The 45th Annual Lynn Elementary Basketball Tournament is underway as elementary schools all around Lynn are competing for the chance to be crowned champions.
The tournament runs from March 1 to April 1 and is hosted at Thurgood Marshall Middle School. The teams are split into three divisions based on size.
The tournament initially started as an all-boys competition, but in 1983, it added girls. The teams play a whole season from December to March before all qualifying for the tournament.
Before 2020, the teams were drawn out of a hat. However, after a great game between two of the top teams in 2019 happened early in the tournament, they decided to do a pool.
“The game in 2019 was one of the best games of the tournament, and it was a shame that one of those teams had to be eliminated after the first game,” Director of Lynn Elementary Basketball Sean Morris said. “We thought, how can we stop that from happening? How can we get the two best teams in each division to play each other at the end? So, we came up with this format.”
“We’re loving it and the kids are loving this format,” Morris said. “Fans, parents, and teachers show up to every game… that’s the type of atmosphere it is in the gym.”
A reason why the kids enjoy this tournament is because of the “pride of representing your school” according to Morris.
“Playing for your school instills a sense of pride in their school and community,” Morris said. “Some of these kids might not pick up a basketball after elementary school, so it’s a big deal for them.”
The kids representing the schools are mainly fourth and fifth graders, however, every now and then a third grader makes the team. Another special aspect of the tournament is the alumni who come back.
“We have coaches who have been coaching in this tournament for 25 years, but every year, we will have four to five new coaches for whatever reason,” Morris said. “This year, three of the new coaches are all alumni of the tournament. They played in the tournament when they were in elementary school, so it’s cool to see them coming back.”
Once the tournament is over, there is an All-Star game the following week where players are nominated to play in an East Lynn vs. West Lynn game. There is also a free throw shooting competition in addition to a three-point contest during the All-Star game.
