Dick Poczciwinski is a nimble basketball player with a trademark jump shot that’s lethal.
At Shula’s Athletic Club in Miami Lakes, he pushes the ball down the court with cartoon-like speed, and he either passes the ball to one of his teammates or scores with the jump shot or a lay-up.
Sometimes, he’s the leading scorer on his pick-up team, averaging in double figures, rebounds the ball well and plays good defense.
In one game, he held an opposing player to one of the worst shooting performances of his career.
“I was holding the best shooter and he had a bad night. He wanted to take a swing at me,” Poczciwinski quipped.
Every Saturday morning, Poczciwinski plays basketball at a high and intense level at the Athletic Club, and he is 82-years-old.
Despite his age, Poczciwinski has been recognized by his teammates and opposing players as a good player, leaving them baffled over a man nearly a century year-old who can play on the same level as younger players, while men his age live with the day-to-day difficulties of moving their bodies.
“It’s simple, I am a fierce competitor,” the Kendall resident said. “I have been playing basketball since I was a kid and never stopped playing at a high level. My motto is once you start something, you can never go back. In other words, never give up.”
Poczciwinski, a retired rental car consultant, is in good shape and he still has the competitivedrive that earned him the distinction as an all-around athlete.
Since competing, he has won 40 medals, gold and silver, in basketball, tennis, racquet ball, softball, golf and swimming. And he continues to play all six sports at 82.
Jim Hamilton, who plays basketball with Poczciwinski on Saturdays at the Athletic Club, said his jump shots are “lethal.”
Hamilton said he shot five-for-five from the field in one game while playing with guys in their 20s and 30s. “It was lights out,” he said.
Hamilton calls him the dean of basketball. “He is a very competitive person and you can see it in his eyes. He really enjoys traveling from Kendall and enjoying playing with younger guys. He’s playing a game he loves,” Hamilton said.
Hamilton, 70, said he first met Poczciwinski at Shula’s Athletic adult basketball league, which was founded by himself and Miami Lakes resident Dave Oliver.
Hamilton marveled at his basketball skills for a man playing the game at his age.
“Most pro athletes, when they get older, can run and up down the court but not at their younger pace,” Hamilton said. “Dick can run up and down the court and keep up with guys in their 20s and 30s. It’s remarkable and he’s an inspiration to all of us that we can play basketball that long.”