Basketball Tournament Draws Hundreds To The Courts
The Premier Prairie Classic basketball tournament tipped off for it’s eighth year on Friday afternoon.
The tournament will see 79 teams from U11 to high school compete in both boys and girls divisions.
Although the hectic weekend of basketball has just gotten underway organizers say other than a couple of hiccups the city’s largest basketball tournament is in for another successful run.
“It’s been going great so far. A few minor mishaps but it’s been going great. Lots of kids, lots of spectators so it’s been a good time,” event organizer Rhona Johnson told MJ Independent.
Asked how it felt to bring 79 basketball teams together for the tournament - 84 teams had initially registered but five backed out - Johnson described it as “awesome”.
“It’s great for the community. It’s great for our local players to play these teams from all over.”
Teams playing in the tournament come from Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta.
Notable amongst the out of town teams is Winnipeg’s Crossover that once again sent a large contingent to the tournament.
THE U15 SASKATOON BENGALS BOYS (IN BLACK AND RED) AND THE WINNIPEG U15 CROSSOVER TEAM WENT HEAD TO HEAD IN FRIDAY EVENING’S LATE MATCHUP.
THE TWO TEAMS ARE PART OF THE DOZENS OF TEAMS THAT WILL BE STAYING OVERNIGHT AT ONE OF MOOSE JAW’S HOTELS
While some might think the tournament appeared on what was traditionally ‘Band Festival Weekend’ in Moose Jaw but the real impetus to start the Premier Prairie Classic eight years ago originated in Regina.
The Regina club team the Hornets use to hold their basketball tournament on the May long weekend but when the tournament went defunct the Spartans grabbed the opportunity.
“They ran a tournament on this weekend for maybe 30 years and when they gave it up I snatched it,” she said, adding “simply because we don’t use a ton of volunteers and we can do it with our club and our spouses.”
She said the tournament running from Friday to Sunday was in many ways a godsend for the volunteers as from Friday to Sunday they are out at 7 am and out until after the final games end.
“It’s a huge amount of work. That’s why we like the Monday off.”
Johnson said despite there is plenty of work in organizing the tournament. It isn’t about simply following a template with many seemingly minor things done new every year.
An example of this is the tournament draw where she tries to make it so teams play other teams they have never played before.
A MEMBER OF THE SASKATOON SASKHOOPS U13 BOYS TEAM DURING ACTION ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON.
THE SASKHOOPS WERE ANOTHER TEAM THAT OVERNIGHTED IN MOOSE JAW
“When I do the draw I try to separate them as much as possible so they get new competition.”
The tournament not only brings in a lot of teams to Moose Jaw but it’s also huge for player development, she said.
“The more the kids can play the better they get.”
An example is the U11 and U13 divisions where teams are not allowed to run the simpler zone defence but must utilize the much hard man to man defence.
“It helps promote skill development. It’s a lot harder to play defence man on man than it is with zone (defence)…we just adapt the rules a little to promote development.”
THE U15 SASKATOON BENGALS BOYS (IN BLACK AND RED) AND THE WINNIPEG U15 CROSSOVER TEAM WENT HEAD TO HEAD IN FRIDAY EVENING’S LATE MATCHUP.
THE TWO TEAMS ARE PART OF THE DOZENS OF TEAMS THAT WILL BE STAYING OVERNIGHT AT ONE OF MOOSE JAW’S HOTELS
Numbers wise the tournament is big for the city with there being a major economic spill over to hotels, restaurants and gas stations amongst other Moose Jaw businesses.
Johnson said the tournament’s 79 teams translated into about 1,000 athletes.
Of those athletes if you took away the Moose Jaw and Regina athletes - most who likely commute - that about 600 athletes require hotel room stays.
Johnson estimated 55 teams are in hotel rooms after you take out the teams from Moose Jaw and Regina.
The demand created by housing hundreds of players, coaches and families may be good for hotels but it also leaves the tournament scrambling.
Johnson said when it came to finding accommodation for the many out of town referees found her out of luck when she tried to book them rooms at the usual hotels in Moose Jaw.
“I tried booking hotels for my refs and most of the regular (hotels) are booked solid.”
Asked if the tournament was a big money maker for the Spartans, a labour of love or in between John said “kind of in between.”
“We make a little and we give it back to our program and we try to donate some. But a lot of it is a labour of love.”
Johnson said if the Spartans didn’t host the tournament the players would simply be off at a different out of town tournament.
“But it great to play at home.”
THE U15 SASKATOON BENGALS BOYS (IN BLACK AND RED) AND THE WINNIPEG U15 CROSSOVER TEAM WENT HEAD TO HEAD IN FRIDAY EVENING’S LATE MATCHUP.
THE TWO TEAMS ARE PART OF THE DOZENS OF TEAMS THAT WILL BE STAYING OVERNIGHT AT ONE OF MOOSE JAW’S HOTELS
“It’s a huge tournament. It’s one of biggest in Saskatchewan for club teams and this kind of wraps up our season for club teams as our home tournament is our last one of the year,” Colin Belsher said.
Belsher was busy coaching a girls and boys team at the tournament.
“Rhona (Johnson) puts on a great tournament for our Spartans tournament and it is wrapping up our club season. We always want to do well here.”
The extra bump for Moose Jaw teams to do well at their home tournament cannot be understated.
“Yeah I think (they play harder at home). They are going to have more fans come out - aunts and uncles and grandmas and grandpas and friends and stuff like that. So absolutely I think they enjoy playing a little bit more in front of their hometown.”
Asked if the tournament was important to the community Belsher said “absolutely.”
“It brings a lot of people into our community. It takes a lot of volunteers and Rhona Johnson does a lot of organizing with it. She has a lot of help with it,” he said.
“It’s a great thing to play within your hometown and don’t have to worry about travel and go home and sleep in your own bed is great.”
About his two teams he is coaching in the tournament Belsher said the boys team played a strong game. While the girls - who scored a single point in the first quarter - had a great fourth quarter drawing within six points in a game where they trailed by 14 points at one time.
“As long as the team goes out there, works hard and are having fun I can’t expect any more than that,” he said.
THE U15 SASKATOON BENGALS BOYS (IN BLACK AND RED) AND THE WINNIPEG U15 CROSSOVER TEAM WENT HEAD TO HEAD IN FRIDAY EVENING’S LATE MATCHUP.
THE TWO TEAMS ARE PART OF THE DOZENS OF TEAMS THAT WILL BE STAYING OVERNIGHT AT ONE OF MOOSE JAW’S HOTELS
Johnson said the tournament would like to thank its two sponsors - Visit Moose Jaw and CR Signs - for helping make it possible.
The tournament continues tomorrow with games held on six courts at five venues - Peacock, Central, Riverview, Sunningdale and Palliser.
Admission is $10 per day or $20 for the weekend.
Refer to the Premier Prairie Classic Facebook page for more information and a complete schedule.