A Blast from the Past – HoopsHIGH History in the Making

It is fun and funny for me to sometimes tune into the weekly HoopsHIGH show on CAN TV (every Saturday at 8 p.m.). Even though I have participated in the production of most every telecast, there is something different about watching at home. I am powerless to make any changes, and there is nothing left to do but go along for the ride. Last night, due to the transition from our spring to our summer production schedule, we reran a blast from the past: Westinghouse vs. Manley from January of 2001. This was the very first high school game that HoopsHIGH ever covered. While the production standards were not as strong as they are now (or where we aim for them to be), the show was pretty incredible. Kim – the play-by-play/color-commentator (she did them both) – was super-informative. I knew she was smart when I met her in 2000, but hearing her last night – and thinking of the 20+ announcers we have had since – I think her basketball / broadcasting IQ might be the highest we have had yet. It was so cool to see the Westinghouse gym, to see the likes of Jamal Washington, Jamal Brown, Richard Russell, Clyde Crosby, and of course, Chris Head. It was also so special to see Luther Head as a high school kid doing his thing – making steals, dunks, circus shots, and then missing a three that would have tied the game with four seconds left. I showed my daughter the screen and told her that she was watching history; the gym that she came to as a baby (where the HoopsHIGH crew always made sure to get of a shot of her) is no longer there. It is amazing how time moves along, bringing changes, and turning pages in places and lives. I wonder where Kim is now. I know where HoopsHIGH is now: in a constant state of motion, striving for excellence and working through challenges along the way. I am so grateful for everyone and everything that has helped the program grow, and there is much history still to be written.