Over the summer of 2013, Mitch Gehrt, Nick Patterson and several of their friends joined a recreational basketball team in Lawrence.

“We were sitting in Nick’s basement one day, and figured we should play basketball this summer. Then we looked up local places to play and found Lawrence,” Gehrt said.

Gehrt and most of the guys on the team do not play basketball normally, but they enjoy spending time together and playing a sport without any competitive pressure. Although the team was not always successful, they still enjoyed themselves.

“We’re really bad, and we didn’t win a single game,” Gehrt said “I just like playing basketball with my friends.”

Because the team is fairly small, they all play most of the game. This gives the group a workout and helps to keep them in shape.

“We played on Thursdays. It’s normally just six guys, so we’re all pretty tired at the end,” Gehrt said.

Gehrt and the guys plan to continue playing basketball recreationally, and they plan to continue to participate next summer.

“We will do this as much as possible. We will probably do it this summer, next summer and maybe do a couple of spring leagues.”