Afternoon workout - Professionals gather just after lunch at Civic Center

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Afternoon workout - Professionals gather just after lunch at Civic Center

County News

Wednesday, 06 October 2010 18:04

By Ken Jackson
Staff Writer
It’s natural to want to get out of the office during the lunch hour, right?
There’s a group that, instead of hovering over a Cobb salad, hamburger or pizza, chose to move around a bit more.
And, get a little sweaty.
Meet what the employees at Kissimmee Civic Center call, “The Lunch Bunch.”
Most are city or county employees, who walk to the Civic Center in their Dockers and loafers, gym bag in tow, ready to transform into weekday warriors around 1 p.m., after likely grabbing a bite of lunch at the office.
Slowly, they make their way to the main basketball court, exchange a pleasantry or two — but not much more than that, as many of them gathered there just the day before — choose up sides, and begin what will be a vigorous hour or so of hoops.
By 2 p.m., they generally scatter from the court, grab a quick shower, then it’s back into the Dockers and their professional persona — well, the paid one.
This group of downtown professionals, who come from various close locales like the Osceola County Courthouse and Hanson, Walter and Associates, have been getting together for the better part of seven years to play their brand of noontime ball.
Their arrival on Monday through Wednesday – and many Thursdays – is like clockwork, said Robin Hinson, the fitness and membership coordinator at the Civic Center.
“There’s a few regulars, but we see 20 or 25 different folks through the week,” he said.
The players run their own game, often getting creative depending on who shows up each day. It makes for a fun way for the staff to pass the quiet noontime period, Hinson said.
“Sometimes they’ll get both courts going. Sometimes they’ll play 6-on-6,” he said. “They bring a bit of levity into a slow part of our day.”
The group welcomes anyone looking to get a good mid-day workout in without the tedium of lifting weights, walking the treadmill or working a machine.
“Not many people know they can come in the afternoon and get a game,” Hinson said. “Many think they have to be here in the evening.”
On the right day, you might see a local luminary come through the door in shorts and his choice of name-brand sneakers. Larry Walter, one of HWA’s namesakes and credited as the organizer of this group from way back, often attends. Osceola County Commissioner John Quiñones has been known to drop in for a game. Sky Begg, currently the director of sales at a timeshare resort, played professionally in the United Kingdom for a bit.
The players have their moments. On one trip down court, teammates will hook up for a crisp pass and deft lay-up a la Dwayne Wade and LeBron James. The next trip down, they look like Rick James.
A sweet no-look pass or a long nothing-but-net jump shot is what keeps guys like Robert Newberry of HWA coming back.
“Larry invited us down, and we spread it through e-mail, which brought in the county and city guys,” he said, still with plenty of breath after a recent session of three games-to-11.
“It’s a nice break in the day and the center is very accommodating,” Newberry said.
Shawn Bolling, a Kissimmee nursing school student, said the physical benefits of getting strenuous exercise four days a week — he plays every day there’s a game — keeps him coming back.
“You can’t beat playing here, indoors,” he said. “Plus, playing helps stretch out my back.”
The noontime game has a lot going for it: camaraderie, effort, occasional bursts of talent and, in the lingo of the street court, they “got next.”
Hinson said The Lunch Bunch has priority over other noontime events going on in the gym.
“We will work around this group,” he said. “If we have to set up for another event, we’ll wait until they’re done.”
By then, The Lunch Bunch has slipped back into their Dockers. But, they’ll likely be back tomorrow.