Tray Lettmon, left, of St. Joseph, Missouri, drives the lane past T.J. Midgyett, right, of Chillicothe, Missouri, in the St. Joseph Shields’ practice at Heartland Rec Sunday, September 10, in Tarkio.

Courtney Hill, above, goes for two in the St. Joseph Shields’ practice at HRC Sunday, September 10.

Members of the American Basketball Association’s St. Joseph Shields got a taste of what it’s like to play at the Rec with their first practice Sunday, September 10, at Heartland Recreation Center in Tarkio. The Shields will be  playing its home games at the Rec Center in Tarkio due to lack of an available gym in St. Joseph, Missouri. The season begins in November and lasts until April. Some of the team members who started the practice off with a jovial three-on-three game included T.J. Midgyett of Chillicothe, Missouri, Antoine Wilkinson of St. Joseph, Courtney Hill of St. Joseph, Thomas Tremain of St. Joseph, Marcus Pruitt of St. Louis, and Tray Lettmon of St. Joseph.
The American Basketball Association (ABA) is an American semi-professional men’s basketball minor league that was founded in 1999. The league is based out of Indianapolis and includes 120 teams. To be eligible for the playoffs, teams have to play at least 16 games, eight home and eight away. Coached by Roger Nichols, the Shields will play on weekends.
The St. Joseph Shields will be back at HRC on Sunday, September 24, for a practice at 3 p.m. They would like to invite any men in the area interested in playing a pick-up basketball game to show up that afternoon. This will be informal – no referees – just something fun for everyone!!
Heartland Recreation Center Director Rachel Meyer said, “We are really excited about this opportunity for our community. We are hoping to generate interest and involvement from not only Tarkio, but the surrounding communities and counties. This will be a great family oriented activity for everyone to enjoy this winter.”
The St. Joseph Shields’ 2017-18 schedule follows:
November 4 – Away KC, 7:00 p.m.
November 11 – Away Salina, 7:00 p.m.
November 18 – Home at Heartland Rec Center vs. Salina, 6:00 p.m.
November 26 – Away at Chicago, 5:00 p.m.
December 2 – Away at Colorado, 5:00 p.m.
December 9 – Home at Heartland Rec Center vs. KC, 6:00 p.m.
December 16 – Away at Topeka, 7:00 p.m.
December 30 – Home at Heartland Rec Center vs. St. Louis, 6:00 p.m.
January 6 – Away at St. Louis, 6:00 p.m.
January 13 – Home at Heartland Rec Center vs. KC, 6:00 p.m.
January 14 – Home at Heartland Rec Center vs. Chicago, 5:00 p.m.
January 20 – Away at Salina, 6:00 p.m.
January 27 – Home at Heartland Rec Center vs. Colorado, 5:00 p.m.
January 28 – Home at Heartland Rec Center vs. Oklahoma, 1:00 p.m.
February 3 – Away at Topeka, 6:00 p.m.
February 10 – Home at Heartland Rec Center vs. Topeka, 6:00 p.m.
February 17 – Home at Heartland Rec Center vs. Salina, 6:00 p.m.
February 24 – Home at Heartland Rec Center vs. Topeka, 6:00 p.m.
March – Division Tournament TBA
April – ABA Playoffs TBA