Macker returns to Norwich
NORWICH – The population in the City of Norwich is expected to nearly double this weekend as thousands of basketball fans flock to the area for the 21st season of the Gus Macker three-on-three basketball tournament.
The second weekend in July, dubbed by locals as “Gus Macker weekend,” marks one of the largest event weekends in Chenango County. Each year, the Gus Macker tournament, sponsored by the Norwich Family YMCA, brings in the most devoted basketball players from the east coast, resulting in the city’s population of 7,000 people to more than double in size over night.
Beginning Friday and continuing throughout the weekend, volunteers will sacrifice their time and energy to make sure things run smoothly, proving that this 21-year-old sporting event has a much deeper community impact than the sport itself.
“It’s amazing to see that people who played in it years ago now have kids who are playing,” said Norwich YMCA Executive Director Jamey Mullen. “This all started with an idea 21 years ago of how we could bring people into our community. We want people to come to our stores, eat at our restaurants and use our hotels. We want people to know who we are and where we are, and I think we’ve done that. People get caught up in the competition, but that promotion of the community is our number one prize.”
Volunteers began work early Friday morning to snap together court flooring in the parking lots of Tops Supermarket and City Hall, and to set up the quarter-mile line of basketball courts on East Main Street. When all is said and done, downtown traffic is replaced with a basketball haven for local and visiting competitors.
The Norwich community has done nothing but show support for the event over the years. This year alone, several hundred volunteers worked throughout the year on everything from planning and coordinating, to taping boundary lines on the pavement and raising basketball hoops.
“Because it’s running at the same time as a number of other local events this year, we’ve had to get creative with our volunteers,” Mullen said, noting that the number of volunteers this year is actually down from previous years. “We’re hoping to work our way through that knowing that we still have seasoned volunteers who have done it for many years. We may have folks who have to work smarter to get through it.”
The Macker tournament is one of few basketball tournaments that’s open to people of all walks. Anyone can play – male or female, young and old, short and tall, experienced and novice. According to the Macker organization, this all-inclusive approach maintains the purity and integrity of the driveway game.
The Macker tour has grown by leaps and bounds since its inception in 1987. To date, there are more than 970 Gus Macker tournaments held in communities across the northeastern part of the country, drawing more than 2.2 million players each year ranging from ages seven and up. What’s more, roughly 23 million spectators cheer them on.
Teams are computer-matched into male and female divisions within one of the following categories: junior, adult, or top. The age, height and experience of all four players are also considered.
Each team plays in at least three scheduled games over the course of the tournament. The Macker is a double elimination tournament with a consolation bracket: the “Toilet Bowl” for teams losing their first two games. A Gus Buster, which are volunteer referees in each game, maintains law and order on each court and calls fouls and violations in the junior divisions.
In addition to the overall economic impact of bringing players and fans to the Norwich community, the charitable aspects of the Gus Macker Tournament are also important. The local organizing committee of each tournament (the YMCA in Norwich) donates proceeds to a local charity.
Many non-profit clubs, groups, and organizations also raise funds through on-site food concession sales, special events and other on-site activities. Approximately $15,000,000 has been raised for worthwhile local charities at Gus Macker communities throughout the U.S.
“We’re thankful that the community continues to support the event,” Mullen said. “But we need to find ways to cultivate a new group of people to participate and to volunteer for the tournament to continue to be a success.”
The second weekend in July, dubbed by locals as “Gus Macker weekend,” marks one of the largest event weekends in Chenango County. Each year, the Gus Macker tournament, sponsored by the Norwich Family YMCA, brings in the most devoted basketball players from the east coast, resulting in the city’s population of 7,000 people to more than double in size over night.
Beginning Friday and continuing throughout the weekend, volunteers will sacrifice their time and energy to make sure things run smoothly, proving that this 21-year-old sporting event has a much deeper community impact than the sport itself.
“It’s amazing to see that people who played in it years ago now have kids who are playing,” said Norwich YMCA Executive Director Jamey Mullen. “This all started with an idea 21 years ago of how we could bring people into our community. We want people to come to our stores, eat at our restaurants and use our hotels. We want people to know who we are and where we are, and I think we’ve done that. People get caught up in the competition, but that promotion of the community is our number one prize.”
Volunteers began work early Friday morning to snap together court flooring in the parking lots of Tops Supermarket and City Hall, and to set up the quarter-mile line of basketball courts on East Main Street. When all is said and done, downtown traffic is replaced with a basketball haven for local and visiting competitors.
The Norwich community has done nothing but show support for the event over the years. This year alone, several hundred volunteers worked throughout the year on everything from planning and coordinating, to taping boundary lines on the pavement and raising basketball hoops.
“Because it’s running at the same time as a number of other local events this year, we’ve had to get creative with our volunteers,” Mullen said, noting that the number of volunteers this year is actually down from previous years. “We’re hoping to work our way through that knowing that we still have seasoned volunteers who have done it for many years. We may have folks who have to work smarter to get through it.”
The Macker tournament is one of few basketball tournaments that’s open to people of all walks. Anyone can play – male or female, young and old, short and tall, experienced and novice. According to the Macker organization, this all-inclusive approach maintains the purity and integrity of the driveway game.
The Macker tour has grown by leaps and bounds since its inception in 1987. To date, there are more than 970 Gus Macker tournaments held in communities across the northeastern part of the country, drawing more than 2.2 million players each year ranging from ages seven and up. What’s more, roughly 23 million spectators cheer them on.
Teams are computer-matched into male and female divisions within one of the following categories: junior, adult, or top. The age, height and experience of all four players are also considered.
Each team plays in at least three scheduled games over the course of the tournament. The Macker is a double elimination tournament with a consolation bracket: the “Toilet Bowl” for teams losing their first two games. A Gus Buster, which are volunteer referees in each game, maintains law and order on each court and calls fouls and violations in the junior divisions.
In addition to the overall economic impact of bringing players and fans to the Norwich community, the charitable aspects of the Gus Macker Tournament are also important. The local organizing committee of each tournament (the YMCA in Norwich) donates proceeds to a local charity.
Many non-profit clubs, groups, and organizations also raise funds through on-site food concession sales, special events and other on-site activities. Approximately $15,000,000 has been raised for worthwhile local charities at Gus Macker communities throughout the U.S.
“We’re thankful that the community continues to support the event,” Mullen said. “But we need to find ways to cultivate a new group of people to participate and to volunteer for the tournament to continue to be a success.”
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