Macker Mania: Not even a flood can stop Gus
NORWICH – Pulling off yet another Gus Macker 3-on-3 basketball tournament for the Norwich Family YMCA is like operating a well-oiled machine - even in the face of disaster.
The flood of 2006 wreaked havoc on villages and towns throughout Chenango County, carrying away homes, businesses and, sadly, even a life. But due to the dedication of YMCA employees and tournament volunteers, the more than 10,000 people expected to descened upon the streets of the county seat this weekend might not even notice the underlying stress.
“We do have a diehard group of volunteers,” Norwich Family YMCA Executive Director Jamey Mullen said. “Something drives them.”
Losing their vacation trailer for the second time due to flooding this year and last hasn’t stopped front desk employee Julie (Brown) Wallen and her husband, volunteer Jim Wallen, from giving their time to the tournament. The couple has regularly kept score on the Dream Court - along with daughter Katie - and officiated games for now going on their 11th year.
“Instead of doing Macker this year, they were planning a graduation at the camp this weekend, but because they lost their trailer and had to postpone the party, they said they’d be around again,” Mullen said. “Here’s a paid fireman who took time off for a family event, spent it cleaning up after the flood and still finds time to come in and volunteer for the Y.”
The Wallens’ trailer was submerged in two feet of water, their home’s basement had three feet of water in it and their mother’s camper was under 20 feet of water.
“It sounds weird, but it’ll be a nice relief from the clean-up efforts,” Julie said. “Certainly we didn’t lose as much as other people have, but it’s devastating nonetheless. I think Macker is such a great community event that the YMCA is able to offer and it makes me proud as a YMCA employee to be able to help out so much and to give back to the community.”
The Wallens join a whole host of volunteers who give their time both days all day long officiating and monitoring games. Mullen pointed to Steve Benenati, Mark Abbott, Tim Carson and Tim Borfitz who give their all for the tournament on both days.
“Benenati has every tT-shirt for the past 11 years of the tournament folded up and packed away for posterity,” he said.
All of the tournament’s Gus Busters are volunteers, not professional referees, except in the Top Men’s and Top Women’s divisions. The YMCA encourages participants and their audiences to treat them with respect and extend a thank you for a job well done.
And trying to catch up with actual Gus Macker Tournament Director Tom Revoir anytime during the week before the event is, as always, a bit like shooting from downtown: You either swish it or brick it. The busy Norwich Family Y sports director is always on his game when it comes to managing the ever-popular summer tradition in Chenango County. He’s anxious to talk about the year’s new features and top notch teams; he’s just always moving too fast back and forth from his office and the East Main Street hoops to do so.
The games begin up and down East Main Street at 8:30 a.m. About 440 teams - the majority made up of 12-16 year olds - are registered to compete this year on the 25 basketball courts lined up back to back. Fifty percent of the participants hail from Chenango, Broome and Onondaga counties. Many others travel to Norwich from North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia and from Ohio, Massachusetts and Vermont.
Businesses and individuals sponsors get into the act with activities in East Side Park and up and down the street. New to the tournament was the Caputo Brothers Women’s 3 pt. shot competition last evening at 6:30. The event joins Manpower’s 3pt shoot out, Frontier’s Dream Court, The Evening Sun’s Kid’s Court, Mirabito Fuel Group and Mang Insurance’s Slam Dunk and Preferred Mutual’s Foul Shot competition all taking place Saturday and Sunday.
Procter and Gamble Pharmaceuticals, Coca Cola and NBT Bank are the event’s presenting sponsors this year. The City of Norwich was the first presenting sponsor back in 1995.
“The city stepped up to the plate and really supported us in year one when the Business Improvement District was our first presenting sponsor,” according to Mullen. The late Youth Bureau volunteer Joseph Portelli and other city fathers approached the YMCA 11 years ago to “come up with some ideas that would put Norwich on the map.”
The event sported 196 teams for the first year, and peaked out well over 500 in 2001. The tournament has not had a rain delay since the first year when Hurricane Bertha came through. Mullen said the tournament was delayed for five hours. “It’s been 10 years since the Macker has seen significant rain. We hope this one will be dry, too. We all deserve it.”
The flood of 2006 wreaked havoc on villages and towns throughout Chenango County, carrying away homes, businesses and, sadly, even a life. But due to the dedication of YMCA employees and tournament volunteers, the more than 10,000 people expected to descened upon the streets of the county seat this weekend might not even notice the underlying stress.
“We do have a diehard group of volunteers,” Norwich Family YMCA Executive Director Jamey Mullen said. “Something drives them.”
Losing their vacation trailer for the second time due to flooding this year and last hasn’t stopped front desk employee Julie (Brown) Wallen and her husband, volunteer Jim Wallen, from giving their time to the tournament. The couple has regularly kept score on the Dream Court - along with daughter Katie - and officiated games for now going on their 11th year.
“Instead of doing Macker this year, they were planning a graduation at the camp this weekend, but because they lost their trailer and had to postpone the party, they said they’d be around again,” Mullen said. “Here’s a paid fireman who took time off for a family event, spent it cleaning up after the flood and still finds time to come in and volunteer for the Y.”
The Wallens’ trailer was submerged in two feet of water, their home’s basement had three feet of water in it and their mother’s camper was under 20 feet of water.
“It sounds weird, but it’ll be a nice relief from the clean-up efforts,” Julie said. “Certainly we didn’t lose as much as other people have, but it’s devastating nonetheless. I think Macker is such a great community event that the YMCA is able to offer and it makes me proud as a YMCA employee to be able to help out so much and to give back to the community.”
The Wallens join a whole host of volunteers who give their time both days all day long officiating and monitoring games. Mullen pointed to Steve Benenati, Mark Abbott, Tim Carson and Tim Borfitz who give their all for the tournament on both days.
“Benenati has every tT-shirt for the past 11 years of the tournament folded up and packed away for posterity,” he said.
All of the tournament’s Gus Busters are volunteers, not professional referees, except in the Top Men’s and Top Women’s divisions. The YMCA encourages participants and their audiences to treat them with respect and extend a thank you for a job well done.
And trying to catch up with actual Gus Macker Tournament Director Tom Revoir anytime during the week before the event is, as always, a bit like shooting from downtown: You either swish it or brick it. The busy Norwich Family Y sports director is always on his game when it comes to managing the ever-popular summer tradition in Chenango County. He’s anxious to talk about the year’s new features and top notch teams; he’s just always moving too fast back and forth from his office and the East Main Street hoops to do so.
The games begin up and down East Main Street at 8:30 a.m. About 440 teams - the majority made up of 12-16 year olds - are registered to compete this year on the 25 basketball courts lined up back to back. Fifty percent of the participants hail from Chenango, Broome and Onondaga counties. Many others travel to Norwich from North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia and from Ohio, Massachusetts and Vermont.
Businesses and individuals sponsors get into the act with activities in East Side Park and up and down the street. New to the tournament was the Caputo Brothers Women’s 3 pt. shot competition last evening at 6:30. The event joins Manpower’s 3pt shoot out, Frontier’s Dream Court, The Evening Sun’s Kid’s Court, Mirabito Fuel Group and Mang Insurance’s Slam Dunk and Preferred Mutual’s Foul Shot competition all taking place Saturday and Sunday.
Procter and Gamble Pharmaceuticals, Coca Cola and NBT Bank are the event’s presenting sponsors this year. The City of Norwich was the first presenting sponsor back in 1995.
“The city stepped up to the plate and really supported us in year one when the Business Improvement District was our first presenting sponsor,” according to Mullen. The late Youth Bureau volunteer Joseph Portelli and other city fathers approached the YMCA 11 years ago to “come up with some ideas that would put Norwich on the map.”
The event sported 196 teams for the first year, and peaked out well over 500 in 2001. The tournament has not had a rain delay since the first year when Hurricane Bertha came through. Mullen said the tournament was delayed for five hours. “It’s been 10 years since the Macker has seen significant rain. We hope this one will be dry, too. We all deserve it.”
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