Mackermania begins
NORWICH – It’s that time of year again and Mackermania is in the air as the 15th Annual Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament makes its return to downtown Norwich.
YMCA Executive Director Jamey Mullen reported that 434 teams, consisting of 1,736 players, will participate this year, and estimated 8,000 to 10,000 people will attend the event.
As is the norm, the tournament will shut down a portion of East Main Street and the P&C/Tops parking lot for the weekend as teams compete on 33 individual basketball courts. In the course of its 15-year history, over 25,000 athletes have participated in the local Gus Macker, and Mulleen said the YMCA and other community-based organizations, thanks to the efforts of approximately 6,000 volunteers, has raised nearly a quarter of a million dollars.
“Anytime you have people supporting an event like this, it’s a testament to the kind of community we have here,” said Mullen, who stressed there “still remains a strong focus on youth and family” at the yearly tournament.
Approximately 60 percent of all participants are under the age of 18, he added.
“Anytime you can get community organizations to capitalize on an event like Gus Macker, it’s only going to benefit more people,” said Mullen. “For 15 years, we’ve had sponsors that have been involved every year and that’s pretty special.”
Originally hailed as a means to “try and put Norwich on the map,” Mullen said he considered the efforts of the last 14 years a resounding success, and went on to relate a story in which he was stopped by a gentleman, in the middle of the Las Vegas desert, who recognized the Gus Macker T-shirt he was wearing and had recently visited Norwich.
“That doesn’t surprise me a bit,” said YMCA Sports Director Tom Revoir, who added he had experienced a similar occurrence in a Detroit airport when he noticed a complete stranger wearing a Norwich Gus Macker T-shirt. “It just blows your mind. It’s amazing, it really is. It really does put Norwich on the map.”
Registration, on Friday, for Macker teams and the Women’s 3-point Shot Competition will take place from 4 to 8 p.m. and noon to 5 p.m. respectively, with the Women’s 3-point Shot Competition beginning at 6:30 p.m.
In addition, Brooks Barbeque Chicken will be cooking up its ever-popular fare starting at 4 p.m. behind the Norwich Fire House, to benefit the Norwich Pumpkin Festival, and concession stands will open at 5 p.m.
The Norwich City Band will hold its first concert of the summer at 7 p.m., Friday, in East Park.
Things will kick off early on Saturday with team registration from 8 to 11 a.m., the opening prayer and ceremonies at 8 a.m., followed by the start of competition at 8:30 a.m.
Live music from 5 to 9 p.m. in West Park will be provided by Dubstate and the Mutron Warriors, sponsored by the Chenango County Blues Festival, and the Women’s 3-point Shot Competition Finals will be held at 6 p.m., followed immediately by the annual Slam Dunk Competition.
Competition will kick off Sunday at 8 a.m. with the tournament awards ceremony taking place at 11 a.m.
Frontier’s Dream Court and The Evening Sun’s Tom Schwan Kids Court will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday.
Brackets, team names and a list of participating athletes can be found at norwichymca.com, reported Mullen, who added “basically it’s the volunteers and the community support that drives” Gus Macker. That information will also be printed in a special Saturday edition of The Evening Sun, given away free at the event.
Revoir concurred and added that “100 percent” of the annual event’s success is due to the volunteers and sponsors.
“We have 200 volunteers every year and I see a lot of the same faces returning every year,” said Revoir. “They’re dedicated.”
“When you look at all the changes that have occurred since we began, businesses coming and going, family and friends that have moved away, one thing that has remained constant is our tight-knit, close community, that supports this event and community organizations,” said Mullen. “For a sleepy little town of 7,000, it’s amazing.”
Revoir said nowadays he’s not at all surprised by the tournament’s continued success.
“Ten years ago I would’ve been surprised,” he added. “We’ve really made the Macker event a success.”
YMCA Executive Director Jamey Mullen reported that 434 teams, consisting of 1,736 players, will participate this year, and estimated 8,000 to 10,000 people will attend the event.
As is the norm, the tournament will shut down a portion of East Main Street and the P&C/Tops parking lot for the weekend as teams compete on 33 individual basketball courts. In the course of its 15-year history, over 25,000 athletes have participated in the local Gus Macker, and Mulleen said the YMCA and other community-based organizations, thanks to the efforts of approximately 6,000 volunteers, has raised nearly a quarter of a million dollars.
“Anytime you have people supporting an event like this, it’s a testament to the kind of community we have here,” said Mullen, who stressed there “still remains a strong focus on youth and family” at the yearly tournament.
Approximately 60 percent of all participants are under the age of 18, he added.
“Anytime you can get community organizations to capitalize on an event like Gus Macker, it’s only going to benefit more people,” said Mullen. “For 15 years, we’ve had sponsors that have been involved every year and that’s pretty special.”
Originally hailed as a means to “try and put Norwich on the map,” Mullen said he considered the efforts of the last 14 years a resounding success, and went on to relate a story in which he was stopped by a gentleman, in the middle of the Las Vegas desert, who recognized the Gus Macker T-shirt he was wearing and had recently visited Norwich.
“That doesn’t surprise me a bit,” said YMCA Sports Director Tom Revoir, who added he had experienced a similar occurrence in a Detroit airport when he noticed a complete stranger wearing a Norwich Gus Macker T-shirt. “It just blows your mind. It’s amazing, it really is. It really does put Norwich on the map.”
Registration, on Friday, for Macker teams and the Women’s 3-point Shot Competition will take place from 4 to 8 p.m. and noon to 5 p.m. respectively, with the Women’s 3-point Shot Competition beginning at 6:30 p.m.
In addition, Brooks Barbeque Chicken will be cooking up its ever-popular fare starting at 4 p.m. behind the Norwich Fire House, to benefit the Norwich Pumpkin Festival, and concession stands will open at 5 p.m.
The Norwich City Band will hold its first concert of the summer at 7 p.m., Friday, in East Park.
Things will kick off early on Saturday with team registration from 8 to 11 a.m., the opening prayer and ceremonies at 8 a.m., followed by the start of competition at 8:30 a.m.
Live music from 5 to 9 p.m. in West Park will be provided by Dubstate and the Mutron Warriors, sponsored by the Chenango County Blues Festival, and the Women’s 3-point Shot Competition Finals will be held at 6 p.m., followed immediately by the annual Slam Dunk Competition.
Competition will kick off Sunday at 8 a.m. with the tournament awards ceremony taking place at 11 a.m.
Frontier’s Dream Court and The Evening Sun’s Tom Schwan Kids Court will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday.
Brackets, team names and a list of participating athletes can be found at norwichymca.com, reported Mullen, who added “basically it’s the volunteers and the community support that drives” Gus Macker. That information will also be printed in a special Saturday edition of The Evening Sun, given away free at the event.
Revoir concurred and added that “100 percent” of the annual event’s success is due to the volunteers and sponsors.
“We have 200 volunteers every year and I see a lot of the same faces returning every year,” said Revoir. “They’re dedicated.”
“When you look at all the changes that have occurred since we began, businesses coming and going, family and friends that have moved away, one thing that has remained constant is our tight-knit, close community, that supports this event and community organizations,” said Mullen. “For a sleepy little town of 7,000, it’s amazing.”
Revoir said nowadays he’s not at all surprised by the tournament’s continued success.
“Ten years ago I would’ve been surprised,” he added. “We’ve really made the Macker event a success.”
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