Basketball is a Brotherhood by Achilles

If you don’t know, you should.

Basketball is a Brotherhood and a Sisterhood.

I’ve seen it for myself while visiting Pucon.

No translations needed because “The Rock” is a modern day Rosetta Stone.

A wry smile says, “Cut back door!”

Hands up with four fingers on each hand, means “my jumper just tied the score.”

A scowl warns, “Not in my house!”

A wink beckons, “Give me the ball in the post ‘cuz I’m being guarded by a mouse.”

A quick slap on the rump means, “That was a job well done.”

A massive group hug after the buzzer sounds screams, “We are the champions!”

On a warm day in February I walked into the Municipal Gymnasium and saw Jose Antonio teaching a bunch of Chilean kids how to play hoop.  At that moment I knew I was about to meet some more of my brothers and sisters.  I walked right up to him and asked if I could help with some of the drills.  It was obvious from the way he greeted me (a handshake and a hug) that he was a ball player.  He invited me over and we began to teach the kids how to play lightning.  They loved it.  Jose was working as a basketball instructor for kids during their summer break.  They ranged in age from 6 – 17.  For an entire month I helped teach the kids for 3 days a week.  Elijah joined in some of the sessions.  Jose arranged basketball tournaments with some of the surrounding towns like Temuco and Villarica.  Summer break ended at the end of February.  The kids then had to go back to school.  It was a bit sad not to see them 3 times a week.  But I would still see a few here and there around town or at the gym on weekend.  I always gave them a handshake and a hug.

Two nights a week the local men would play pick-up ball.  I immediately had 12 men I could call brothers.  I stood out a little bit not only because of skin color, nationality and height but I also play ball decently enough for a 42 year old guy with a surgically repaired Achilles tendon!  Anyway, we all bonded and I ended up playing on the local team called “Palestino”.  We played on Tuesday night in Villarica and Saturday night in Pucon.  The team has been in existence for over 30 years with members coming and going.  Dads, uncles, cousins and brothers know each other.  Every once and a while a foreigner like myself gets the chance to play ball with them. 

 The last game of the season ended up being quite the affair.  We were to play against the team sponsored by the local casino called “Enjoy”.  The gym was ¾ full at 9pm at night.  The anticipation was so thick you could cut it with an Asado knife (Inside joke).   The game was originally planned for Saturday July 6^th.  However, since I was going to be leaving town on July 1^st they re-scheduled the game to Friday June 28^th!  I was the only foreigner in the league.  Other than myself the league was supposed to be composed of players only from the small town of Pucon.  However, Enjoy recruited players from the two neighboring towns of Temuco and Villarica in order to have a stacked team.  However, everyone figured it was fair since they brought in this crazy looking foreigner from the States!  Most Chilean men are 5’8” and around 200 lbs.  (They have strong legs and thick mid-sections as a rule.)  So I was surprised when I saw the Enjoy players for the first time and saw that they had two cats over 6’2” and one cat a legitimate 6’4”!  I hadn’t seen them before because their game time was always at different hours than our games up until this point and I figured scouting them was just bad form!  It was an enjoyable but fierce game.  Our team ended up winning the game and the championship that night.  They handed out trophies to each team for 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd place.  They also handed out individual trophies.  I received a trophy for good sportsmanship for my participation in a lot of the functions at the gymnasium (chess, ping-pong, hoop and dance.)  It was a very special moment.  

However, the coolest thing of basketball in Pucon I think is that the women’s basketball scene is just as intense in Pucon as the men’s.  Three of the guys on the team have wives or daughters that play on the Pucon Women’s team.  The Villarica women once scored 100 points in a game!  So on the night of June 28^th the women of Pucon played the women of Villarica for the championship just before the men’s final game.  It was exciting.  The Villarica team won, but after the game there were hugs all around. 

Later that night around 11:30 we had an Asado for winning the Championship!  An Asado is what the Chileans call a BBQ.  It was one of the coolest moments of the entire trip for me.  Way back in the country side at a “Quincho” which is a place where the Chileans make serious BBQ’s we had a feast prepared for Kings and Queens.  One of the ball players on the team grew up a young man who owns a farm.  Their dads grew up with each other.  On this farm he built this magnificent lodge complete with a stuffed Puma growling near the fireplace and a set of Ciervo antlers hanging on the wall.  We had BBQ, salad, wine, mixed drinks and music.  It was a great night.  I got home around 6am.  The ladies basketball team made me a homemade beanie with Chilean flag on it side.   Amazing, right? 

Now I know that I have a group of brothers and sisters in Pucon anytime I return.  They are all welcome to my home in California at anytime. 

If you don’t know, you should.

Basketball is a Brotherhood and a Sisterhood.

I’ve seen it for myself while visiting Pucon.

No translations are needed because “The Rock” is a modern day Rosetta Stone.



Palestino Basketball Team Pucon Champions




With Jose Antonio, B-ball Coach who became a close friend