The ICT AeroBelles picked up paint brushes instead of basketballs and volunteered with us on Oct. 26, 2022.
Granny Basketball is for women 50+ years of age. You can find more about the history at grannybasketball.com. Team member and longtime Wichita Habitat volunteer Lorrie Beck said that games and uniforms are based on play in Iowa from the 1920s. Uniforms reflect that time period: bloomers, long-sleeved white shirts, sailor collars with numbers, and knee-high stockings so that no flesh is visible!
Rules of the game include 2 dribbles only
Other rules are no running, no jumping and six players per team. The court is divided into 3 sections with 2 players assigned to each section. Players may not cross over into another section. Do you remember the underhand “granny shot”? Well, in Granny Basketball a “granny” shot is worth three points. Regular shots are two points and free throws are one point.
They are competitive!
ICT AeroBelles began in 2018. Lorrie said they compete against other Kansas teams (Lawrence, Emporia, Wichita), plus a couple of OK teams. The ICT AeroBelles played in the national Granny Basketball Tourney this past summer and competed against teams from Iowa, Texas, and Missouri.
Watch them play on Nov. 13
One of the foci of a GBB team is giving back to the community, Lorrie said. Their youngest player, Cheryl, suggested volunteering with Wichita Habitat for Humanity and Lorrie made that happen. On Sunday, Nov. 13, the team will play in a benefit game at the East YMCA, which is where they practice. Proceed will go toward the East Y’s youth swim program. “We’ll be playing against the Y’s young whippersnappers,” Lorrie said, noting “I believe they’ll have to wear oven mitts on their hands!”
