New York – In the middle of his 40th year as the men’s basketball coach at Yeshiva University, Jonathan Halpert, normally quick with a wisecrack, could not joke his way past the truth: his team was playing poorly.
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Wearing a yarmulke and dressed in navy warm-up pants he has had for 10 years and a pullover that was twice as old, Halpert sat in front of a large dry-erase board. Blue smears were all that remained of a failed game plan for Yeshiva’s 75-68 loss in December to St. Joseph’s College of Patchogue, N.Y. The Maccabees would have been victorious, Halpert said, had they not missed 10 layups.
“I’ve done a great job this season,” he said. “I’ve done everything I can possibly do. If your team is missing layups, there’s nothing more you can do.”
The challenges of coaching at a university like Yeshiva are nothing new to the 67-year-old Halpert, currently the longest-serving basketball coach in New York City. Yeshiva students attend Judaic and secular courses for up to 12 hours a day, the team practices just four times a week because of the Sabbath, and the Maccabees’ opponents frequently possess more talent and superior training.
Its obvious that the bochurim who play on the team need to take a bit of time away from their shiiurim and practice longer. You cannot compete effectively with teams that play together several hours a day, 6 days a week during the season, and expect to be successful, especially against teams with superior native talent.
Gevald!
Playing poorly, playing good ?!?! When will we be zocheh to see our kids -in Yiddish Speaking, Chassidish- yeshivos playing Basket ball or any sports for that matter.
Ani maamin… V’af-al-pi Sheyismameia, Im kol zeh achakeh loi….
Whata Kidush Hashem David Brooks in the NY Times quoted the Rav concerning Jeremy Lin and religion.
As a yiddishe mamma I would say I am just happy the bocherim are getting some exercise. Who cares if they win?