LA, Chicago Take Basketball Titles at Chicago Classic

By Victoria Stagg Elliott
For Outsports

The Chicago Hoopsters women and the Los Angeles Heat men took first-place trophies in the top division of the 12th Annual Chicago Hoops Classic, the largest gay and lesbian basketball tournament outside of the Gay Games, April 14.

The Heat, which took home the trophy last year and arrived as the favorites in the men's competition, beat longtime rivals, the San Francisco Rock Dogs in a closely fought game, 62-44. The two teams were neck and neck in the first half, with the Heat leading 32-28. The Heat pulled away in the final 10 minutes to win by a comfortable margin. The Heat has been playing together for more than a decade, and its leaders say they are successful because they put the team first.

"First and foremost, we are friends," said Timothy Dean, 33, co-captain of the Heat. "We want to see each other do well. It won't work if the pieces don't fit, and the pieces fit on LA Heat because we care about each other, and we really work hard at what we do."

The local Hoopsters took the women's trophy by defeating Spin, also from Chicago, 51-39. Hoopsters’ coach Malisa Bryant, 34, said her team led from the star because of their aggressive defense.

"We've frustrated teams the whole tournament with defense itself," said Bryant. "We let our defense become our offense, and that's how we win the games."

The top division is made up of teams ranked the highest after the first day of competition in the two-day event. The lower ranked teams compete for their own trophies in the second division.

Boston's Club Cafe took the first place trophy in the men's second division, and P&G Marketing from Indianapolis, appearing at the Classic for the first time, took the prize in the women's.

"It's good to bring home a trophy," said Virginia Hicks, 31, P&G's team captain. "It's as good as if we had won first division, but we'll be there next year."

Many games were highly competitive with lots of great basketballball, but most participants said they were there as much for the fun and camaraderie as for the sport.

"We know we're terrible," said Rob Smitherman, 42, from Danville, Va,. captain of the Chiaho (pronounced she-a-ho) team. "We lost every game, but one we lost in overtime. We're real proud of that, and we had a great time."

The tournament also attracted a significant number of African-American gay men and lesbians, and many say the sport is a vital means of community building.

"Gay basketball provides the foundation for all gay men and women to find a safe, loving, environment to socialize in," said Dean, who is African-American. "The is particularly true in the black community, more so than in any other sport."

The tournament attracted more than 250 people who comprised 24 teams from around the country-seven women's and 17 men's. This year’s event also attracted two new women's teams from Indianapolis and Lincoln, Neb. Organizers with the Windy City Athletic Association, who hosted the event, say they have had inquiries from teams in Canada and Europe, and say that their goal for next year is for the championship to become international in scope. They also hope to expand representation from the U.S.'s women's teams.

"We have a pretty strong constant representation from American cities that have men's leagues or open gyms," said Sam Coady, 37, the tournament director. "Now it's a matter of continuing to get growth on the women's side and expanding it internationally."

New women's and international teams are eligible for a $100 registration discount.