1. Kristin Duncan
John H. Woodson's LunchLeague gives students a chance to hone theirbasketballskillsand off-the-courtdemeanor.
Leadership one
lunch at a time
Lunch League more
than just basketball
JOE BRUNETTI
ST. CROIX- Leadership, dis-
.cipline and tradition are the main
ingredients of John H. Woodson
.Junior High's Intramural Lunch-
League Basketball games. Every
Tuesday and Thursday during the
students' lunch hour, a league
directed by Coach C. King and
Coach Cuthbert George plays stu-
dent-coached basketball games
in front of a cheering, packed
gymnasium.
The rules of the league are sim-
ple: the students pick their teams
and make substitutions during
games - they are the coaches;
and, the participating students'
must all be well-behaved students
in their academic classes. About
having the students run the
teams, Coach King said, "One of
the main ideas why we allow them
to be coaches is that they think
it's an easy thing and it's not. If
shows them how to be organized."
Coach King and Coach George
-. also spoke ofhow this league helps
develop leadership skills, social
skills, and confidence. Coach King
explained that the league, "gtves
them an outlet to channel their
energy to givethem an opportunity
to be leaders and coaches."
As far as the student's behavior
is concerned, Coach George
explained that. "if they (students)
misbehave in class, they cannot
play. They must do good in class
-....•
from the league have excelled at
the high school level; one notable
player that came up through the
Woodson league is Cuthbert
Victor, a NBAprospect who cur-
rently plays in a European
Professional League.
The Lunch-league is also used
for recruitment to make the inter-
scholastic team, which begins
play in January. .
One unique feature of the
league that students really enjoy
is that it is co-ed. "Wedo not dis-
criminate. Females play. on the
teams. It helps the entire school
population. They have fun. They
enjoy playing, running their
teams. Everyday they're there.
They enjoy being around the'
gym," said Coach King. "It boosts
the student's confidence because
some aren't basketball players,
but anyone can play and come
forward. Anyone is welcome."
The LunchLeague is both well-attended and boisterous.
to take part in the league."
The league also has a strong,
tradition on the island. Both
coaches were participants in the
league when it was flrst started,
and both coaches have been run-
ning it at Woodson for the last 16
years. Coach King played at
Woodson, and .Coach George-
played at Arthur Richards Junior:
High. an a side note, Coach
George was NBA star Tim
Duncan's high school coach at
St. Dunstan's Episcopal School.
Many ofthe teams that are cur-
rently playing in the league are
organized by neighborhoods on
St. Croix, where maybe some of
the student's uncles," fathers or
older brothers once played under
the Same team name. Coach King
said, "the traditional teams are
from the neighborhoods, and
nephews, sons-they keep the
tradition going." Many players