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Fighting Their Battles on the Basketball Court, Not the Streets
Coach Thomas Bing talks with his team members during a game last Thursday. The team is part of the Tale of the Tape Summer Basketball League, which was formed last year with a mission to keep the city's youths off the streets.
(By Dominic Bracco Ii -- The Washington Post)
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The next day, his team played its regular Tuesday game at the rec center. The opposing team was named for Marshall, who had been killed last year two months before the league was launched.
"You gotta watch each other," Jones yelled to his teammates from the sidelines. "Watch out for each other!"
The K.D.P. men lost again, 55-37. Their arms and foreheads dripping with sweat, they shook hands with their opponents.
Mozie said that the league keeps young men engaged but that the city needs to do more for black youths.
"The shooting happened on a quiet Sunday," he said. "I've been telling people we need to keep the rec center open on Sundays and at night."
"Most of these kids are good kids," said Kenny Broadnax, at 43 the oldest member of the league. "It's hard to find jobs, so they start getting into trouble."
Broadnax and the other players were scheduled to gather yesterday for a candlelight vigil at the rec center. Meanwhile, Mozie created a video montage using footage of Taylor playing basketball and hanging out with friends.
"We can bring him back to life for a moment in time," he said.
