This magic moment
When Jay and the Americans crooned so eloquently about This Magic Moment, it was dedicated to a kiss, but the magic moment that transpired in Holmes County Jan. 14-16 was far from as quick as a kiss.
“Magical,” said Tom Jenkins over and over. “Just a magical weekend. That’s all I can say to sum up this past weekend. Magical.”
Jenkins, owner and editor of Ohio Girls Basketball Report, and cocreator of Classic in the Country (CitC), was, of course, referring to the recently completed Classic affair over Martin Luther King Jr. weekend at Hiland’s Perry Reese Community Center.
And the reason he continues to choose that word to describe what has taken place every winter over the past nine years is that the event continues to one-up itself every year, something he said only comes from hard work by many people.
The CitC continued to add to its legacy this year, having seen record crowds attend the games, the second most college scouts ever to attend, and a whole host of volunteers to make sure it came off without a hitch.
“It ran incredibly smoothly,” said Hiland coach Dave Schlabach, who along with Jenkins spearheaded the CitC a decade ago. “It’s amazing the help we have now. I was amazed that I could actually sit back and watch some basketball games this weekend.
“We have so many people who have done their jobs for so many years, people who have taken care of problems and issues to the point where we don’t have to worry about it anymore. That is a great feeling.”
Jenkins said that the reason he feels that the word magical best describes the CitC is because, as he puts it, they are promoting girls basketball during horrible weather in the middle of nowhere.
A recipe for disaster?
If it is, then disaster has never tasted so sweet.
“Girls basketball isn’t something that is self-sustaining, like football or boys basketball,” said Jenkins. “You have to work hard to make it happen, and we have a lot of people working incredibly hard to make this weekend something special.
“Maybe it’s the spirits of Martin Luther King Jr. and Perry Reese smiling down on us, but it continues to be just magical.”
As for the attendance, it was a record-breaking weekend again as the Classic continues to gain momentum. The Sunday attendance was at a new high for fans and for college coaches, who came to witness what they hope are their future players in action.
The fact the numbers were so huge, despite not featuring either Hiland or West Holmes that day, showed the promoters that it is more than just the local fans coming to see the action.
“That Sunday crowd, that showed me that the casual fan around the state is showing up,” said Schlabach. “A lot of that is the caliber of basketball, but it is also a credit to the people we have here helping to pull this off.
“Our volunteers are awesome, and they create this unbelievable atmosphere of hospitality and welcomeness that is very inviting and relaxing for people.”
So people are leaving the Classic weekend feeling good about what they have seen and experienced, and because of that, are more apt to return for non-basketball related dates later.
“Hospitality is king in this area, and we do a great job of that,” said Schlabach. “Whether their teams win or lose, a lot of people leave here thinking that they would love to come back, because it has been a great experience.”
From basketball to the homemade noodles, of which patrons could partake whether it was 9 a.m. or 10 p.m., people were well taken care of during the CitC.
Much of the credit goes to the local sponsors, and especially Ben Mast of Amish Pie Company, who flew back home from his stay in Florida to be here for the Classic. Even with Under Armour on board, both Jenkins and Schlabach remained loyal to Mast, keeping the Amish Pie name at the top of the Classic.
“We’ll never forget that it took someone stepping up and taking a chance on us to get this thing rolling, and they did a fantastic job again,” said Schlabach of Amish Pie Company.
The fact that this year saw CitC finally gain a national sponsor in Under Armour did wonders for the weekend as well, and Jenkins said that their involvement can only mean greater things down the road.
“It’s not as much their involvement as it is their presence,” said Jenkins. “Their presence is unbelievable. It gives us a stamp of approval on the national level. Having them and Ben Mast serving as our big sponsors is great.”
The basketball, the relationships, the food, the good times, the commitment to honoring Martin Luther King Jr. and Perry Reese... it all added up to this magic moment.
“Magical,” said Tom Jenkins over and over. “Just a magical weekend. That’s all I can say to sum up this past weekend. Magical.”
Jenkins, owner and editor of Ohio Girls Basketball Report, and cocreator of Classic in the Country (CitC), was, of course, referring to the recently completed Classic affair over Martin Luther King Jr. weekend at Hiland’s Perry Reese Community Center.
And the reason he continues to choose that word to describe what has taken place every winter over the past nine years is that the event continues to one-up itself every year, something he said only comes from hard work by many people.
The CitC continued to add to its legacy this year, having seen record crowds attend the games, the second most college scouts ever to attend, and a whole host of volunteers to make sure it came off without a hitch.
“It ran incredibly smoothly,” said Hiland coach Dave Schlabach, who along with Jenkins spearheaded the CitC a decade ago. “It’s amazing the help we have now. I was amazed that I could actually sit back and watch some basketball games this weekend.
“We have so many people who have done their jobs for so many years, people who have taken care of problems and issues to the point where we don’t have to worry about it anymore. That is a great feeling.”
Jenkins said that the reason he feels that the word magical best describes the CitC is because, as he puts it, they are promoting girls basketball during horrible weather in the middle of nowhere.
A recipe for disaster?
If it is, then disaster has never tasted so sweet.
“Girls basketball isn’t something that is self-sustaining, like football or boys basketball,” said Jenkins. “You have to work hard to make it happen, and we have a lot of people working incredibly hard to make this weekend something special.
“Maybe it’s the spirits of Martin Luther King Jr. and Perry Reese smiling down on us, but it continues to be just magical.”
As for the attendance, it was a record-breaking weekend again as the Classic continues to gain momentum. The Sunday attendance was at a new high for fans and for college coaches, who came to witness what they hope are their future players in action.
The fact the numbers were so huge, despite not featuring either Hiland or West Holmes that day, showed the promoters that it is more than just the local fans coming to see the action.
“That Sunday crowd, that showed me that the casual fan around the state is showing up,” said Schlabach. “A lot of that is the caliber of basketball, but it is also a credit to the people we have here helping to pull this off.
“Our volunteers are awesome, and they create this unbelievable atmosphere of hospitality and welcomeness that is very inviting and relaxing for people.”
So people are leaving the Classic weekend feeling good about what they have seen and experienced, and because of that, are more apt to return for non-basketball related dates later.
“Hospitality is king in this area, and we do a great job of that,” said Schlabach. “Whether their teams win or lose, a lot of people leave here thinking that they would love to come back, because it has been a great experience.”
From basketball to the homemade noodles, of which patrons could partake whether it was 9 a.m. or 10 p.m., people were well taken care of during the CitC.
Much of the credit goes to the local sponsors, and especially Ben Mast of Amish Pie Company, who flew back home from his stay in Florida to be here for the Classic. Even with Under Armour on board, both Jenkins and Schlabach remained loyal to Mast, keeping the Amish Pie name at the top of the Classic.
“We’ll never forget that it took someone stepping up and taking a chance on us to get this thing rolling, and they did a fantastic job again,” said Schlabach of Amish Pie Company.
The fact that this year saw CitC finally gain a national sponsor in Under Armour did wonders for the weekend as well, and Jenkins said that their involvement can only mean greater things down the road.
“It’s not as much their involvement as it is their presence,” said Jenkins. “Their presence is unbelievable. It gives us a stamp of approval on the national level. Having them and Ben Mast serving as our big sponsors is great.”
The basketball, the relationships, the food, the good times, the commitment to honoring Martin Luther King Jr. and Perry Reese... it all added up to this magic moment.
Published: January 20, 2012
