|
IAABO Board #134 has been sponsoring a
Girls Invitational Christmas Basketball Tournament every year.
The teams are selected from IAABO Board #134 service area
which consists of Anne Arundel, Howard, Prince George’s,
Charles, St. Mary’s Counties and neighboring
jurisdictions featuring top-ranked teams. Our selection
process is extensive in an attempt to secure top teams in the
area. In the past, we have had teams from Anne Arundel County,
Northern Virginia, D.C. and Baltimore City.
2006 will be our 36th tourney
year. The entire tournament has featured eight of the top
teams in the metropolitan area. The first three tournaments
were held over George Washington’s birthday holiday in
February, as this was the only time girls' games could be
worked in. At the time, girls' games were not involved with
Title IX and girls only played about 12 games per season. The
first ever champion was Regina High School (Suitland, Md), a
school that is now closed.
In 1976 the tournament was switched to the
Christmas holiday, but was scheduled over a two-week period,
as per sanctioned by the Maryland Public Schools Athletic
Association (MPSSAA). After constant appeals over a three year
period, in 1979 the sanction was changed to allow teams to
play three games in a given week, thereby establishing the
current format.
The mid-tournament years featured the
Academy of Holy Cross (from Rockville) with an unmatched
winning streak in the area – 115 consecutive games. Their
streak was broken in our ninth tournament by Elizabeth Seton
High School (Bladensburg, Md). In 1983 we had severe weather
that reduced our spectators, but not our teams' enthusiasm or
the caliber of basketball. 1984 featured nationally ranked
H.D.Woodson High School (Washington, D.C.) defending their
title. Our current champion is Bishop McNamara High School
(Forestville, Md). In all over 110 different teams, many more
than once, have participated in our tournament over its 29
year history.
The first 18 tournaments where held at
various locations. In 1985 we moved the tournament to Prince
George’s Community College as it presented a central
location to IAABO Board #134 service area. We have an
extremely positive working relationship with the officials at
the college.
We attempt to secure extensive media
coverage for the tournament. Contact is made with all local
and metropolitan newspapers. In 2001 CTV – Television
highlighted our championship game. Additionally, contact is
made with the approximately 110 colleges and universities on
the East Coast to encourage college coaches to come and see
the participating athletes. We highlight our teams, dates and
we issue each coach a tournament pass. All of this type of “behind
the scenes” work we feel will benefit many of our
participants with obtaining academic or athletic scholarships.
It has always been, and currently remains,
the intent of this tournament to better girl’s basketball
in the metropolitan area. There are many benefits from this
three-day tournament. For some of the athletes, this will be
their only opportunity to take part in such an event, as all
are not guaranteed trips to state and league playoffs. All
teams receive a plaque indicating their participation.
Individual plaques go to the championship team. If we are able
to produce enough revenue, we present all the players, team
attendants, and coaches with a tournament baseball cap or
t-shirt.
We believe that no less than 175 student
athletes have received full or partial scholarships from being
observed by college coaches attending our tournament. Also,
the tournament is a solidifying endeavor for our board members
as we join together for this single purpose. The Tournament
Chairperson and members work year-round to make the tournament
a positive athletic event for the participating ladies during
their high school year. At this point, we have achieved these
goals; however, it is our intent to continue to better our
tournament each year. The last two years our championship
games were sold-out.
|
