Sidney area youth will be able to take part in a three on three basketball tournament taking place in conjunction with the Town and Country Festival June 23, in Sidney.
The first annual outdoor event is taking place in front of the courthouse on West Main St. and is a cooperative effort of both the Sidney Area Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture and the newly hired Sidney High School girls basketball coach.
“We wanted to organize this event to give local youth the opportunity to get outside, get active and really just come out and have some fun,” said Jace Sullivan, the girls’ basketball coach.
Participating basketball players will select their own teams. There will be six divisions with three girls and three boys divisions grouped by grade levels of 4th and 5th grade, 6th and 7th grade and 8th and 9th grade levels.
Games begin at 10:00 a.m. and the tournament is expected to last approximately three hours.
“This is the first year we have added this event to the Town and Country Festival and we would really like to see this event take off from here. We are hopeful that it will grow into something for all of our community’s youth to take part in,” said LaVanchie Starkey, administrative assistant, Sidney Chamber of Commerce.
The tradition of the festival started in 2008 as a way to bring Town and Country people together to take part in a one day celebration. This year it begins with a Healthworks Fun Run at 7:00 a.m. and is followed by a parade, a pet parade, sidewalk sales, a free feed, stage entertainment and youth activities such as face painting, a bungee run, jumping castle and petting zoo.
The cost to participate in the basketball tournament is $30 per team. Additional players after four team members have been selected will cost an additional $10 dollars.
Winners in each division will receive a free championship T-shirt.
Money generated from the event will cover the cost of prizes and the event itself.
Sullivan, a recent graduate of the University of Montana in Missoula has returned to his hometown to take a position as both coach and the junior high school’s seventh grade math teacher. “I hope to have a successful year. Success for me would be to have my team win a lot of games and to have the girls on the team really have fun and enjoy making that happen,” he said.
Players are encouraged to wear comfortable, loose fitting clothing while participating in the tournament.
Pick up your entry form at the Sidney Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture at 909 S. Central Ave. Entries need to be dropped off at the Chamber by June 21.
For more information, contact (406) 433-1916.
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