They call themselves “The Breakfast Club.”

They arrive about 6 a.m. at Fifth Baptist Church in the West End every Tuesday and Friday. Deacon John Chavis opens the back door for them.

On this particular morning, 13 members of the club arrive. And as they do twice a week, they play basketball in the church gymnasium.

Before tipping off, they gather at half court for a prayer.

“We’re all about instilling the love of Jesus in everyone,” said 56-year-old James “Big Shot” Henson Jr., a deacon at the church.

“And we want to get our cardio work in and strengthen our bodies,” said Ron Timmons Sr., who attends St. Elizabeth Catholic Church on North Side. “It’s a good wake-up call for us a couple days out of the week,” said the Virginia Department of Health retiree.

Age and religion are neither qualifying criteria nor disqualifying standards to play in these games. Mr. Timmons is the oldest player at 68; the youngest is in his early 20s. Several of the players are Fifth Baptist members; some attend other area churches.

The men play spirited full-court games for the next hour and a half. The first team to score 11 points wins, then new players sub in to play the winners in the next game.

Mr. Henson and Mr. Timmons said they organized the early-morning hoops gatherings in 2009 with King Salim Khalfani, a consultant and former executive director of the Virginia NAACP, after they had difficulty finding courts open for play at that time of day.

“We approached our pastor, Dr. Earl M. Brown, and he was very receptive to the idea,” said Mr. Henson, who runs a printing business in Downtown with his wife.

“He saw it as a great way to promote fellowship and fitness in the community.”

Mr. Henson said he and his friends organize the games under the spiritual umbrella of “the three C’s — It’s OK to love, honor and obey Christ; it’s OK to compete and show good sportsmanship; and it’s OK to show compassion and to love your fellow brothers.”

Markus Gardner, 50, who calls himself “a friend of the church,” said he plays because he likes the challenge of the match-ups.

“When you have somebody 20 years old playing against you, and they think they can take you, I take pride in taking it to them,” Mr. Gardner said.

He writes accounts of the games, keeps statistics and also gives trophies to players on a monthly basis to recognize hustle, production and team play.

The men also have varied athletic backgrounds.

Mr. Henson said he first got his competitive basketball experience playing junior varsity basketball for Francis C. Hammond Junior High School in Alexandria, then later intramurals for his fraternity at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Mr. Timmons said he played for his fraternity at Virginia Union University.

Mr. Gardner said he ran cross-country at VUU.

Mr. Henson said the older men who play try to serve as role models to the younger players in other aspects of life, “and help them not to make some of the mistakes we’ve made.”

“We talk to them about doing things the right way,” he said.

When the games at Fifth Baptist are over, several of the players go to the Downtown YMCA to work out together.

“It’s all about the cardio,” said Mr. Henson. “We just love to exercise and try to stay fit.”