Alright, let’s talk about this “quarter time basketball” thing I started doing. It wasn’t some grand plan, really. It just kinda happened.
See, I used to play ball all the time. Like, hours every week. Loved it. Felt good. Then, well, you know how it goes. Work got crazy busy, then family stuff came along. Suddenly, finding even an hour felt impossible, let alone the afternoon sessions I used to live for. My basketball shoes just sat there, collecting dust. Felt kinda sad, honestly.
One day, I was just walking past the park near my place. Saw the court. Nobody was on it for once. I just stood there for a minute. Got this real strong urge to just… shoot a few. But I had like, maybe 20 minutes before I had to be somewhere else. Definitely not enough time for a real game, not even a decent warm-up by my old standards.
Getting Started (Again)
So, I thought, screw it. What if I just did that? Just grab 15, 20 minutes whenever I could? Like, a quarter of the time I used to spend. That’s where the name “quarter time basketball” popped into my head. Seemed fitting.
The next day, I actually planned for it. Put my old shorts and sneakers in the car. Found a 30-minute gap between meetings. Drove over to that same park court. It was empty again. Perfect.
- First session: Just shooting. Didn’t even try dribbling much. Man, I was rusty. Felt like I was throwing bricks. Air balls? Yep, had a few of those. Embarrassing, even though nobody was watching. But eventually, a few went in. Swish. Okay, that felt good.
- Getting realistic: I quickly realized this wasn’t about getting back to my old form. No way. This was just about touching the ball, getting a little sweat going, clearing my head for a bit.
- Making it regular-ish: Tried to do it a couple of times a week. Sometimes I’d find 20 minutes during lunch. Sometimes late afternoon before heading home. It was hit or miss. Some days I just couldn’t swing it. Other days, the court was full.
What it Actually Looks Like
When the court was packed, joining a game was tough. Full-court games? Forget it. I’d be gassed in two minutes flat. These younger guys run non-stop. Sometimes, if it was just half-court, I’d try to jump in for a bit. Play one game to 7 or 11, then step off. Literally, like playing just one quarter of the action.
Most times, though, it’s just me. Working on my shot form. Doing some basic dribbling drills. Nothing fancy. Just moving. Sometimes another older guy might be there doing the same thing, we’d shoot around together, maybe play some P-I-G. Low key.
It’s not glamorous. It’s not the intense, competitive games I used to play. Sometimes it feels a bit silly, heading out for just 20 minutes. But you know what? It works for me right now. It’s something. It’s my way of keeping a connection to something I loved, squeezed into the corners of a busy life.
So yeah, that’s my “quarter time basketball” practice. Dug out the shoes, found a court, started shooting again, kept it short, stayed realistic. It’s not much, but it’s mine.
