News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Nina Horner battles for the ball in the Sisters Shootout, which brought teams from across the state to Sisters.
If Sisters seemed unusually active last weekend, it has passion for basketball to thank.
The Sisters Park & Recreation District's (SPRD) Sisters Shootout youth basketball tournament drew 47 teams from across Oregon to Sisters for a weekend of play that filled Sisters gyms.
It also filled Sisters' lodging establishments, restaurants and shops, giving the town a welcome economic boost in the dead of winter.
"They're coming from everywhere," said tournament director Ryan Moffat. "Lakeridge, Warm Springs, Lakeview, Chiloquin; teams are coming from Summit, Bend, Sisters, Tigard, John Day, Klamath Falls..."
Sisters gyms resounded with the sounds of sixth and seventh grade boys and girls teams hard at it in a tournament that kept families busy all weekend.
The chance to play lots of other competitive teams is a major draw for the program, but Sisters itself is attractive to families planning to hit town for the weekend.
"What draws people here to the Sisters Shootout Series is the town atmosphere, the shops, the people... the wildlife, the native area around and stuff like that," said Sisters youth basketball coordinator Randy Burdick.
Another tournament is set for President's Day weekend, February 19-20. Moffat said he hopes to draw 60 teams to that event. The basketball series will conclude with a tourney March 12-13.
SPRD is hoping to replicate the success of the Shootout Series with other sports tourneys to bring families to Sisters.
Results of the tourney were not available at press time.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
Reader Comments(0)