Annual basketball scrimmage gives players-prisoners hope

Reported by Kyle R. Cotton of the Victoria Advocate

For many, visiting a prison to participate in a basketball scrimmage might seem like a spin-off movie to "The Longest Yard."

For the last four years, it has been an annual occurrence for Victoria resident Bill Wendlandt, 57, after a friend of his son's, Chas Roberts, a state inmate, reached out to try to bring a bit of joy to his fellow prisoners' day and, in turn, strengthen the faith of those participating in it.

The annual scrimmage gives those incarcerated some hope that there are people ready to support them when they get out, Wendlandt said.

During the four years Wendlandt has helped put on the annual scrimmage, he's had help from the San Antonio Spurs, college players and more.

However, this year Wendlandt traveled to the Kyle Correctional Center with six players from Victoria College's men's basketball team, and the head coach Donte Davis and an assistant for the scrimmage,

For everyone involved, it was something to treasure.

"It was a great experience," Davis said. "It kind of watered ours and their souls."

The experience has also given Wendlandt a new perspective on prison and those serving their sentence.

"I hate to say it, but I used to believe an eye for an eye. If you did the crime, you serve the time," Wendlandt said. "The experience of visiting these prisoners has given me a whole new perspective."

He said that the Kyle Correctional Center primarily serves prisoners who are near the end of their sentence as they get ready to transition back into society.

"Hearing what they go through and that every day is basically the same day, this gives them something to look forward to, gives them hope and shows them they aren't forgotten," Wendlandt said.

It is particularly impactful as companies like Workforce Solutions and Victoria College offer programs to help aid with prisoners' transition once they are released, he said.

Much like "The Longest Yard," the prisoners' team won on a last-second play this year, but at the end of the day, the result doesn't matter. It is the camaraderie among fellow humans and how it helps build faith for both those visiting and the prisoners, Wendlandt said.

For Davis, this was the first time he and his team took part in the event, and it was so impactful that he plans to take his team to this game every year.

"My father was a correctional officer for 30 years and I wanted to do something like this but with kids," Davis said. "However, this is with adults, and with many of these (players) also being adults, they can empathize a bit more."

Davis talked to multiple prisoners who were close to returning to society, and it gave both him and his players an appreciation for what they have and to treasure it.

"You never know who's here and what their story is," Davis said. "It helps (the team) in appreciating the time they have."