Browse > Home / Sports / Basketball tournament continues to grow each summer

Basketball tournament continues to grow each summer

July 17, 2009

By Ryan Piersol

 

By Ryan Piersol
The state of the economy may be cutting into everyone’s budget, but it’s sure not keeping the greater Seattle area off the basketball courts.
The third-annual Snoqualmie Ridge 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. July 18 on the streets of Snoqualmie Ridge. The event, according to creator Jeff Orswell, continues to swell in size.
“We seem to be on about a 30 to 50 percent increase each year,” he said. “We’re running about 100 teams right now, and that’s right where we were at last year on event day. We’re used to picking up another 15-20 teams in the last two days of registration.”
This year’s tournament has been downsized from two days to only one. Still, every participant is promised at least three games, to go along with a souvenir basketball.
As in past summer’s, the event will include a free Kids’ Zone attraction. Adding onto last year’s slam dunk contest for children, the slam dunk contest this year will also have a competition for high-schoolers and adults. It begins at 11 a.m.
The tournament bracket includes divisions for high-school boys, high-school girls, boys in grades 6-8, girls in grades 6-8, boys in grades 3-5 and girls in grades 3-5. There are also two adult divisions, an open one for those 18 and older and one for those at least 40 years old.
Entry costs began at $80 a team and finished at $90 a team for those in late online registration, which ended July 15.
The first year the tournament was held in Snoqualmie, 77 teams participated. Last year, there were 102.
Orswell hopes for around 125 this year and more in the future. He said the tournament already is the second-largest 3-on-3 basketball event in the state, behind Hoopsfest in Spokane.
“We had more than Tulalip, Vancouver and everything else we could find but Spokane. So, we started calling ourselves the second-largest 3-on-3 tournament in Washington,” Orswell said. “We’re hoping to get to where we have a few hundred teams and it’s a big tournament in Washington. Hopefully, there are a lot of people who enjoy the experience at Hoopsfest, but don’t want to do the four-and-a-half-hour drive to Spokane.”
Reach editor Ryan Piersol at editor@snovallesytar.com or 392-6434. To comment on this story, go to www.snovalleystar.com.

 

The state of the economy may be cutting into everyone’s budget, but it’s sure not keeping the greater Seattle area off the basketball courts.

The third-annual Snoqualmie Ridge 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. July 18 on the streets of Snoqualmie Ridge. The event, according to creator Jeff Orswell, continues to swell in size.

“We seem to be on about a 30 to 50 percent increase each year,” he said. “We’re running about 100 teams right now, and that’s right where we were at last year on event day. We’re used to picking up another 15-20 teams in the last two days of registration.”

This year’s tournament has been downsized from two days to only one. Still, every participant is promised at least three games, to go along with a souvenir basketball.

As in past summer’s, the event will include a free Kids’ Zone attraction. Adding onto last year’s slam dunk contest for children, the slam dunk contest this year will also have a competition for high-schoolers and adults. It begins at 11 a.m.

The tournament bracket includes divisions for high-school boys, high-school girls, boys in grades 6-8, girls in grades 6-8, boys in grades 3-5 and girls in grades 3-5. There are also two adult divisions, an open one for those 18 and older and one for those at least 40 years old.

Entry costs began at $80 a team and finished at $90 a team for those in late online registration, which ended July 15.

The first year the tournament was held in Snoqualmie, 77 teams participated. Last year, there were 102.

Orswell hopes for around 125 this year and more in the future. He said the tournament already is the second-largest 3-on-3 basketball event in the state, behind Hoopsfest in Spokane.

“We had more than Tulalip, Vancouver and everything else we could find but Spokane. So, we started calling ourselves the second-largest 3-on-3 tournament in Washington,” Orswell said. “We’re hoping to get to where we have a few hundred teams and it’s a big tournament in Washington. Hopefully, there are a lot of people who enjoy the experience at Hoopsfest, but don’t want to do the four-and-a-half-hour drive to Spokane.”

 

Reach editor Ryan Piersol at editor@snovallesytar.com or 392-6434.

Bookmark and Share
Other Stories of Interest: ,

Written by Ryan Piersol · Filed Under Sports 

Copyright 2010 by Issaquah Press Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed without permission. E-mail editor@isspress.com

Comments

Got something to say?

Before you comment, please note:

  • These comments are moderated.
  • Comments should be relevant to the topic at hand and contribute to its discussion.
  • Personal attacks and/or excessive profanity will not be tolerated and such comments will not be approved.
  • This is not your personal chat room or forum, so please stay on topic.