For many, wintertime in America means basketball. And for the majority of students, that doesn’t mean playing for the high-school team; rather, it means banding together with other enthusiasts of the game and playing in a local house recreational league.

“I play house basketball to continue doing what I love,” senior Andrew Luo said. Luo played freshman basketball for McLean, but has been a player-coach in the house basketball league for the past two years.

Widely lauded for its stress-free and fun atmosphere, students from different basketball backgrounds enjoy the league. Senior Tasman Ridgely, who is a high-level soccer player, played freshman and jayvee basketball at McLean, but elected to play in the house league this year.

“I was interested in playing basketball, but I needed a relaxed and low commitment outlet, so house was the obvious choice,” Ridgely said.

Senior Matt Steelberg has played in the McLean Youth Basketball system since he was in first grade.

“I like playing [in the house league] because it’s not too competitive,” Steelberg said. “My favorite part is probably making friends with people in basketball that I would usually never meet in school.”

Rec-league basketball often is understood with a stigma of low-quality and careless play. While that characterization is not wholly inaccurate, many players, especially non-seniors, can development deeply as players during their time in the league.

“The house league is just as competitive as the varsity level in high school,” Luo said. Senior Tristan Liu, a guard on the McLean varsity team this season, played in the house league last year.

“House league helped me slow down my handle so I could learn to handle pressure,” Liu said. “I could take whatever shots I wanted without any repercussions from a coach.” Liu led the team in scoring in a preseason scrimmage against Falls Church.

Many players haven’t played much basketball at all, but sign up simply to have a good time playing with their friends.

“I’ve always enjoyed played basketball with my friends and I thought this would be a great opportunity to have fun and play with them,” senior Andrew Ko said. As of December 15, Ko was performing well – he’s hit five three-pointers in three games.

For those interested, league statistics are posted here: http://mcleanbasketball.com/Page.asp?n=101569&org=forum.mcleanbasketball.com