We have all heard the stories. Wilt Chamberlain played here, Kobe Bryant played here, and innumerable college basketball greats, guys and girls, played here.
“Here” refers to the courts of Narberth on Haverford Avenue, next to Borough Hall and the Police Department and behind the Fire House at 100 Conway Avenue.
For a look back, read the relevant section of “Friends of Narberth History” researched and written by Victoria Donohoe, “Most notably, the large and impressive Narberth Summer Basketball League, begun in 1947, moved through several phases before becoming strictly a high school league by about 1974, which it still is, now featuring girls’ basketball as well as teams for senior and junior boys.” https://narberthhistory.org/stories/narberth-history
When did YOU first hear of these modestly prestigious courts and the games? In 1967, as a freshman at Villanova, I vaguely remember an awareness of the boys’ match-ups.
Later, down on the baseball field, my husband Jim Brown coached then 12-year old Jim McNulty’s Narberth COLTS team in 1977.
Thus, my two at-that-time young children and I spent many a fun moment at the playground, hearing rubber squeak on blacktop, referees’ whistles, and the buzzers.
Recently, on Thursday, May 23, I walked down to the courts while Jim, as President of Main Line American Legion Baseball, was upstairs at Borough Hall in the Board Room, having set up a meeting with Tom Graham, Legion Region 3 Director and the coaches of the Prep and Youth Division teams.
This was after I dropped off two sacks of 474 Elite Series Pacific Headwear caps to Andy Ufberg at the baseball field, during his Youth Legion practice.
So, I was certainly in the frame of mind to start drafting an article for Main Line Times & Suburban about the pedigree and longevity of Narberth sports programs, especially 2024 basketball underway since May 19.
Next step was to take photos at the court, and I talked with Kaz, now in his year thirty of running the table for the boys’ games.
Then, a chance to speak with Linda D’Antonio O’Keefe who through her parents, the legendary Joe and Ellie D’Antonio, goes way, way back, 40 years, to when they started the girls’ league.
I should note that Narberth Summer Basketball is the kind of place where you always run into someone you know.
Case in point, Andy Cobaugh was helping Linda O’Keefe close up the girls’ side and Andy played Narberth Legion with my son Shannon O’Neill in the late 1980’s. It was fun to catch up.
Also, the son of my former LMHS Latin student Phil Mellet, who is now an attorney, was playing on KOBE’S TEAM which brought back so many bittersweet memories because I knew Kobe Bryant when I was teaching at Lower Merion.
And, I can mention that several of our referees for Narberth Athletic Association NFL Flag Football, which Jim and I run with NAA President Melissa O’Connor, were also playing that night.
Oh, I cannot forget seeing Henry and Todd Rendle, Dick Lentz, Steve Taylor, and Tom Bagnell, plus many Saint Margaret families.
Here, however, it is very important to start up about Mister D, born William Crawford Draper, Lower Merion High School Alumnus, Class of 1936, as he is honored on the Narberth Basketball website for fifty-eight summers of work on the courts:
“Mr. D was the awe-inspiring man who was associated with the Narberth League for more than five decades and gave his time, energy and resources to help so many young people.
“We hope to carry on the spirit of Mr. D and the ideals that he taught to so many players and parents in our program each summer and throughout the year.
“We will do this by continuing to teach young men the sportsmanship and civility that Mr. D wanted all of us to display.”
“Amen,” I say, especially since I knew Bill Draper through my husband Jim who was SJU Associate Athletics Director for a number of years, and Bill worked for Joe McGuiness for Hawks event coverage.
Mr. D was hugely important to Narberth Summer League, first as a basketball coach and later as a life coach.
To understand, read the words of American Pastor Charles Swindoll as cited by Mr. D over the years, “The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. ‘Attitude’ to me is more important than facts.
“It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people say or do.
“It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home.
“The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past and we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way.
“We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude.
“I am convinced that life is 10% of what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you. We are in charge of our ‘Attitude.’”
Mr. D added to these quoted words, “Ask God daily for the right attitude and surround yourself with friends with good attitudes.
“Look not to attain peace and happiness for yourself, but for others. In doing so, you will attain these goals for yourself. A paradox, but it works.
“Let your faith become a life-style, not just an intellectual exercise, AND start today!”
We all have precious memories of key people. Again, Kaz, Kobe, Linda D’Antonio O’Keefe, her parents Ellie and Joe, Andy Cobaugh and his parents Carol and Paul.
We also are blessed to hold mementos of special people in our lives.
The following vignette is offered as an example of a memento. During one hot afternoon in June, 2006, when we were cleaning up and closing up at Lower Merion High School, I was asked to go through a pile of books on a table near the Main Office.
A good task for me, bibliophile that I am, so I set right to it. In a moment, my eyes caught sight of a Bible and when I opened it, a smile, broad and delighted, spread across my face.
In the front of the King James Version of the Bible was a bookplate with an inscription, written ironically to the sister of Nick Beckford, one of my Latin students.
And guess whose signature was on the bookplate? You got it, the name of Mister D, aka Bill “All Net” Draper, imbued with his faith, dedication, and “attitude.”
Come September 30, it will be twenty years since William Crawford Draper, at age 88, passed away at the Rosemont Manor Nursing Home.
Truly, Mister D is gone but not forgotten, as you can well sense at the Narberth courts on any warm, balmy summer night.
Mary Brown, a LMHS John “Fritz” Brennan Award Recipient, taught Latin at Harriton for 12 years and for 27 at Lower Merion High School, and is a weekly columnist and feature writer for Main Line Media News.
