Shul hoops league says, "We're all on the same team"

Mike Saunders, a trainer for the New York Knicks, speaks at a basketball clinic for the Tri-League, which brings Jewish youngsters of all denominations together on the basketball court.

by Debra Rubin
NJJN Bureau Chief/Middlesex
09.18.07

When Irwin Steinlight began the Tri-League of East Brunswick, his goal was to bring Jewish youngsters from all denominations together through basketball.

Twenty-eight years later, about 4,000 youngsters from Orthodox, Reform, and Conservative backgrounds have had the all-too-rare opportunity to play and laugh as one.

And what began as and is named for a partnership of three East Brunswick synagogues — the Orthodox Young Israel of East Brunswick, the Conservative East Brunswick Jewish Center, and Reform Temple B'nai Shalom — now includes youngsters from other area synagogues.

"I think we now have kids from seven or eight synagogues," said Steinlight. "We have them from Old Bridge, South Amboy, Spotswood, North Brunswick, Monroe, South Brunswick."

Steinlight cofounded the league with Eliot Botnick, who died some years ago. After years of arranging for facilities and equipment, formulating the rules, handling registration, and staffing pregame teaching clinics, Steinlight is known as "the commissioner."

The games are played at East Brunswick Jewish Center, which has a gym.

Steinlight, who also coaches the basketball teams at the Solomon Schechter Day School of Raritan Valley, has been honored over the years for his contributions.

"These kids grow up with team spirit, knowing the value of hard work, sports skills, social skills — he even teaches them Jewish values," said Steve Reich, a volunteer parent coach from East Brunswick. "He brings all these kids together for the good of klal Yisrael, not for the good of any one shul or school. Night after night he is there."

Reich, a member of EBJC and Young Israel and an orthopedic surgeon, is renowned in the league for coaching games in his hospital scrubs, often rushing straight from surgery so as not to disappoint the youngsters.

Reich called his coaching duties "one of the most important things I do" and said one of his proudest achievements was rising from assistant to full coach.

"I have three daughters, and I think it's a great opportunity for Jewish children to come together in a Jewish environment," said Reich. "It's difficult in an observant family such as ours — because we go to shul on Shabbat — to find other such outlets."

The league, which is coed for children six or seven years old, separates youngsters into same-sex teams for those eight to 14 years. Registration is under way for the current season.

Players who have gone through the league often continue to be involved as referees or coaches. Other players have gone on to star at East Brunswick High School and area yeshivot and day schools. Several players on the current team at the upper school at the Solomon Schechter Day School of Essex and Union in West Orange are alumni of the Tri-League.

"Wherever I go, I bump into kids I knew from 20 years ago," said Steinlight, a member of EBJC. "They're now doctors, lawyers. One — Josh Miller — is a professional football player" — most recently with the New England Patriots — "one is a rabbi."

The league gets a boost from its relationship with the New York Knicks, which donates souvenirs and sends experts to Tri-League clinics. Steinlight's son, Sammy, did public relations for the Knicks and now does the same for the New York Rangers.

Other clinic speakers have included Becky Hammond of the WNBA and coaches from East Brunswick High School.

In the Tri-League, sportsmanship is the name of the game, even though winners are also rewarded.

"Everyone meets new friends," Steinlight said. "Yeah, we play to win, but it's not like it's life or death. We have two or three refs and everyone has a great time. Every five minutes or so we ask the ref to blow the whistle and stop the game so we can put in replacements. Everyone gets to play. At the end of the season, every kid gets a shirt with their team's name on it. It's a whole wonderful thing for the kids."

Even after 28 years Steinlight is not ready to hang up his sneakers.

"I enjoy coming back," he said. "A lot of people get burned out and move on, but I don't.

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