Yorktown (2,400) Built 1992
January 2, 2025: Anderson vs. Yorktown (Boys)
January 2, 2025: Anderson vs. Yorktown (Boys)
The calendar turned to a new year yesterday. I'm currently in the weird stretch of days between the end of the holidays and school starting up for the third quarter. I've always affectionately referred to the ten weeks of school between Christmas break and spring break as the "death march." As a high schooler it was because I would get to school when it was dark and leave after basketball practice when it was also dark. We basically didn't see the light of day for two months. There were also precious little distractions to break up the monotony of the weekly routine. Now as a teacher, this is also the most critical academic stretch of the year for my students and I. Growing up, the only saving grace during this repetitive cycle of dread was basketball. Knowing that there was a game to look forward to every weekend and occasionally on a blessed weeknight always gave me something to look forward to throughout the week. This holds true even now as an adult. Every week there's some upcoming gym or game that gives me a little piece of excitement. It renews week after week, and before you know it sectional time is upon you, and with it, spring break. As I look forward to next week and returning with my students, I know it's going to be an arduous two months of work for all of us, but the end result will be worth it. As I made the short drive over to Yorktown tonight with the snow falling softly, I reminded myself to find the small joys in the difficult processes, just like basketball provides in the midst of the dreariness.
Yorktown High School is not known for its basketball prowess. 106 years in existence, and only 6 sectional titles to their name. The girls have been slightly more successful, but the volleyball court is where they have been particularly dominant. I was expecting a sleepy crowd in a sleepy gymnasium tonight, but I was pleasantly surprised on both counts. There was a very good crowd on hand to watch a battle between neighboring towns as Yorktown took on Anderson. The gym here isn't remarkable, but the overall aesthetics are pleasing and there are a few distinguishing features worth discussing. My first thought when I looked in the gym was that it reminded me of the old home of the Northridge Raiders. Not just because of the green everywhere, but because of the layout. There is one level of retractable bleachers along one sideline that climbs up about 17 rows. The opposing sideline has two levels, the lower with 17 rows and the upper with about 12. It's a fairly uncommon configuration. The lower stairs connect with the upper level through openings in the barrier which makes navigating the gym a lot easier than other places. It's an idea that seems so simple and makes so much sense, you would think more places would do it. The bleachers are wood and remind me a lot of Westview which makes sense since both gyms were built in the same era. They're painted with black lines separating every individual seat. If you're sitting in seats 9 or 10 in the very upper row in the middle section, I hope you're really close with the person beside you. Two big posts will keep you and your seat buddy extra cozy.
You see green everywhere you look in this gym. It's a sort of emerald shade which suits me quite well. They even painted the first few rows of a couple bleacher sections that color for some reason. It's all over the walls in different spots. The walls here have a lot going on, and it's a bit of a mixed bag. The standard boring parts are the athletic accomplishment displays. The big green state champion and runner up banners above the sideline bleachers and the normal vinyl banners for all the different sports on the baseline wall above the entry are very basic. Above one of the entry way doors though are two displays honoring various basketball records for both the boys and girls teams which is very cool. There are also two jerseys honored here for past greats. The opposite baseline wall has a beautiful mural of a growling tiger with "Yorktown Tigers" painted above and below it. Next to that is a unique conference team display where the name (Hoosier Heritage Conference) and logo is actually painted onto the wall. The team names and logos below are then displayed on simple signs. I loved the idea of actually painting it on the wall, and if they would've gone the extra step of painting the team names and logos on it as well I would have given it a standing ovation.
Lastly, the court design here is modern but has some oddities. It's a very light tan color in most places. It's darker inside the wing areas and green inside the foul lane. A huge tiger paw print is outlined in green at center court which doesn't really do much for me. "Tigers" is written in cartoonish cursive script along the sidelines. The weirdest part though is actually behind the baselines. "Yorktown" is written in block letters across the border which is very common, but the font isn't that big and it looks like it's being squished by the flooring behind it. For whatever reason, the surface behind the baseline is a green rubber or composite material of some sort instead of hardwood. Not only does it look out of place in a gym, but it seems to be cramping the letters written across the baseline. It's weird.
If you look across the gym from baseline to baseline, you'll notice the structure of the gym following the slope of the bleachers and then up through the roofline. It looks intriguing. I'm not sure why, but it really captured my attention. It makes the gym feel tall and regal in some sense. It gives the place a little extra chutzpah it wouldn't otherwise have. Looking at it from a zoomed out view, the place doesn't really feel special in any way. When you look closer though at the little details, there's actually a decent amount of features that give it a little character. The wind and snow are swirling outside as I write this. It's not a blizzard by any means, but it gives me a sense of peace and momentary joy. Those are the same feelings I had tonight watching Anderson and Yorktown in the first game of the new year in a gym that was unexpectedly pleasing.