The Changing Attire of Ballers

By TROY MEZERA

Bling-bling, street cred and fly fashion were becoming an all-too-important style for the NBA’s elite.

The gaudy jewelry, sloppy look and un-marketablity of many of its players forced the league and its commissioner to change the rules and demand a look that was more Bachrach than backyard.

Maybe the NBA could have learned a lot sooner from East Central Indiana’s basketball coaches and players.

“We want our kids to realize they are representing the community,” Delta 14th-year coach Paul Keller said. “As they are growing up as young men, it is important to dress in appropriate ways.”

Delta and Keller aren’t the only ones to feel this way.

Many of the area coaching staffs require that players look “sharp” on games days.

There are different ways that schools accomplish the feat.

Cowan’s team wears black pants, black shoes, a white collared shirt and a tie.

Wes-Del and Blue River, like Delta, wear blazers with slacks.

“The kids look good, and I think they feel good,” Wes-Del coach Brian Strong said.

Not all the teams in the area require the dressed-up look, but the team concept is preached across the board.

Burris, Yorktown and Central don’t put on their Sunday best, but they do have warm-up suits that match and represent the team.

“It’s something that represents the fact that we are playing on that day,” Burris coach Brian Carr said.
Who picks up the tab

Paying for sweats, team blazers and dress clothes can become an expensive venture for some.

Players at Burris are basically in a pay-to-play situation, needing to come up with $175 to cover sweats, practice gear, shoes and some transportation costs.

The Owls aren’t the only ones that are required to help with some of the bill.

“It’s different than when I was at Anderson,” Cowan coach Mike King said. “They had a much larger budget than we do, so the kids do have to get a hold of some nice clothes on their own.”

Most teams offer the players ways to raise money, including selling discount cards, raking leaves and running booths at school functions.

Booster clubs are also a huge part of the process.

Many times the clubs are able to purchase or help with the purchase of team gear.

“The boosters pay for half of our sports coats,” Keller said. “But after the kids pay the other half, they get to keep it.”

Keeping it clean on the court is a necessity, and ECI coaches feel the same way about facial hair and haircuts.

A clean shave and reasonable haircut is all part of being on the team.

“A lot of people like to look a little older,” said Central guard Ben Botts about facial hair, “but we’re happy to do it for the team.”

And coaches are happy to see it.

Coaches don’t personally care about the hair style of their players, but they do care about distractions on the court.

“We want our kids to think about basketball when they are playing, not about their hair being in their eyes,” Carr said.
Leave it and lock it up

Players in the NBA have real expensive jewelry, and some high school kids do, too.

It’s all relative.

“Kids work hard for the money they have,” Strong said. “Those earrings and things can be worth some money, but more than that, it can be a health issue.

“If someone gets caught on a necklace or an earring, it could be ugly. Wearing jewelry when you shouldn’t be can cause problems.”

Most coaches said they don’t mind the popular rubber bracelets, such as the yellow LiveStrong ones, at practices because they will usually break off if they get caught on something or someone.

Male jewelry hasn’t always been a big issue, but some coaches do understand and try to accommodate their players.

“I don’t really get it,” Blue River coach Barry Huckeby said about earrings. “We didn’t really wear them when I was playing, but know it’s a bigger thing now. I used to not let them wear them at all, but now it is OK with me at school as long as they come off in the gym.”

It’s gotta be the shoes

Ever since Michael Jordan graced the airwaves with his “Gotta be the shoes” commercials, footwear and hoops have exploded together.

Wearing team shoes is another way that players can come together and represent the team.

Most coaching staffs in the area decided on a few pairs of shoes, and seniors vote to decide what kicks the team will use.

Teams go through shoe vendors, or team gear vendors, to get a reasonable price.

Again, kids and their families must often pay for their own shoes, but some schools do offer help.

None moreso than Central.

When the Bearcats sprint onto the floor in their purple and white Nike Shox this season, remember that Bonzi bought them.

Current Sacramento King and former Ball State and Central standout Bonzi Wells has been giving back to the program for years.

This is the kind of thing that you wish you heard more from our sports heroes. That is awesome for him to help the program out like he is.

“He’s done that for us ever since I’ve been here,” Fine said about Wells buying two pairs of shoes for Central’s varsity players. “We certainly couldn’t do it without him.”