Hoop it Up

Three-on-three outdoor basketball tournament Hoop it Up was hosted by the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, the home of the sport, on July 28 and 29.  Twenty-one courts were erected on Main Street as part of the New England Dodge Dealers Hoophall 3-on-3 event and 132 teams (about 600-650 people) participated. All basketball lovers, aged 8 to 35, were invited to take part in the weekend-long tournament and each team played a minimum of three games.

“The tournament was an opportunity to bring a wide variety of people downtown,” said Greg Procino of the Basketball Hall of Fame, who helped to organize the event.  “It was good for the City and a great way for people to get involved in a Hall of Fame event.”  

Sponsored by Disney’s Wide World of Sports, players from New England to southern states sweated through the two-day event.  Prizes were awarded to the first and second place winners and each first through fourth placed team from each division qualified to play in the 2007 World Championship.  Special events were also held, including the Slam Dunk Contest the 3-Point Shoot Out.

This is the second year that the Basketball Hall of Fame has hosted the event.

- Lauren Foley