Many people ask me where I work out and practice my shot during our brief summer break. I spend the majority of the summer driving out to my old high school to lift and shoot. At night, however, I walk down to my favorite courts in the whole world, the Narberth basketball courts. To anyone from the area, this place is pretty famous.

In the summer, the courts host girls’ and boys’ basketball leagues where young hoopsters get to play under the lights and compete with local rivals. The boys’ league has been around for quite some time, and many great players who got their start in the Philly area have played in it. Wilt “The Stilt” Chamberlain is one of the most famous alums.

It is always great to walk into town with my mom or dad, to catch a few games and even run into some old neighbors and friends. We usually watch the last two games of the night, and then once the courts are open, I lace up and shoot until the lights go off. On several occasions, the on-duty police officer has reminded me nicely that once the lights are off, it’s time to go home because the neighbors are trying to sleep.

I remember the Narberth courts as one of the places where my dad would spend hours teaching me how to shoot. He used to tell me that if I could become a good shooter on an outdoor court, where you face elements such as snow, wind and rain, then I would be able to shoot anywhere.

One night I was shooting around with some friends and my dad. It was pretty late, and the only other people there were some college-age guys. All of a sudden, Kobe Bryant came out of nowhere and was on the courts shooting with us. It turned out the guys at the other end were some of his high school friends from the local school, Lower Merion. That night goes down as one of my favorite basketball memories ever!

This week we play Minnesota at home on Thursday, followed by Ohio State away on Sunday. Until next week, you can follow me on twitter @maggielucas33 or the Lady Lions @pennstatewbb!