a tongue-­‐in-­‐cheek video essay from BuzzFeed Stereotypes: Pickup Basketball www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gWxHFMog9w – a video by Dude Perfect (the guys who make the videos of crazy basketball shots from planes and building roofs) Funding for AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange is presented by the National Black Programming Consortium and made possible by support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), and the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA). Guide writer, Faith Rogow, Ph.D., Insighters Educational Consulting. 9