ROCKFORD – Illinois Senator Steve Stadelman is taking his free 3-on-3
youth basketball tournament outdoors and moving the competition to Labor Day in
hopes of beginning its transformation to a large, Gus Macker-style event.
Boys and girls in 3rd through 8th grades
will compete on courts at Davis Park, with the first games tipping off immediately
after the Labor Day parade, Stadelman announced at a news conference today. The
outdoor location and switch from Saturday of Labor Day weekend to the Monday holiday
allows “Senator Stadelman’s HoopStars” to grow in its second year; more than
125 players took part in 2013 on indoor courts at Patriot’s Gateway Center.
“We’re taking HoopStars to the streets in 2014 – not literally,
but in the spirit of Gus Macker,” said Stadelman, referring to the popular
adult 3-on-3 tournament that took place in the streets of downtown Rockford for
many years.
“The tournament’s goal,”
he said, “remains the same -- to provide a positive, no-cost activity for our youth,
particularly those from low-income families and inner-city neighborhoods. Senator Stadelman’s
HoopStars is about the love of the game and kids having a ball.”
Stadelman said the downtown expansion is made possible by new
partnerships with the Rockford Park District and Rockford United Labor, which
organizes an annual picnic for union members at Davis Park following the Labor
Day parade. Families attending the basketball tournament can enjoy live music
and kids’ rides at no charge as guests of the labor group. ComEd and Comcast
are returning as financial sponsors, and both will operate interactive
educational booths during the tournament.
All players will receive free commemorative T-shirts; trophies
or medals also will be awarded. Teams of four can register online at: 1) www.senatorstadelmanhoopstars.eventbrite.com; 2) Stadelman’s office in the Zeke Giorgi
Center, 200 S. Wyman St., Suite 301, Rockford; or 3) participating community
centers. More information is available at www.senatorstadelman.com.
