Tournaments at center of communities

Going into the new school year, the future of UIL sports looked uncertain in mid-July, and when guidelines were finally announced July 21, fans could breathe a small sigh of relief. Sports would return this fall, albeit with more restrictions to protect both players and spectators.

However, one of those restrictions included the canceling of all tournaments and showcases, even the anticipated regional tournaments, but more importantly, the locally organized tournaments like Sulphur Bluff ’s Cap Herman or North Hopkins’ Freeman Parish are also canceled.

“All the teams that have gone to the tournament have really enjoyed it,” Sulphur Bluff ISD Athletic Director Marshall Moore said. “The kids have a really good time, and it’s just a good deal for the community. It will be a different school year without it [the Cap Herman tournament].”

While local tournaments may not attract the crowds of the 6A Mansfield’s Spring Creek tournament, they are central to the small communities that surround the school.

“Folks come out to watch great basketball, to volunteer and help at the tournament, to support our student athletes and come together in fellowship,” North Hopkins ISD Interim Athletic Director Brian Lowe said. “I’ve been around many tournaments over the years, and I don’t think any of them are as well organized, run and respected as the Freeman Parish tournament. That says a lot about the history and tradition of the tournament and everyone involved in it.”

Big showings are common at the Freeman Parish and Cap Herman tournaments, both of which are named after respected coaches who led past basketball teams to state. Miller Grove and Saltillo also hold winter basketball tournaments, and all four tournaments can be traced back to the 1950s, according to archived editions of the Sulphur Springs News-Telegram.

“It’s been a great tournament every year,” Moore said, who is been at Sulphur Bluff for nine years.

It may be hard to include the community this year, however, with crowds limited to 50% attendance, Miller Grove ISD Athletic Director Gary Billingsley said, but he added the players “enjoy playing in our tournament.

“I do not know if it is because we are at home or that they always get to eat in the hospitality room after games,” he said jokingly.

Lowe pointed out volleyball tournaments, which North Hopkins has hosted in the past years, are now canceled as well.

“That’s another great event that we look forward to hosting each year,” Lowe said. “So, even though this year will look different, I know our students have been working hard and are looking forward to competing.”

Tournaments in general allow coaches to see how their players fare in multiple games with little preparation in between, Billingsley said.

“I enjoy it because it gets the immersed in the game for three days, and we usually see a lot of growth during this time,” he said. “It is going to be missed, but we will have to make the best of it.”

It’s not just the players or coaches who benefit from the tournament. Moore said teachers usually volunteer to supervise the event, and students in those classes have a chance to watch a game. Also, he added, the tournament is a major fundraiser for the upperclassmen.

“One of our upper classes usually takes care of the concession, and it drives a lot of money for them,” Moore said. “They probably make $1,500 to $2,000.”

The Freeman Parish tournament is also a major fundraiser for North Hopkins, but Lowe said he’s “sure they will have some alternative fundraising plans in place for this school year.

“Like everything else right now, it will just take some outside-of-the-box thinking,” he said.

Miller Grove’s basketball concession raises funds for the junior class, so with the tournament canceled, another source of funding has been taken away. However, Billingsley foresees a problem with the season due to the limited attendance, assuming “it will be hard to make the usual amount of money.”

Even with the cancellations, Sulphur Bluff is still planning to honor their outstanding players with the Cap Herman award, according to Moore. UIL is allowing Saturday games, and players will be honored on a Saturday in mid-December when the Cap Herman tournament was supposed to be held.

“Even though it’s not a tournament, we will still honor our kids,” Moore said.