Basketball
Continued from Page 7
because of advancing age and injuries, but there’s also a percep-
tion the league became less enjoyable and more physical, while
the camaraderie diminished.

“It was a cohesive unit among the guys and a loyal group,” he said.

Still, the games go on — and there are even a few fans who
aren’t the spouses or children of the players.

“It’s fun to see these guys still getting up and down the court,”
said Tyrone Cook, a gym regular, who stirs the pot with friendly
trash talk to some of the players.

Let’s take a look at four of the old-school Jewish guys still playing.

Adam Sherman
Never one to lack confidence, Sherman
is adapt at trash talk, claiming at vari-
ous times to be the leading
scorer in JCC history and also
the player who’s won the most
championships. The thing is, he may be right. He’s
also on the reigning champions, an
undefeated team in the last league.

ADAM SHERMAN
Sherman, 53, of Penn Valley, who is
the senior partner of Penn Mutual Life
Insurance Company’s 1847Financial agency, explained why he
still plays.

“I love competition — period,” he said. “I can’t get this kind of
competition any other place.”
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That competitive zest was evident the other night, when an
aggressive defender felt the wrath of a few well-timed Sherman
shoves the refs missed.

Sherman did note that age has forced him to change his game.

“You become a smarter player when you become older.

Everyone in this league is going backward together,” he said,
adding that he’s managed to stay mostly healthy. “I’ve been very
fortunate with minor injuries over the years that haven’t kept me
from the game that long.”
A college player at Gettysburg College, Sherman has passed
along his basketball genes to his sons, one of whom plays at
Dickinson College, the other at Haverford College. He misses
some league games to see his sons in action and was rewarded the
other day when one son hit a game-winning buzzer beater.

Marc Edelstein
One of the longest-tenured players at
the JCC is also one of the biggest.

With wide shoulders to comple-
ment a 6-foot-5-inch frame,
Edelstein makes his mark as a
rebounder and defender.

The 60-year-old Radnor resi-
dent, who owns March Inc., a waste
equipment sales company, may be
one of the older players, but has no
intentions of stopping.

MARC EDELSTEIN
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DECEMBER 15, 2016
THE GOOD LIFE
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“I enjoy the camaraderie of being on a team, and I don’t really
enjoy working out alone,” Edelstein said, adding that he believes
he’s won more championships than Sherman. His longtime rival
did get the last laugh that night when their teams met, with
Sherman’s team pulling out a victory.

Like Sherman, he’s remained healthy over the years, although a
pinkie broken in a pickup game earlier this year required surgery,
forcing him to quit one league and miss another. And he now does
his best to conserve energy during a game.

“I try to be smart about running up and down the court,” he said.

So, when will it be time to quit for good?
“When I think people don’t want to play with me,” said
Edelstein, who also still enjoys playing pickup games with his
adult son. “I still enjoy it and still fill a role.”
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Steve Dabrow
Although he’s one of the shortest guys in the league, Dabrow is
certainly its “Energizer Bunny,” as he rarely seems to get tired
despite running around more than nearly all players.

He does claim to have gotten slow, which drew a rebuke from yet
another longtime player, Greg Goodman, who was standing nearby.

“He’s slowed down from 75 to 30 miles per hour,” Goodman
said. “The good news is that everyone else has slowed to 15.”
Dabrow, the owner and CEO of Chelten House, a family-
owned manufacturer of sauces, condiments and salad dressings,
credits the extensive use of a flywheel and occasional runs for his
conditioning. But he lives for basketball.

“It’s the most-fun sweat you can possibly get,” he said.

Bruce Gilbert
A Wisconsin native, the 62-year-old
Gilbert has played basketball at the JCC
since the early 1990s when a friend
recruited him to play. His “career”
dates to roughly the time Beatle-
mania was sweeping America.

“I’ve been playing competitive
basketball since I was about 10 years
old. Although I did not play in
BRUCE GILBERT
college, I played high school basketball
and I’ve played in literally thousands of
games in various leagues, including the JCC,
since then. I love the game. I love the competition. I love the exercise.

And I love the camaraderie.”
Like the others, the Penn Valley resident — a one-time general
counsel for a health care company who now works with startups
and is a private investor — has been fortunate in terms of injury.

“I’ve had some bumps and bruises and maybe a sprained ankle
or two over the years. But I’ve never missed a game because of
injury,” he said.

Still, Gilbert has changed his game in deference to Father Time.

“I started developing an outside shot when I was in my 20s,
which was a good thing, because as I’ve gotten older, the quick-
ness has diminished and my ability to drive to the hoop has faded,
but my outside shot has pretty much stayed with me,” he said.

As long as he can move well enough to remain in the flow of
the game, Gilbert plans to keep on playing.

See Basketball, Page 10
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DECEMBER 15, 2016
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