Elite Divisions And What It Takes To Compete

If you've ever wanted to show that you belong in the conversation with the best of the best, the Elite Divisions at Fast Eddy's BAM Jam are a great way to prove it.

For some players, the Elite divisions are intimidating. But for the players that are driven to compete against the top talent, you can find them in the Elite Division.

Elite games are featured on the main courts with officials

They may have been beaten in the past.

They may have won the tournament before.

But they all know that the only thing that matters is what you do this time. Everything else is old news.

Here is a list of the prizes that Elite teams receive (and the divisions it applies to):

• Qualify for the USA Basketball 3x3 National Championships (Men's 6'0 Over Elite, Women's Elite, HS Boys Elite, HS Girls Elite)
• Nike Dri-FIT Champion Shirts (All Elite Divisions)
• Free Entry to this summer's Fast Eddy's BAM Jam (All Elite Divisions)
• Gift card to Pro Image (Men's 6'0 Over Elite, Men's 6'0 Under Elite, Women's Elite)
• Gift cards to STADIA Clothing (Men's 6'0 Over Elite, Men's 6'0 Under Elite, Women's Elite)

Even if you don't win, there are other benefits to playing in an Elite division such as:

• Elite games have a certified official to call fouls
• Elite games are featured on the main courts
• Elite teams have a separate streamlined check-in area during team check-in

Be sure to get your team signed by midnight on Friday, March 14. 

Elite Team's to receive extra benefits

Elite Teams on Idaho Trust Bank Center Court

At this summer's Fifth Annual Fast Eddy's BAM Jam, Elite teams will get more benefits than ever before including private parking, Elite Team check in and prize packed champ packs.

Elite Teams will have their own parking lot reserved for them just a block from their elite courts. Teams will each receive one (1) Elite Team Parking Pass when they check in their team. When Elite Teams check in they will have their own check in table, speeding up your check in process.

At the tournament, each Elite Team game will feature certified officials. And, teams will have a chance to play their games on the Idaho Trust Bank Center Court.

Champions will again be receiving Elite Team Champ Packs, which include Nike Champions shirts, a $40 gift card to Pro Image, a $40 gift card to Sports Authority and a $25 gift card to the Epic Exchange.

Normal registration ends on Tuesday, July 24 so be sure to visit www.bamjamboise.com to get your team registered.

The best of the best?

Who is the best player in Boise? The best in the Treasure Valley? The best in Idaho and the Northwest? You may not hear their names in the paper or on TV. But without out doubt, the guys that are playing in pick up games and in rec leagues know who the best are.

The debate continues on March 17-18 in the Fast Eddy's BAM Jam Elite divisions.

Several players have staked their claim to the title over the years, winning the summer and spring 6'0 and Over & 6'0 and Under divisions. Some will try to claim both titles at once.

Is 3 on 3 a team game or a 1 on 1 game?
"In 3 on 3 there is a lot more break down work. You play together as a team as much as you can but you can really show out what you can do individually," said Chris Allen.

Allen should know. He is a 3-time winner of the summer BAM Jam and this spring he will be competing in the 6'0 and Over & the 6'0 and Under Elite brackets, trying to become the first ever double champion.

But the field so far is making that path look difficult. Booker Nabors, a 6 time visitor to the title game (spring and summer combined) hopes to throw up a road block in the 6'0 and Over division while a slew of other players have their sights on the 6'0 and Under title. And don't forget about Kelly McCarty, the defending spring BAM Jam Elite 6'0 and Over champion. He's trying to make a habit of winning the spring title.

The best player? We'll see. It could be a BAM Jam veteran. Or will a new name jump on the scene and make a name for themself?

The Elite Benefit
Why do teams compete at the Elite level? The motivation varies from team to team but for most it is the overall experience.

All Elite games are played on a featured court, getting the most attention. All games are officiated by certified officials. Teams get to check in at a separate area that is more convenient.

The stakes are higher too. Not only is the competition level the best around but bragging rights are also on the line.

And the champions packages aren't bad either. All Elite champion teams receive a Nike Champions shirt, LeBron shorts and Nike socks all packaged in a BAM Jam sack pack. Plus some other great items are included for the winners.

But, registration is filling fast. Get your team in ASAP or you might be watching from the sidelines instead of getting into the game!

Hoopfest is underway and Spokane is the beneficiary

We finished up Friday with a volunteer session for checking in the Hoopfest Court Monitors. With nearly 650 Court Monitors registered to work Saturday and Sunday, their team has the check in system completely dialed in from training to getting the monitors their gear to making sure they have everything they need from whistles to sunscreen.

From there we took a quick walk around downtown as the logistics team gets their set up preparation done. It is incredible how the entire town gets behind this tournament. From the city letting Hoopfest store their baskets in city storage, to staging the night before to rearranging the city transit schedule and bus routes, Spokane has completely bought in. They even let them banner the downtown light posts and put up speakers on every street! The city's reward? An estimated $39 million in additional revenue during the weekend generated specifically by Hoopfest.

Saturday, the first official day of Hoopfest couldn't have gone better for the BAM Jam crew. The day started with a ride on their modified city transportation. Normally, a day pass on their transit system costs $3.50. During Hoopfest it is just $1.50 and in 10 minutes you can get all the way downtown.

The first shift starts at 8:00 AM with a volunteer session at the data entry center. The Hoopfest bracketing/tournament results are completely digital. They strive to have all brackets updated within about 10 minutes of the score sheets being turned in. This is quite a challenge with 485 brackets and sheets coming in every 30 minutes. We had 10 volunteers entering game results into their custom made software and were able to keep up. All the results are available online and they added a mobile application this year. Next year they plan to add text messaging as well.

The BAM Jam Boise Dot Com team also did very well. They are competing in the Elite Division and were ranked #2 this year after finishing second last year. Their first two games were on the Nike Center Court and went 2-0 to finish the day. While the offense was OK it was their defense that proved to be most effective. Sunday they open against another Treasure Valley team at 10:00 AM (Pacific Time). If they win their first three games they will be back in the final four. A loss and they'll have to battle through the losers bracket.

Several Treasure Valley teams are still in the hunt for this year's Hoopfest title including Still OC (Keegan Cook), Gates of Hope (Joel Ryman), STADIAdotcom (Ryan McCarthy and Wade Joseph), Wheatland Bank (Cory Violette and Dan Mcfaul) and BodyBuildingdotcom (Booker Nabors) along with BAM Jam Boise dotcom (Matt Bauscher, Clint Hordemann, Jon DeWolfe and Paul Noonan). But the defending champs, Tonicx (David Pendergraft), is still alive and takes on Wheatland Bank first thing Sunday morning.

And of course don't forget that BAM Jam will take place in Boise on August 5-6 where you can see or even compete against some of these same players.

The Elite Champ Packs

Nike Max Air Backpack

Men's 6'0 over and 6'0 and under Elite Teams, here is what you are playing for (besides pride, of course). Each player on the men's 6'0 and over AND 6'0 and under Elite Teams will receive the Nike Max Air Hoops Basketball Backpack ($60 value). Inside the backpacks players will find the coveted BAM Jam Champions shirt, a long sleeve Nike Dri-FIT ($25), and a $40 gift certificate to Pro Image. That's a $125 value!

Nike Dri-FIT Champion Shirt

The Nike Max Air Backpacks feature a pocket for your basketball, shoes, a padded area to carry your laptop and an insulated beverage pocket.

The Dri-FIT long sleeve champion shirts are built for any training situation, whether you are playing outdoors in the middle of summer (like the Summer BAM Jam) or indoors for your intramural games. Plus, the design and feel looks sharp enough to wear around casually.

But you have to get your teams in soon. The registration deadline is this Saturday, March 5. Click here to register.