Kankakee Welcomes Soldiers Basketball Team
basketball, international basketball league, kankakee county sports, sports, windy city soldiers,
Atten-hut. The Soldiers have completed their first tour of duty in Kankakee.
No, not the United States Army soldiers. The Windy City Soldiers played in Kankakee during 2008 as members of the International Basketball League, a league of 22 teams that competes every season from late March through June.
Teams in the IBL are located in U.S. cities that stretch from Bellingham, Wash., to Battle Creek, Mich., plus there are two international teams – one from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and a team representing Shianxi, China.
Although the Soldiers play their home games in Kankakee, a league stipulation mandates that the team name must refer to their big-city neighbor of Chicago – thus the Windy City Soldiers.
“Our team really didn’t want to be headquartered in downtown Chicago because that city is already filled with many activities, so we chose to settle in Kankakee County in time for the 2008 season,” says Barry Bradford, team spokesman and a player on the Windy City Soldiers. “Being in Kankakee gives us a community feel, and it provides the city with its first-ever professional franchise.”
The International Basketball League is now five years old and is widely regarded in the sport as one of the nation’s top minor league organizations. IBL games feature a fast-paced brand of basketball, with most teams averaging more than 125 points per game.
“This is high-energy stuff – it’s not the kind of basketball that our grandfathers used to play,” Bradford says. “We have quality players who are a step away from the National Basketball Association. It is rare to find a quality minor league basketball league, but this certainly is one.”
The Soldiers played their 2008 season at the Kankakee Community Resource Center, which can seat 600 people for basketball. Tickets were priced at $10 for adults, and $5 for kids 17 and under.
“As for salaries, players in the IBL earn $35 to $300 a game, depending on their experience and the market they play in,” Bradford says. “Guys in Los Angeles and Las Vegas are going to earn more than players in Holland, Mich., or Elkhart, Ind. But the truth is that most guys would play for free, just for the quality of basketball and the exposure they get.”
Bradford adds that a main goal of the Windy City Soldiers is to give back to the community wherever possible. For example, the team started a mentoring program at King Middle School and has conducted various youth basketball and life-awareness camps, all to help children.
“We want the Soldiers to be a grass-roots, community-oriented team that provides a lot of excitement on the basketball court,” he says. “This is hopefully a professional franchise that Kankakee can take pride in.”
Story by Kevin Litwin
