Basketball

 

Awesome court by the beach

Although Spain is more well known for futbol (soccer), basketball is a growing sport. I'm much more comfortable on the basketball court than the football pitch and thus I enjoy pick up games whenever I get the chance. 

As true to the sporting stereotypes, I find the Spanish players are either solid with great fundamentals and a non-flashy game or they are very inexperienced and lack formal training. Either way it makes for a fun environment, especially since I am past my athletic prime. 

Local court

At the beach there is a local court that inconveniently hosts futbol games as well. It's a little cramped as the games run perpendicular to each other (see above photo) but it's surprisingly smooth and interference is not so bad. I get hit with a futbol once in a while and we hold up action if the futbol game is passing through but otherwise it's a normal game. There is a nice group of regulars that come and we're able to play 2 on 2 or 3 on 3 and the skill level is usually good enough to be enjoyable while not being too serious. 

I've had similar experiences in Madrid though I have not sought out any serious courts rather I've only played in the local parks. I encourage anyone that plays even a little bit to not be afraid to go out and enjoy some recreational basketball.