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CLOUDY Temp: 45 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Wednesday, February 19, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend January 24, 2003 Manny Crump runs more than 30 basketball teams in a year-round league in Central Point. He often volunteers his time to referee, as in this game on a recent Sunday afternoon. Mail Tribune / Andrew Mariman Manny Crump runs more than 30 basketball teams in a year-round league in Central Point By BUFFY POLLOCK for the Mail Tribune CENTRAL POINT — When the city acquired the gymnasium next to the elementary school, parks officials searched for someone who could start up a team sport or two. What they got was a man with practically his own basketball association. Manny Crump, a lifelong basketball enthusiast who’s been coaching for 20 years, began a city league last fall with eight adult teams and a kids’ basketball clinic. By winter, it had grown to more than 30 teams, including 16 adult and 15 youth. "If I had more space, I could create more opportunity for kids," said Crump. "My old record is 80 teams. If I could beat that, that would be awesome. I can only see this thing getting bigger and better." It seems wherever Crump goes, basketball players follow. He’s held leagues in gyms at half a dozen local schools and two fitness centers, all incorporating dozens of teams and hundreds of players. Crump’s loyal followers have affectionately dubbed his teams the "Manny Basketball Association." "Wherever Manny can get a gym, we’ll follow him," said Medford resident Kevin Igou, an "MBA" athlete for two decades. "Manny’s my fountain of youth. I’m 48 years old. I graduated from Humboldt about the same time he graduated from SOU (then Southern Oregon State College), so we hooked up when we were like 20 or 22. "But Manny’s just a great coach. The kids love him; the parents love him. He really does a lot of good things for basketball around here." Crump said his league is unique because it is year-round, allowing local basketball players to sharpen their skills during the offseason. "Most leagues around the valley only play during the winter," he said. "Everyone knows, after wintertime when they want to continue playing, they come to me. During the spring is our biggest turnout." An apartment manager in his day job, Crump began coaching basketball at Ashland High School in 1983, which he continued until last year. He has been living out a dream of coaching basketball that germinated when he graduated from SOSC in 1983. An All-American player during his high school years in Los Angeles, Crump played three years at Oregon Institute of Technology and one year at SOSC, where he graduated with a degree in social sciences. After graduation, Crump learned there were very few places to play and keep his game in shape. In addition to coaching at Ashland High, he began rounding up players to form teams that could play against each other. Besides city leagues at local schools, Crump also ran leagues at Superior Gym & Fitness in northeast Medford (now closed) for two years, where up to 80 teams played, and at 24-Hour Fitness, where the teams maxed out at 24. Each time Crump and his court moved to a new location, the players followed. Crump said his only limit at the Central Point gym is space (as always), but he remains optimistic because of recent talks among city officials about building a community center. The league holds tournaments, basketball clinics and camps in addition to regular games. Teams for every skill level from fourth-graders through adult are available. For information on joining a basketball team, contact Crump at 734-9709. Buffy Pollock is a free-lance writer living in Medford. E-mail her at [email protected]. Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy webmaster feedback A D V E R T I S E R S