SOAR basketball tournaments score for Sisters

Matt Macauley laughed when a Newport, Oregon, resident called to tell him, "Newport looks like a walking billboard for the Sisters Shootout."

She explained that Newport youth were "all over town wearing their Shootout tee shirts." Four teams had just returned to the coastal town after a weekend basketball tournament in Sisters.

Macauley, SOAR's Tournament Director, had just finished the last of eight basketball tournaments produced by SOAR from December through March. Four hundred thirty-five teams from Washington, Oregon and Idaho participated this year, bringing approximately 12,000 visitors to Sisters and Central Oregon.

"Eighty-five percent of the tournament games were played in Sisters," Macauley said, "with the other games played in rented gym space in Redmond and Bend."

SOAR staff estimates that the tournaments added $1.5 million in revenue to Central Oregon during the slower winter sales season.

Tournament visitors patronize local restaurants, sleep in local motels, buy gas and shop.

"Part of the reason our tournaments are so successful is because visitors want to come here," Macauley said. "Most players have at least two family members accompanying them, and, with games taking about two hours a day, there is a lot of free time for these visitors to walk, eat and shop in Sisters and Central Oregon."

SOAR basketball tournaments were developed by Ray Garretson and Rand Runco four years ago. Garretson continued to develop the program as SOAR's Tournament Director until he changed careers last year. He guided SOAR tournaments into one of the popular tournament venues in the state. Macauley was hired to replace him.

"Ray did such a great job that he made it easy to step into the position," Macauley said. "He had everything so organized that all I had to do was follow his directions."

Macauley noted that Garretson has remained available to the tournament program as a consultant.

SOAR Director Tom Coffield said, "Matt Macauley has enhanced the tournament program with his organizational skills, his personal contacts and his friendliness. Ray was hard to replace, but we found the right guy."

Macauley said the value of producing tournaments in Sisters has been threefold:

"We benefit local kids, who don't have to travel so much to experience more competition, SOAR adds money to its coffers and all of Central Oregon gains needed winter revenue."

He is excited about the future SOAR gymnasium, which will save SOAR "about $1,000 a weekend in gym space rentals during tournaments."

Macauley envisions a tournament future for Sisters which will include basketball, softball and baseball.

"When we have baseball and softball fields, there will be so much more we can do, and this is the place to do it."