Basketball lovers at Wesleyan will soon be able to enjoy pick-up games in the great outdoors, thanks to the advocacy efforts of hoops enthusiast Eli Sevcik-Timberg ’08 and the cooperation of the Wesleyan Student Assembly (WSA).
“I couldn’t be happier,” Sevcik-Timberg said. “Since the first time I was kicked out of the Bacon Field House to make room for a high school lacrosse camp, I’ve been on a mission to improve pick-up basketball opportunities at this school.”
In the next few months, one of the existing Vine Street tennis courts will be converted into a basketball court. Once Wesleyan Construction Services develops a formal estimate for the project, the tab will be split between the Student Budget Committee and Vice President of Student Affairs Mike Whaley’s office.
Approval of the outdoor court comes after nearly four years of frustration, Sevcik-Timberg explained. His quest to accommodate pick-up games began with his Dec. 6, 2005 Wespeak, “Stop the indoor javelin team,” (Volume CXLI, number 21) which called for more equitable use of the Bacon Field House.
“For one hundred and fifty years ’pick-up ball’ has offered men and women of all ages, races and religions a venue to lay their differences aside and enjoy a common game,” Sevcik-Timberg wrote in his Wespeak. “Unfortunately, the opportunity to partake in this national, urban pastime has been denied to me and the thirty-some other regular players due to the start of the indoor javelin season.”
Sevcik-Timberg suggested that indoor javelin relocate its practices outdoors, when the weather would accommodate.
“Sports that, say, involve throwing large pieces of metal over long distances, [should] be played during the fall or spring,” he wrote.
The Wesleyan Indoor Track and Field Team responded testily in its Jan. 31, 2006 Wespeak, “Respect the track & field team” (Volume CXLI, number 23).
“It’s not the ’javelin’ team,” the team wrote. “It’s the whole throwing team as well as other track and field participants.”
The Cards chastised Sevcik-Timberg’s arrogant tone and reminded him that varsity sports always take priority over recreational ones.
“When was the last time you saw a metal javelin being thrown inside the field house?” they wrote. “Huh? We use plastic training javelins during the indoor season because they make you focus on form and are much safer to use, not to mention that they don’t tear up the floor and walls.”
The Wespeak war was getting nowhere. Neither were Sevcik-Timberg’s heated arguments with Assistant Athletic Director Richard Whitmore.
“I’m pretty sure Whitmore still holds a grudge, and I don’t blame him,” Sevcik-Timberg said. “I was a dick to him.”
A new strategy was in order.
“About a year ago I changed tactics and started my campaign for outdoor courts,” he said.
Sevcik-Timberg presented his idea to the athletic department, where he learned that there had been outdoor courts near Summerfields, but that they were removed at the request of Public Safety. Public Safety explained that Residential Life was behind the teardown.
“Basically, I got the runaround, and then lost some interest for awhile,” he said.
An encounter with Associate Vice President for Facilities Joyce Topshe left Sevcik-Timberg even more hopeless.
Down but not out, Sevcik-Timberg trotted out his pet cause during this February’s trustee weekend.
“I realized that I needed to talk with the big dogs about this, so I put on my best shirt and went to Zelnick pavilion to hunt me down some sympathetic trustees,” he said.
The first man he shook hands with, Stephen Daniel ’82, turned out to be his angel.
“Mr. Daniel is a large dude with a strong handshake and a distinct Brooklyn accent,” Sevcik-Timberg said. “He was shocked that the school didn’t have [outdoor] basketball courts and he was in the right position to do something about it. He told me he’d put in a word with Joyce Topshe.”
Sevcik-Timberg arrived at the March 2 WSA meeting with one goal: to persuade the assembly that the University needed nothing more than an outdoor basketball court. After several minutes of uninterrupted blustering, arm waving, and general speechifying, he took his seat.
“I’ve been told it’s one of the top five speeches ever given in front of the WSA,” Sevcik-Timberg said.
Support from the assembly came in the form of WSA Representative Mike Pernick ’10.
“When I first heard about them, I knew that outdoor basketball courts would be a great idea,” Pernick said. “I talked to Eli about the project before he came into the WSA and promised him I’d do what I could to help.”
Pernick put pressure on Joyce Topshe, and within weeks the project was rolling.
“Eli did exactly what we want people to do—he came in and complained, and we did something about it,” said WSA president Matt Ball ’08.
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