Fattys BAM Jam After Party is Saturday night

Fatty's is hosting the BAM Jam
After Party Saturday night

Once again, the biggest basketball after party of the year will be on Saturday, August 9 at Fatty's Bar in Downtown Boise.

Fatty's is always a great time but it really amps things up during BAM Jam. The Fatty's BAM Jam After Party features drink specials for BAM Jam players & fans along with great music. Fattys is known for their live DJs and DJ ZUZ will be on the turn tables all night. And don't forget about the great location that overlooks Boise's famous 8th Street.

The after party is also a great way to meet up with other players from the tournament. Whether another team caught your eye or you just battled against them in your pool, you are likely to see them at Fatty's on Saturday night.

Haven't registered your team yet? You can still get them in until Friday night. Click here to register your team now!

Idaho Stampede to host Tip Off Party at BAM Jam

The Idaho Stampede will
host the Tip Off Party

This year, the Fast Eddy's BAM Jam will be taking things up a notch at the traditional team check in. The Idaho Stampede will be hosting the BAM Jam Tip Off Party at CenturyLink Arena in downtown Boise on Friday, August 8 from 5:00-7:00 PM.

At the tip off party, all teams will check in and receive their game brackets, t-shirts and team bags loaded with coupons. Additionally, the Idaho Stampede (a member of the NBA D-League and Utah Jazz affiliate) will set up their baskets and be holding some fun contests that everyone can enter free of charge.

There will be a free throw shooting contest and the winner will receive a free suite to one of Idaho Stampede home games, worth $450 and comes with tickets for 16 people! There will also be a chance to get your picture taken with Idaho Stampede Dance Team members, the Idaho Stampede mascot "Rumble" and other fun things for you and your team to do while you are there. Be ready to be "social" because there will probably also be some great contests to enter through your social media accounts.

The Details
Where: CenturyLink Arena, Home of the Idaho Stampede, 233 S. Capitol Blvd, Boise, ID - enter the lobby from the Grove Plaza
When: Friday, August 8, 5:00-7:00 PM
Why: Because checking your team in should also be a lot of fun
Who: All teams playing in BAM Jam and all basketball fans that want to shoot on the Idaho Stampede baskets

If you would still like to register your team, be sure to sign up by Friday, August 1 at www.bamjamboise.com/play. The tournament is August 9-10 and is expected to bring in 300 teams.

To learn more about the Idaho Stampede, visit www.idahostampede.com.

Time is running out to register

Late registration ends this Friday

Here is a quick reminder that the last day of late registration for Fast Eddy's BAM Jam is this Friday, August 1, 2014. We will take registrations through the night. After that teams will have to be placed on a wait list. Click here to register.

Why don't we take registrations up until the tournament starts? Even though we've really got this bracketing thing down to a science (click here to read how we do it) the process takes a long time. It is kind of like doing a 300 piece jigsaw puzzle, except you aren't only trying to fit teams in to a space, you have to fit them in to time slots as well.

To register, go to www.bamjamboise.com/play and sign your team up from there. To see a few hints and tips on how to register efficiently, click here to read our tip sheet. Other than step 1 (which was intended for the normal registration timeframe) these pretty much all apply.

How are teams bracketed?

*This blog entry was originally posted in February of 2011. It has been updated

Teams are placed in brackets based
on the information they provide

A common question we get is "how are the teams bracketed?" Often, players are concerned that they will be placed in a bracket with players far better, much older/younger or less skilled then they are. Our goal is to create brackets that are balanced and fair to everyone in the bracket, based on the information that we are provided.

For youth and high school teams, the first step is to determine which grade they are as a team. Teams are considered to be in the grade of the player that is in the oldest grade. So if there is a player in the 7th grade and 2 in the 6th grade then that team is considered a 7th grade team. Ideally there are enough teams in the same grade to create bracket of the same grade teams. However, from time to time we have to combine two grades in to the same bracket, such as a 7th/8th grade bracket. Keep in mind that we will never combine teams that are more than one grade apart (ie a 9th grade team would not be in a 12th grade bracket). If there are enough teams in the same grade to have two brackets, teams are separated based on the experience factor listed by the players.

For adult brackets, the first separation occurs based on the division that teams elect to play for (recreational, competitive, elite). If there are enough teams to create multiple brackets in, say, the adult recreational division, we use age as the separating factor.

Keep in mind that it is absolutely impossible to create perfect brackets. We do the best that we can. All the brackets are based on the information that we are provided. And of course there is always the "get hot" factor, where a player that is normally average is "feeling it" during the tournament and performs better than expected (it goes the other way too). All in all, just remember that this is a community event, that the people working it are volunteers, the teams are all playing for t-shirts and come Monday we all have to go back to work!

Late registration will remain open until this Friday night so if you want to play, be sure to get your team registered by then. If the bracket you enter on the website lets you register, it means there should be room.

Register today by clicking here.

Youth basketball teams to take over BAM Jam

Divisions available for youth
basketball teams

Each summer, Fast Eddy's BAM Jam hosts hundreds of youth basketball 3 on 3 teams in the 3rd-8th grades for boys and girls. Teams continue to come back each year to compete against old and new competitors and try to win the coveted Champions T-shirts.

Teams are divided into brackets based on the team member's highest grade level. The youth basketball teams will only compete against other teams that are the same grade or within one grade level of each other. For example, a 5th grade team won't compete against a 7th grade team.

Last summer we featured 9 youth basketball brackets, providing competitive play in a fun environment. Click here to see last summer's brackets.

Boys and girls youth basketball teams
compete in BAM Jam

The high school divisions (9th-12th grades) have also been very popular. Last year, teams from all over the northwest, including Alaska, competed in five different brackets with nearly 60 teams.

But you need to register ASAP. The late registration period closes this week and after that teams will not be able to register. Register your team by clicking here.

We need your help managing courts at BAM Jam

We are pleased to introduce Colby Blaine, who will be our Court Monitor Director for this summer's Fast Eddy's BAM Jam. He joins a great list of Court Monitor Directors that have done an excellent job during the previous 6 tournaments.

Colby is a Boise native and a graduate of Boise High School. He earned his bachelor's degree from Western Montana and then his Master's in Athletic Administration from Idaho State. He is currently the assistant coach at the College of Idaho and has a lot of experience operating and managing basketball tournaments and camps.

Court Monitors will receive t-shirts, gear from STADIA Clothing, lunch both Saturday and Sunday from Pita Pit and Old Chicago, a parking pass to park at the event and you get to keep your court's basketball! Plus we provide complete court monitor training and support through out the event.

If you would like to send Colby a message, you can email him at cblaine35@gmail.com. Or you can register to become a court monitor at www.bamjamboise.com/volunteer.

Late registration is still available

If you still want to play in the Fast Eddy's BAM Jam on August 9-10, you may still be able to get in. The guaranteed deadline has passed and now we are in the late registration period but some brackets still have room for teams.

Register your team today!

If you go to register and the bracket you want to play in is still listed, you will probably still be able to get in. But some brackets are filling up.

*NOTE: if for some reason you are able to register but there is not room available, you will be notified ASAP and your money will be fully refunded.

Your best bet to get in? Register today. There will be 300 teams from around the northwest competing on the streets of downtown Boise. Don't miss out on the good times and great action!

The best 3 on 3 basketball players will be in Boise August 9-10

We are looking for the best 3 on 3 basketball players in the west to compete in the 7th annual Fast Eddy's BAM Jam August 9-10 in Boise, Idaho. And if you have what it takes, we will take care of you.

The best 3 on 3 basketball players will
be in Boise at BAM Jam August 9-10

Of course, there are divisions for players of all ages and abilities. But players in the elite divisions will all get a chance to play on the Northwestern Mutual Center Court and games are officiated by certified high school and college officials. Teams get a VIP treatment at team check in and receive parking passes right next to tournament in our VIP parking lot.

[register by clicking here]

BAM Jam has a tradition of hosting some of the best 3 on 3 basketball players and teams. Our past champions include winners of the Hoopfest Elite Division, former professional, Division I, Division II and NAIA players. The champions all receive championship packages worth hundreds of dollars and, of course, the highly sought after champions shirts printed on Nike apparel.

The Northwestern Mutual Center Court will feature elite division games all weekend long. The Northwestern Mutual crew will set up to take care of our elite players. A shaded canopy and ice cold water for elite team members are just a few of in game perks Northwestern Mutual will provide.

Northwestern Mutual welcomes the best 3 on 3
basketball players to the Center Court at BAM Jam

Northwestern Mutual is no stranger to big sporting events. As a proud partner of the NCAA and the presenting sponsor of the Rose Bowl, Northwestern Mutual understands the importance of sports and the impact that they have on the surrounding community.

BAM Jam is excited to host the best 3 on 3 basketball players in the northwest. If you are interested in competing in the 2014 Fast Eddy's BAM Jam, click here or go to the "PLAY" button at the top of the www.bamjamboise.com webpage.

Team Registration Check List And Hints For Success

Register your BAM Jam 3 on 3
basketball team today!

Here is a checklist of items that may help to get your team registered before the deadline:

1. Mark your calendar for July 19 with "BAM Jam registration deadline". If its a digital calendar you can even set a reminder to go off a day or two before just to be safe.
2. Visit www.bamjamboise.com and click PLAY
3. Adult teams, decide what level of play you want: recreational, competitive or elite
4. Talk to your teammates and get the following information from them: address, birthdate, cell phone number, email, height, playing experience and shirt size (adult sizes). Youth and high school teams will also need the grade they are going in to next fall.
5. Credit card - yes, you have to pay to play!
6. Submit the registration and look for your registration email. It will be sent to the Team Captain (Player 1) so that email needs to be accurate.
7. If you end up on the "Thank You" page your registration should be good to go. But definitely make sure you receive the email.

If you do not receive an email, contact support@idahoselect.org with your team name, your name and when you signed up. We'll figure out what happened. 

When registering, here are a couple of tips to make the process smoother.

• Have all your team information ready before you begin. 

• Register from a desktop computer if possible. You can register from a smart phone or tablet, but we've found that if your signal bounces from one cell tower or WiFi hot spot to another it can interfere. 

• If you are registering from work, make sure that your internet is not behind a firewall. Usually, for the company's safety, firewalls prevent certain transactions. 

• Make sure that your browser is up to date. If you enter the players in and click NEXT and it scrolls to the top of the browser with no error, this could mean that your browser or some other component is out of date. To going to www.whatismybrowser.com for a quick check (we are not endorsing this website or the owner but it has helped others). It will do a quick check and let you know if something is out of date.

• Do not wait until the last minute to register. Sometimes you may run in to unforeseen issues that prevent your registration from going through. Most of the time everything goes fine but you never know! Remember: there is a $25 late fee if your registration is done after July 19.

• If you run in to issues, send an email to support@idahoselect.org. We are happy to help in any way that we can.

The 7th Annual Fast Eddy's BAM Jam continues to grow and already has registrations from teams in Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Nevada and Utah. Make sure you get in on all the action!