Rezball
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Rezball, short for "reservation ball," is the avid Native American following of basketball, particularly a style of play particular to Native American teams of some areas.
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Style of Play[edit]
Rezball is transition-based basketball that forces tempo with aggressive play, quick scoring (or at least shooting) and assertive defense that looks to force turnovers through pressing or half-court traps. There are slight variations from program to program. Keys to a good rezball offensive play are sound fundamentals and being in very good condition.
Following[edit]
The Apache and Navajo tribes in northeastern Arizona and northwesthern New Mexico are home to several high schools. In these areas basketball is very important. In Arizona, three of the top six largest crowds at a boys' basketball game are rezball games (regardless of school size), with one of the two games tied for the highest-ever attendance being a game between Apache and Navajo schools.
1. 16,010 Phoenix Shadow Mountain 81, Tempe Corona del Sol 56 1996 (America West Arena, Phoenix)
1. 16,010 Tuba City 66, Whiteriver Alchesay 60 2000 (America West Arena, Phoenix)
3. 15,379 Phoenix Shadow Mountain 79, Centrallia, Illinois 76 1995 (Kiel Center, St. Louis)
4. 14,270 Tuba City 69, Coolidge 57 2001 (America West Arena, Phoenix)
5. 14,219 Tuba City 65, Winslow 62 2001 (America West Arena, Phoenix)
6. 14,123 Tempe McClintock 71, Phoenix Brophy Prep 67 1986 (ASU Activity Center, Tempe)[1]
Also the top three largest crowds for a girls' game were reservation teams.
16,010 Winslow 40, Monument Valley 39 2000 (America West Arena / Semifinals)
10,588 Window Rock 53, Winslow 47 1992 (Walkup Skydome, Flagstaff)
10,000 Winslow 76, Monument Valley 69 2004 (America West Arena)[2]
Arizona's largest high school arenas (i.e., those designed specifically for indoor sports) are in these areas of the state; Monument Valley's gym in Kayenta holds 5,000, the Ganado Pavilion hosts 5,500, and the Chinle Wildcat Den (opened 2006) is the 15th-largest high school arena in the United States with a capacity of 7,000. Window Rock is set to move from an 1,800-capacity gym to a new facility with a listed capacity of 8,000 for the 2013–14 season.[1] The state has one larger high school facility, the Round Valley Ensphere in Eagar (which seats up to 9,200 for court sports and is not on a reservation), but it is actually a domed football stadium also used for court sports.[2]
Some other examples of the intense following of basketball in this region were noted in February 2013 by a writer for MaxPreps.com, the high school arm of CBSSports.com. First, early in the month, the Wildcat Den hosted an Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) sectional tournament featuring four boys' and four girls' reservation teams. Even though neither Chinle High team participated in the sectional, more than 12,000 attended over the two-day event, with hundreds of fans arriving hours before the doors opened to get the best seats.[1] The scheduling of the AIA's state tournament later that month at Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, home to the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes, also reflected rezball influence. In most states that host multiple state championship games at one site, the last game scheduled is the boys' championship game in the largest enrollment class. Here, however, the marquee slot was reserved for the girls' title game in Class 3A (the state's largest schools are in Class 5A)—a classification that has traditionally been dominated by reservation schools.[1]
New Mexico has produced many high schools that are nationally ranked by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) according to the New Mexico Activities Association (NMAA)--for producing over a 100 State Championships combined, from numerous high schools. New Mexico is well known around the country for its power houses in girls basketball such as from Kirtland Central, Shiprock, Gallup, Santa Fe Indian, Navajo Prep and Navajo Pine. Kirtland Central's girls basketball program leads with the most state championships than any other native american high school. Shiprock has also impacted girls basketball and being major rivals with Kirtland Central. Gallup girls basketball program has been one of the most power houses in New Mexico, playing at a fierce level among larger/competitive high schools in New Mexico. Santa Fe Indian girls program has produced some great talents in the recent years. Navajo Prep and Navajo Pine both have risen to many achievements.
The New Mexico high school state finals takes place at the University of New Mexico's The Pit (arena) and has had many major sell outs starting from the late 80's from games between Shiprock and Kirtland Central girls. Many native american fans from Gallup and Santa Fe Indian continue to fill at the University of New Mexico's The Pit (arena) every year, as well as from Shiprock, Kirtland Central, and other surrounding areas.
Native American Basketball Invitational (NABI)[edit]
Every year the Ak-Chin Indian Community, Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community host the Native American Basketball Invitational (NABI), an all native tournament sponsored by the Phoenix Suns and Nike. In its third year, it has become recognized as the premier all-native tournament in North America. It hosts 60+ teams from all over the U.S. and Canada, and is instrumental in showcasing the talent of Native American teams to college recruiters, most of whom would not travel to the remote reservation towns to watch them play. [3]
Modern Reservation Teams[edit]
Arizona[edit]
Cibecue High School, Cibecue, Arizona
Shonto Preparatory Technology High School, Shonto, Arizona
St. Michael High School, St. Michael's, Arizona
Fort Thomas High School, Fort Thomas, Arizona
Pima High School, Pima, Arizona
Salt River High School, Scottsdale, Arizona
Rough Rock High School, Rough Rock, Arizona
Baboquivari High School, Sells, Arizona
Red Mesa High School, Teec Nos Pos, Arizona
San Carlos High School, San Carlos, Arizona
Piñon High School, Piñon, Arizona
Valley High School, Sanders, Arizona
Greyhills Academy High School, Tuba City, Arizona
Hopi Junior/Senior High School, Keams Canyon, Arizona
Parker High School, Parker, Arizona
Many Farms High School, Many Farms, Arizona
Alchesay High School, Whiteriver, Arizona
Ganado High School, Ganado, Arizona
Holbrook High School, Holbrook, Arizona
Winslow High School, Winslow, Arizona
Window Rock High School, Fort Defiance, Arizona
River Valley High School, Mojave Valley, Arizona
Tuba City High School, Tuba City, Arizona
Monument Valley High School, Kayenta, Arizona
Chinle High School, Chinle, Arizona
Page High School, Page, Arizona
Coconino High School, Flagstaff, Arizona
Rock Point High School, Rock Point, Arizona
New Mexico[edit]
Laguna-Acoma High School, Laguna, New Mexico
Santa Fe Indian High School, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Magdalena High School, Magdalena, New Mexico
Tsé Yí Gai High School, Smith Lake, New Mexico
Jemez Valley High School, Jemez Pueblo, New Mexico
Pine Hill High School, Pinehill, New Mexico
Navajo Pine High School, Navajo, New Mexico
Navajo Prep High School. Farmington, New Mexico
Dulce High School, Dulce, New Mexico
Ramah High School, Ramah, New Mexico
Newcomb High School, Newcomb, New Mexico
Cuba High School, Cuba, New Mexico
Crownpoint High School, Crownpoint, New Mexico
Zuni High School, Zuni, New Mexico
Wingate High School, Fort Wingate, New Mexico
Rehoboth High School, Rehoboth, New Mexico
Tohatchi High School, Tohatchi, New Mexico
Thoreau High School, Thoreau, New Mexico
Bloomfield High School, Bloomfield, New Mexico
Bernalillo High School, Bernalillo, New Mexico
Shiprock Northwest High School, Shiprock, New Mexico
Shiprock High School, Shiprock, New Mexico
Kirtland Central High School, Kirtland, New Mexico
Miyamura High School, Gallup, New Mexico
Gallup High School, Gallup, New Mexico
Piedra Vista High School, Farmington, New Mexico
Farmington High School, Farmington, New Mexico
Aztec High School, Aztec, New Mexico
Native American Community Academy, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Elsewhere[edit]
Sherman Indian High School, Riverside, California
Wyoming Indian High School, Ethete, Wyoming
Whitehorse High School, Aneth, Utah
Ignacio High School, Ignancio, Colorado
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Stephens, Mitch (February 20, 2013). "Beyond the X: Rez Ball fuels basketball fever in Arizona's Navajo Nation". MaxPreps.com (CBSSports.com). Retrieved February 27, 2013.
- ^ "Round Valley Dome Info". Round Valley Unified School District. Retrieved March 8, 2013.
