By Ross Forman
Jacen Maleck has been a board member of the Windy City Athletic Association ( WCAA ) since 1987 and its commissioner since August 2003. He is a CPA by day, a partner in a downtown Chicago firm and an athlete by night. Maleck played softball in the Gay Games this summer and also regularly participates in darts and volleyball.
Maleck is single and often commutes to work on his bicycle. He also enjoys gardening, golfing, mystery reading, cooking and is an admitted wine enthusiast.
WCAA dates back about 30 years. The association now offers four sports ( basketball, bowling, darts and volleyball ) and has about 1,000 active members. It previously offered softball.
Maleck estimated that about 200 of its members are female, mostly due to its women's basketball league. About 90 percent of all members are gay or lesbian, he said.
About 400 of WCAA's 1,000 members also are Chicago Metropolitan Sports Association ( CMSA ) members, Maleck said.
Windy City Times: How are things these days with the WCAA?
Jacen Maleck: I think we're in good shape. We have a strong bowling league, now held at Waveland Bowl. Our dart league is incredibly strong, with about 25 teams. Our volleyball league is in two seasons. And we have men's and women's basketball, which is somewhat unusual.
We're reaching out to the community electronically. Our newsletter is distributed electronically. Things are good.
WCT: What's the best thing going about the WCAA?
JM: It has to be the ability to socialize and engage in activities in a non-bar setting. For a lot of people, especially those just coming out, going into a gay bar can be very intimidating. WCAA is just a great way to meet people.
WCT: What is the strength of WCAA's volleyball league?
JM: I think people like the fact that we play on a weeknight as opposed to over the weekend. Plus, it's very well-run.
WCT: What are the goals for the WCAA heading into 2007?
JM: One goal we definitely have is to recruit more volunteers because that's the biggest issue we face: finding people who are willing to contribute their time and effort. What people must understand is that the people running these leagues are not getting paid. We don't pay anyone to run a league. Those who manage a league and many others just realize how thankless that job is. Please volunteer your time, even if it's only an hour a season.
Another goal is that we need to update our Web site, to keep it current.
WCT: Are you happy with the sports that you now offer? Do you want to add others?
JM: We're always looking to add sports and have had talks about adding a golf league. We've also had a presentation about a scuba diving league. We're open to all possible sports; we just need people to come forward to run those sports.
WCT: Do you foresee any new sports added to the WCAA over the next year?
JM: There's a very good chance that we'll have a golf league in the next year or two.
WCT: Is there a chance that any of the current sports offered by WCAA will be dropped?
JM: No. I cannot envision that happening.
WCT: What are your thoughts about CMSA?
JM: I think they run a good league. I don't have any axe to grind with them; I have nothing but good things to say about them. In a way, I wish there was only one league in the city and, sure, over the years, there have been talks about uniting the leagues, but it hasn't happened.
In no way do we try to take their members and I don't think they're out there doing the same to affect us.
WCT: Do you ever foresee WCAA and CMSA merging into one super-league, so to speak?
JM: If the conditions are right, and there's an interest, sure, it could happen. But will it ever happen, I don't know.
WCT: Would a merger help the city of Chicago as a whole?
JM: Hmm, that's a good question, and I don't really know how to answer that. Sure, there would be some savings of administrative costs. But that's not a big issue. If both associations merged, it probably would produce the largest gay sports association in the country.
An interesting aspect of gay sports in Chicago is that if you ask the average player which league he or she belongs to, they couldn't tell you because they wouldn't know.
WCT: Reflect back on 1987, when you first became a WCAA board member.
JM: The interesting thing is, WCAA is not all that much different today from what it was like 20 years ago. The biggest thing I now notice is that it is so difficult to get volunteers to sit on the board to help run leagues. That's the biggest change I've noticed in 20 years—the inability to get volunteers. And that becomes a little disheartening at times.
Technology also has changed how we run the leagues and the association as a whole, but the technology hasn't changed how someone plays volleyball, for instance.
WCT: How has the level of play across the board changed in 20 years?
JM: There always have been divisions based on level of play; thus, we can accommodate more skill levels. I definitely have noticed that.
WCT: Was it a benefit to the WCAA and the city as a whole to have the Gay Games in Chicago this past summer?
JM: Oh, yes; it was a huge benefit to the city, to gay athletics. I'm not sure the Games were a huge benefit to WCAA or to CMSA, but we certainly benefited from a high-profile event in Chicago this summer. Will there be a residual benefit to WCAA or CMSA from the Gay Games? That I don't really know. We'll have to wait and see how the Gay Games impacts our rosters.
WCAA Men's Basketball Season to Start
The Windy City Men's Basketball League, one of the oldest and largest gay basketball leagues in the world, is gearing up for its 2006-'07 season. There will be open gym sessions, with the first one scheduled for Nov. 18 at Winnemac Park ( Amundsen High School ) , 5110 N Damen.
The division schedule is divided into times for recreational ( 9-10:30 a.m. ) , intermediate ( 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. ) and competitive ( 12-1:30 p.m. ) teams.
Regarding registration, competitive division teams are formed by confidential draft. All players interested in playing on a competitive team are included in a draft pool.
Intermediate and recreational division teams can be pre-formed, and players may determine a roster prior to registration. Individual players or small groups of friends with no team are blended with similar players to form teams.
Registration sign-ups take place in mid-December. Look for specific registration details at open gym sessions. Open gym dates are Nov. 18 as well as Dec. 2, 9, 16 and 30 ( times TBD ) . League play begins on Jan. 6 and runs through mid-April. All league play takes place on Saturdays with 10 weeks of regular season play and one to two weeks of playoffs.
The league registration fee is $90. For more questions, see www.wcaa.net . Interested persons can also contact James Simmons ( Competitive ) at jqs4@yahoo.com, Derrek Lyons ( Intermediate ) at dglyons@hotmail.com or Greg Walsh ( Recreational ) at greg-walsh@sbcglobal.net .
CMSA Co-Ed Indoor Soccer League Registration
The CMSA co-ed indoor soccer league will consist of one eight-week session running from Nov. 17 through Jan. 19. To kick off the season Nov. 17, there will be an 'open play' scrimmage—a mixed, round robin two hours of play where all players can be assessed in an effort to create four equally balanced teams. Team rosters will then be finalized after the open play session, and participants will be placed onto one of four teams for seven-on-seven play. In addition to the round-robin session on the 17th, each team will play six regular season games and one playoff game.
All soccer play will be held at Windy City Fieldhouse, located just east of the Kennedy Expressway at Logan Boulevard in West Lincoln Park. The CMSA soccer hotline is 312-409-7932 ext. 2.
