Granny Basketball — The sport they never thought they’d play again

Huddled in a tight circle, the 12-person team decked out in baggy black “bloomers” and knee-high sunflower socks stack their hands in the middle. 

“One, two, three, let’s bloom!” 

The Sunflower Granny Basketball team spreads into their positions after their pep talk from East grandparent Jean Ralston — they’re ready for action. 

Basketball keeps them active, but it’s more than that‚ it’s a sport they never thought they’d be able to play again. They’re a community. They know it’s a laughable affair, and they love that.  

Some of the players are over 70 years old, others just over 50. Some are retired and watch their grandkids daily, others are still working 9-5 jobs. Some played for their high schools and others had barely dribbled a basketball before joining the team. The center has even had six knee replacements. 

In between jokes about taking their medications and trying not to fall, the team members help each other tie their shoes or review game plays, strengthening a bond that’s far from a typical church bingo nights at church, according to Ralston. 

“Nobody has ever heard of it,” 60-year-old team member Martha Long said. “My favorite part is bragging rights. I get to laugh and tell everybody that I play granny basketball.”

Their court at the Olathe Community Center is usually close to the courts where elementary school kids play, so they get a few eyebrow raises as they warm up their free throws. The kids working on their layups nearby wear neon Nike shoes while the grannies sport white New Balance sneakers — leaving the fifth grade boys wondering if their own grandma could shoot that well.  

In Granny Basketball, there’s no physical contact allowed, and they can’t run or jump. They have to “scurry along.” The court is divided into three sections with two players in each — which helps prevent injury because there’s less room for them to fall or get knocked over by players running by.

“A lot of people say ‘that’s not real basketball,’” Ralston said. “When you hear the rules you think, ‘well that can’t be hard,’ but it’s still a good workout. We work up a sweat . . . We’re all having a lot of fun with it.” 

The grannies are mostly self-coached — and they might not have Bill Self — but as a team, Ralston feels they’ve gotten much better at strategy and stamina since 2017 when she joined. They learned how to “maneuver a pick and roll,” so Ralston thinks they’ve got it together now.  

“I mean that first year I don’t think we won a game,” Ralston said. “And this year we’re already 2-0. We feel confident right now. We’re hoping we’ll be a lot more competitive this year.” 

At games, the bleachers are often packed with grandchildren, children and husbands curious to see their loved one dribbling and passing the basketballs in their yellow socks and baggy pants. As a grandparent, they spent years sitting in the bleachers of their grandkids’ games — and now the roles switch. 

“A lot of our ladies [have] their kids come to the games or their grandkids and they bring the cowbells and shake them,” Ralston said. “If there’s someone in the crowd that you know of course you want to say ‘Put me in as a forward I wanna make a basket’.” 

Hearing about the league at family dinner, Ralston’s grandson, sophomore Aaron Ralston, was curious and wanted to watch her play as soon as he could. 

“I honestly think it’s really cool how she’s doing basketball, it gives her something to do because she’s retired,” Aaron said. “It’s kinda funny watching them because they can’t run and they shoot the grandma shots.”  

Ralston joined the Overland Park team after seeing a Kansas City Star article on the Granny teams in Lawrence, and her raving conversations about the belly-laugh-filled games has convinced other players, like Long, to join.     

Long and Ralston both agree their charity games are most entertaining. 30-year-old teams comprised by organizations like Operation Breakthrough play against them — with “handicaps” like oven mitts — to urge donations. 

Whether the charitable side pulled them in or they were convinced by a friend — the grannies can’t deny they’ve loved the chance to be front and center every once in awhile.   

“I get to be a star now, where I was a benchwarmer in high school,” Long said, laughing. “These gals are wonderful. I think you’re not going to be a negative person and join a granny basketball team.”