Orange County moms form basketball team to inspire others, end up with one-of-a-kind sisterhood

ORANGE, Calif. (KABC) -- A lot of moms spend so much of their time driving kids to sporting events and watching them play, but a group of moms in Orange County decided to get in on the action themselves.

They formed a team and joined a basketball rec league.

These Orange County moms are truly in a league of their own. They literally picked up a basketball for the first time this summer.

They're still learning the rules and their own roles on the court.

Mehnaz Bohra is the team captain and thought of the idea to get mothers who typically watch their kids and husbands play to try the sport themselves.

"I don't remember the name of the position, but it's under the basket towards the left side," she said.

"We want to show them that we learn no matter what age or athletic ability, and that we can be a good role model for the kids," team member Sanaa Kapadya said.

They even joined a league of mostly much younger players, and thankfully they didn't count their success in wins.

"We lost every game, and I mean every game! Probably by like 20-30 points, but you can ask any person who played with us or played against us; we had the most fun," Bohra said.

Losing to teenagers doesn't faze them. Just being out there is a victory in itself, and it shows.

"We started dancing after we shoot a basket, but we've evolved to just dancing when the ball leaves our hand and attempts to shoot into the basket," said Bohra.

They're winning in more ways than they can count.

"We've learned how to become stronger, and that's why we can still play today, which has been incredible. I feel so great. I've actually lost about 30 pounds over the summer, and it's been an amazing journey for all of us," said Bohra.

"They're always at the field cheering on their kids and cheering us on when we're playing, and they're like, why can't we be the ones being cheered on and inspiring kids? And they did it. And actually, they're getting more fans than we ever got," Coach Haider Abdullah said.

These busy moms, who play in a league of Muslim women, also formed a sisterhood they all realized had been missing in their lives.

"So much love and so much care that I truly am proud to say they're like family now, and it's a different kind of connection," player Zehra Kolsy said.

The team offers a reminder that just taking the shot is half the battle; who cares if it goes in?

"To show up for yourself and to make time for yourself is really showing up for everybody else," said Bohra.