Basketball in Zapatista Territory



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Gatherings in Zapatista territory, large or small, take place on basketball courts centered in the middle of large plazas located near autonomous schools. The Archaeological record of the Mayan people clearly indicate that sports and ball courts have been a central part of the social, cultural and political life of the indigenous communities since the earliest days... and today their continuing importance is indisputable.  Most of the larger Zapatista celebrations and gatherings begin with a basketball tournament that can last for days and includes participation by both men’s and women’s teams.

Basketball courts are ubiquitous in Chiapas and, for many students of the autonomous schools; one sad reality is that, once they begin attending an autonomous school, they are often prohibited from using the existing government-controlled courts.  Virtually every new autonomous school that opens includes a plan for a basketball court.  Like the autonomous schools themselves, the labor to construct a basketball court is most often provided entirely by the community so the cost of construction is entirely in purchasing the necessary sand, gravel and cement to make the court a reality.
 
Schools for Chiapas has recently received a large grant from the Larson Legacy which is helping to fund (among other things) the construction of several new multi-purpose sports centers in the Highlands and in the North of Chiapas.  If you love sports and believe that sports make an important contribution to the health and vitality of the Zapatista struggle for dignity, justice and democracy, we invite you to join us… and with the Larson Legacy… to help provide funds to make these plans a reality.
 
If you can tear yourself away from the other amazing sites and activities of a major Zapatista gathering, delegates who travel with Schools for Chiapas on these trips are invited to sponsor a team and participate directly in the fun and games!  Whether you are avid fan or only a mildly interested spectator, we promise you will have the time of your life.  Click here for a schedule of up-coming trips to Chiapas.