Jumping Into the Tournament Planning
Got a call last September from Coach Henderson asking if I’d volunteer for the Calhoun County Basketball Tournament planning committee. Thought about how slammed I was at work but figured “what the heck”. Told him yes on the spot – big mistake or big opportunity? Didn’t know yet.
First Committee Meeting Chaos
Showed up to the community center basement where ten people were already arguing. Mrs. Thompson from Parks & Rec kept insisting we use her cousin’s trophy shop while Coach Ramirez wanted cheaper options. I just sat there watching coffee stains spread on the folding table. Finally clapped my hands like a schoolteacher and yelled “Alright folks!” Got everyone to shut up for five whole minutes.
- Made three columns on butcher paper: Budget Problems, Team Registrations, Venue Headaches
- Stole markers from my kid’s backpack to color-code issues
- Bullied them into assigning tasks before leaving
The Jersey Disaster
Our cheapest jersey supplier bailed in January. Panicked calls revealed everyone was booked solid. Remembered that college kid who printed shirts for the county fair last summer. Tracked him down at his mom’s dry cleaner – turns out he’d started a small printing business. Negotiated until 11PM using free concession stand hotdogs as bargaining chips. Got the jerseys done at half-price but they’re slightly neon green. Whatever.
Game Day Madness
March 15th dawns with icy rain. Elementary school gym smells like sweat and nacho cheese. Scoreboard conks out during third game. Had to grab Randy’s kid who streams Fortnite and made him run scores through a tablet app projected on the wall. Parents cheered louder for that than the actual games!
- Lost two refs to food poisoning – thank God for Coach Davis’ retired ref brother
- Caught three teens trying to sneak in through locker room – made them sell Gatorade as punishment
- Forgot trophies in my trunk until championship game
When the Lights Went Out
Final seconds of U14 championship and bam – power outage. Complete darkness except for phone flashlights. Heard some kid wailing about ghosts. Fumbled through emergency exits praying we wouldn’t get sued. Generator kicked on after seven longest minutes of my life. Restarted the game with two minutes left and those kids played like nothing happened. Meanwhile my underarms were soaked.
Aftermath at Denny’s
Three AM eating mozzarella sticks with exhausted committee members. Mrs. Thompson admitted her cousin’s trophies were overpriced. Coach Ramirez bought my coffee. Found three unmatched socks, $27 in loose change and someone’s retainer in lost-and-found. Called that a win. Already planning for next year – but gonna insist on backup generators.