Janine Marnien
James Jenkins once broke his arm trying to dunk on the very
basketball court Lincoln Elementary School dedicated to him Friday.
But even a broken arm couldn't keep him from the sport he loved,
sister Mary Ellen Miller said.
"He was proud of it," she said. "He was so competitive, he still
played -- cast and all."
The dedication ceremony took place on the Lincoln playground and
was attended by Jenkins' family, friends, former coaches and
educators and current fourth- through sixth-grade students.
Jenkins, a Lincoln alum, died May 29 in a camping accident near
Yosemite National Park. He was a star basketball player at Crescenta
Valley High School and one of the top swimmers in Southern
California. He was 19.
The ceremony included speeches by brother John Jenkins, former
coaches John Goffredo and Jim Smiley and sixth-graders Matthew Ashby
and Scottie Morrow.
It ended with brother Jason Jenkins doing the honors of
slam-dunking the "first hoop," and those in attendance looking at the
pictures and newspaper clippings of James lining the court.
In his speech, Matthew recalled how he and his friends had run
into James and his brothers at Montrose Park. The boys wanted to use
the same field the Jenkins brothers were on.
"He was really nice about getting off the field, and even offered
to shag the balls," Matthew said.
Scottie shared a quote from James, whom he called his role model.
"Whether it is school, sports or life, competing is what makes
everything fun for me," Scottie read.
The ceremony was something Miller thought Jenkins was smiling down
on.
"He would have said this was 'tight,'" Miller said. "And I think
he's thinking Jason did a pretty good dunk."
An in-ground plaque reading "In memory of James H. Jenkins,
1983-2002, 'Big Game James'" now marks the court.
