I’ll set the scene for you. It’s 7:38 on a grim Monday morning. A group of boys are congealed in a small group, having a heated conversation about a basketball game that took place over the weekend. Being the naive, uninformed young lady I am, I foolishly assume their chattering is about one of the seemingly endless NBA or college games that happen ad nauseam. Boy, I couldn’t be more incorrect.

The real topic of discussion is the ever-growing Elmhurst Y-Ball phenomenon that has taken over the senior grade.

Let’s briefly go over the history of the YMCA and how it’s been a key element within the history of basketball. Back in 1844, the first YMCA was established in London with the main focus being “the improving of the spiritual condition of young men engaged in the drapery, embroidery, and other trades.” By 1851, YMCAs were popping up all throughout Europe, and soon after, YMCAs were seen all over the world. It was 1891 when basketball was first invented by James Naismith, a student at the YMCA International Training School, as an assignment for one of his classes. The game quickly became a crowd pleaser and was organically passed from Y to Y, causing the sport to become a staple for athletes everywhere.

As for me, I’m not completely in the dark about Y-Ball in Elmhurst. My dad coached my brother’s team to championship victory multiple times, and I’ve attended a sizeable amount of games. What I didn’t know was the importance this activity held within the York community.

“I think the best part about being involved in Y-Ball is that it’s something everyone can get excited about,” said senior Dylan Foley, who has played Elmhurst Y-Ball since fourth grade. “Whenever the beginning of the week rolls around, everyone starts speculating, which eventually snowballs into trash talk. There are even teachers that take time out of their classes to address Y-Ball and give their own input. So come game time, everyone wants to put out their best effort and prove themselves. This makes the games super enjoyable to watch.”

What initially brought my attention to York’s Y-Ball obsession was some interactions I had with Zorian Schiffman, a senior here at York who’s been playing Y-Ball for six years, and has been coaching teams for two. Schiffman was in my creative writing class, and while others used cliches such as love or despair as driving points for their work, Schiffman used his passion for Y-Ball as his muse, performing a rap song under his alias ‘Z-DRIZZLE’ about his love for the sport as his final exam piece. Here’s an excerpt from his 5-minute long ballad dedicated to his team:

“The competitive spirit of Y-Ball must never end

On the court, the other team is your enemy, even if one of them is your friend

Technical fouls this year just may be on the rise

But that’s perfectly fine because they serve to energize

Now while there are bound to be scuffles this season on the court

No fight should be big enough where it will distort

The fact that while there may be some altercations and surely some profanity

Remember that at the end of the day – Y-Ball is family”

Schiffman’s obsession with Y-ball and the culture surrounding it fascinated me; the aggression and sportsmanship he possessed on the court didn’t come off with the jersey and basketball shoes–it’s instilled in him.

“Y-Ball [is] special because almost everyone likes playing basketball–in fact, various studies show that shooting a basketball and seeing it go through the hoop releases several of the same endorphins that are released by using illegal substances,” Schiffman said. “So, in a sense, at least for me, basketball is my high, as I know that every time I pick up a basketball, I forget about all the stress I face in my life and for however long I am on the court, it seems like the boundaries of the universe shrink to the 94 by 50 rectangle of joy that makes up a basketball court.”

Schiffman’s viewpoint on the sport opened my eyes to how Y-Ballistic people are about this league. When asking for quotes for this investigation, many of my interviewees started off by saying “Y-Ball is lit.”

And “lit” it is. With leagues ranging from 2nd grade to 12th grade, Y-Ball gives people of any age an opportunity to channel their inner Lebron while playing on basketball courts all throughout Elmhurst. From senior boys who are off to play for college teams to tiny 10-year-olds who can barely dribble, the amount of people who participate in Y-Ball is mindblowing.

I called the YMCA to ask how many people were currently in the Winter league and I was shocked when I heard that the number of players was nearly 1,000 in Elmhurst alone.

To put that in perspective, the Elmhurst District 205 website states that there are around 8,000 students currently enrolled within the district. Statistically speaking, about ⅛ of the students at Elmhurst public schools are Y-Ball players.

But merely playing Y-Ball is one thing; being a “Y-Baller” is a whole other. From creating brackets to recording 20 minute long podcasts every week, dedicated members of the Y-Ball community have taken it upon themselves to be immersed in the game 24/7, not just during their weekly practices and Sunday night games.

“My favorite aspects of being a Y-Ball player are the hype surrounding Y-Ball, podcasts, power rankings, non-stop talk, and the actual games themselves which give equal opportunities to all players so star players can’t dominate playing time and everyone can have fun, as well as being able to have organized basketball which is really hard to do at times,” Schiffman said.

With passion like this being put toward an intramural league, you’d think that these extreme Y-Balling boys would try their hand at varsity basketball here at York, yet they continue lending their talents to the YMCA’s league.

“Speaking for myself, I probably wouldn’t make a travel team or the school basketball team, so I play Y-Ball because of that, and in Y-Ball I’m kind of a superstar, so I need to continue my reign,” said Bilal Kamka, a senior who has been a part of the Y-Ball community since the sixth grade. “For other guys who can make travel, I think it’s because they like the atmosphere, it’s more fun, it’s less competitive, especially senior year.”

That’s what draws people toward Y-Ball: the community aspect that allows players to truly be themselves. There may be a communal vibe within travel or varsity leagues, but with Y-Ball, the kinship isn’t restricted to a single team. Many seasoned players will coach younger teams, instilling their passion for the league into the younger generation of Y-Ballers.

“What makes YBall truly unique, however, is the amount of involvement we players have on the way it’s run,” Foley said. “Player Coaches are permitted for older teams, and there is even a Y-Ball committee made primarily of high school players to ensure fair draft rankings and for adequate rule creation.”

But the underlying question still lingers:

Why ball?

Why do all of these busy teenagers drop everything to go above and beyond for this recreational basketball league?

The answer is simple: because it’s fun and inclusive to players of every skill level, for it creates an atmosphere built on sportsmanship, passion, and unity.

“In short, everyone can participate in Y-Ball in some way, and it’s this accessibility that brings people together, which earns Y-Ball all of its appreciation and participation,” Foley said.

Before interviewing passionate players and really diving into what the character of Y-Ball is all about, I thought the hype surrounding it was blown completely out of proportion. But now I understand why so many people are a part of this league-it’s a kinship unlike anything else, and the best thing to do is embrace that energy as much as you possibly can.

I think Kamka summed it up best when he said “Y-Ball is family, alright, we’re out for each other, we are always looking out for one another. It’s a brotherhood-you’re either in it or you’re not.”

After years of being part of this iron-clad brotherhood, Kamka, Foley, and Schiffman had to say goodbye to Y-Ball for good this past weekend. Although Kamka and Foley’s teams didn’t advance to the final games, Schiffman’s passion towards Y-Ball paid off as his team, Magic, took home the championship title against the Bulls.

If you’re in the mood to dive deeper into the world of Elmhurst YBall, check out @elmhurstyball, a player-run Instagram account highlighting the happenings surrounding Y-Ball, and head over to Soundcloud and listen to Elmhurst YBALL, a podcast curated by Foley, Schiffman, and fellow York senior and YBall enthusiast Joe Chornij.