Since 2007, the St. Anthony Police have played the Cops vs. Kids Basketball Challenge with teams of 4th through 6th grade St. Anthony students.
This year’s event was held at the St. Anthony High School lower gym. The games were scheduled for Feb 23, but got changed to March 9. Here’s why:
Because of a big snow storm that was supposed to hit Feb. 24, a high school basketball game got changed to the 23rd, bumping the Cops vs. Kids games to March 9. Seventy-three students, on four boys teams and four girls teams each played a 20 minute game against the police. Ten police officers rotated playing the games with the eight student teams.
There are two types of student teams. The In-House players are the first level players who are learning the game, and the Traveling players are more advanced and are required to try out to get on the teams.
The first game was 6th grade girls Traveling team winning 23 to 16. The second game was 4th grade girls In-House team winning 26 to 12. The third game was 4th grade boys In-House team winning 28 to 12. The fourth game was 5th grade boys Traveling team winning 37 to 24. The fifth game was 5th & 6th grade girls In-House team winning 26 to 9. The sixth game was 5th grade girls Traveling team winning 20 to 11. The seventh game was 6th grade girls Traveling team winning 32 to 14. The final game was 5th and 6th grade boys In-House team winning 20 to 12.
The students are all impressive players. Fourth graders made baskets almost as easily as the taller 6th graders. At one point Officer Jim South, who is 6-foot-10-1/2 inches tall, picked up 4th grader Benjamin Keating, held him up to the basket and Keating dropped the ball in.
Connie Bergquist from Community Services coordinates the event to have all teams and police available. Officer Jim South schedules the police.
Below: Six-foot-10-1/2 inches tall Officer Jim South helped Benjamin Keating of the 4th grade In-House team make basket during St. Anthony’s Cops Vs. Kids game at St. Anthony High School. Shots from the 5th grade girls traveling team’s game. A few group photos of cops and kids. (Photos by Carol Jensen)
