Using the Courts

Back in the early Sixties, a Mennonite family moved to Todd County, Kentucky. Two boys, Reuben and Sammy Weaver, enrolled at Trenton Elementary School, where Paul and I were enrolled. Reuben was in Paul’s grade, three years ahead of me while Sammy was my age.

Like Paul, Reuben was tall for his age. Also like Paul, he played basketball. Unlike Paul, Reuben’s religious order prohibited him from wearing the basketball uniform used by the Dragons. Instead of turning to the legal courts, Mr. Sadler, who was our principal and our coach, turned to conversation and common sense. He met with Reuben’s dad.

How about if Reuben wears the jersey over a big white tee shirt? The jersey was actually the only needed part of the uniform, he reasoned, since referees have to be able to easily identify each player by their number. As for the shorts, those were always about style and comfort. Reuben could have his own style and comfort wearing his loose denim pants and tenny shoes. And, he could also wear his suspenders since they didn’t cover the number.

Even though the physical spectacle was right surprising at first, everyone got used to seeing a Mennonite hustle up and down the court in long pants. Reuben got to play basketball and we learned a little more about how the world could work, if we wanted it to.

And there was an additional, unexpected benefit as well.

The sight of a dozen or so Old Order Amish folk, properly clad in denim clothes, with the womenfolk dutifully adorned in white bonnets, and all of them stomping black shoes and brogans against the wooden floor of the bleachers and yelling joyfully every time Reuben scored was a mighty special thing to witness.

We’d already figured out, just from hanging out with Sammy and Reuben, that there really wasn’t much difference between us. Just clothes and buggies.