OCALA, FL (352today.com) – Basketball and bonding.
The fourth annual Hoops and Badges basketball game saw the Ocala Dynasty defeat the Ocala Police Department (OPD) 66-40 on Friday, June 14, at the Mary Sue Rich Community Center at Reed Place.
But this was a game that was about much more than sport. It was about creating trust and solidarity.
Kids from OPD’s Youth Academy were also on hand for the game. They spent the entire week with Chief Mike Balken and his staff. They had an opportunity to learn about the agency and its role in the community.
“This is a great illustration of the Ocala Police Department’s desire to build that bridge in our community, and specifically engage the youth of Ocala,” said Balken. “We’re citizens first and cops second. It’s just a great example of the buy-in. Not only is our police department involved, but the mayor’s here playing. A lot of our detectives are here. It’s not just something we talk about, it’s something that we do and take an active role in.”
OPD’s roster seemed to be missing some of its star players during the matchup.
“We didn’t put all of our best players, like me, in the game,” said Balken. “We don’t want to break the spirit of the Ocala Dynasty team. So, we kind of decided to play our second string.”
KDC and the Sunshine Sliders Line Dancing provided the halftime entertainment.
A familiar face was also out on the hardwood – Mayor Ben Marciano. When he’s not knocking down treys at city hall, he can be found dazzling fans with his dribbling skills.
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“The success was in us being together out here,” said Marciano. “It was tough, these kids are really good. I don’t know if I’ve ever been this tired. But what I love is seeing all of us together as a community, and that’s why we have the best police department in the country. This is the kind of stuff I love to see them do and giving back, being out there with these young guys.”
The score was 37-23, Ocala Dynasty at halftime. The Amateur Athletic Union team composed of players primarily 16-18 years in age, played exceptionally well, especially during the game’s second half. The 26-point margin of victory was a defining moment for the Ocala-based team.
“They’re a great group of kids. We’ve been dealing with them for the last three years. Some of them are about to go off to college. Some are in high school and were freshman and are about to go into their sophomore year,” said Jeffrey Davis, Ocala Dynasty coach. “They’ve been putting in the work. They like playing with each other. They like playing for the city. They’ve been playing in other tournaments for a while. One of the officers came up to me and told me to back off a bit. I wanted to back off a little bit. But, my boys came out here to play and that’s what they did.”