In mid-March, the Buff Elementary gymnasium became the site of a championship showdown between the Lakers and the Penguins. These two teams were competing against each other for a shot at Buff’s Basketball Lunch Time Sports championship trophy.
You could feel the energy in the gym as starting lineups were announced. Students cheered on their classmates from the sidelines, as they hoped their team would become Lunch Time Sports Champions, a title that cannot be taken away.
The stage was set. The Penguins, comprised of 3rd and 4th grade students at Buff, were ready to battle the Lakers, a 5th grade team, for the championship.
This all started due to the work of Buff Elementary’s PE Teacher, Logan Bertram. He started Lunchtime Sports in the 22-23 school year, running a basketball league before spring break and then a soccer league later in the Spring. After a successful start, Bertram made the move to make Lunchtime Sports a year-round fixture at Buff.
“We added a dodgeball league in the Fall,” he said. “I started the leagues to give students a more competitive outlet to compete against each other, where we do keep score, and track wins and losses. It provides a good opportunity to teach kids how to win with class, and how not to be sore losers.”
Lunchtime Sports is offered to 3rd-5th grade students at the school. The games take place during the 20 minute recess right after lunch. This year, students were heavily involved in the leagues.
“This year we had 12 dodgeball teams of 8 or 9 kids each, for a total of 103 students participating,” Bertram said. “In basketball, we had 15 teams of 6 players for a total of 90 students.”
Currently, the students have the freedom to form their own teams. This allows them to play with their friends and the chance to pick their team name.
The format is simple. Teams play against each other during the three week ‘regular season.’ Once teams have battled it out, Bertram takes top eight teams for a single elimination tournament, Buff’s very own March Madness is at play where anything can happen.
“During the championship game, we invite the whole school to come and watch,” Bertram said. “It is cool to see how much even the kids watching get into it.”
It isn’t just the kids getting into it. Staff is there to cheer on the students and parents take the time during the day to come and support their kid in the championship game.
What a showdown the game was between the Lakers and the Penguins. The Penguins meant business from the opening tip-off scoring on their first possession. The game would go back and forth until the Penguins started to pull away near the end. At the final buzzer, the Penguins had accomplished what they set out to do at the dawn of the season and raised the championship trophy. They stared up at the peak that was the Lakers, and reached the mountaintop.
“Lunchtime Sports is one of my favorite parts of the year. My whole teaching philosophy is based on the idea of making school a place where kids WANT to be, not just a place where they HAVE to be,” he said.