Juggling June, Gyms And More

Think you’ve got your hands full with Covid 19, quarantines, social distancing and the ridiculously random re-opening of America?  Don’t even get into a conversation with USJN/Blue Star’s Chris Mennig or you might be on the receiving end of a White House quality abrupt response and  self-righteous dismissal.  You can’t blame him, it’s extreme hair pulling time for anyone attempting to organize tournaments anywhere in America.  It bears mentioning that Mennig has sported the clean-shaven, slick (call it what it is…bald) look for many years now but had his hair actually stuck around for this monumental moment in time it would be making a quicker exit than a vegetarian from a Wuhan wet market.  Welcome to Club Basketball 2020.

Let’s acknowledge one thing up front, Mennig is simply as good as it gets at running non-scholastic basketball tournaments.  Oh, there certainly are many others who consistently operate top notch events, but no one can claim the diverse insight and depth that Chris utilizes in navigating an entire season of varying nationwide showcases while still maintaining recognized standards across the board from start to finish.

Having served as a long time college coach he fully understands and appreciates the needs of recruiters from virtually every angle and level of play.  As an ultra-successful scholastic mentor himself, he grasps what they might be looking for over the course of an event.  Blessed with a strong business sense and the acumen to apply it effectively to sports, he has helped advance USJN to virtually an annual 50 event schedule including the Blue Star Travel Team League, Blue Star Nationals and Rising Blue Star Nationals.

In a world obsessed with and very often blinded by the size of tournaments, the hallmark of any USJN event is consistency and fairness applied with a willingness to say no once in a while to maintain a level playing field and provide a sound return on investment for both participants and recruiters.  No, it doesn’t always come up smelling roses but there’s no hidden agendas to serve either.  For the record, I’m not sucking up or looking for a better seat in the Blue Star Board Room…not at all.  I don’t answer to Chris, I serve at the pleasure of the Godfather himself, Mike Flynn.  But I do sincerely believe that Mennig does it as well as anyone.

Yet with all those qualities and his vast experience, our man is now walking a tightrope over some raging rapids unlike anything youth sporting events has ever faced.  The Covid-19 Pandemic and the subsequent quarantines, cancellations, suspensions, and utter disruption of normal life have provided Chris and other event operators an obstacle course that is multi-pronged, continuously moving and lethally unforgiving if you happen to get it wrong.  The price tag is high both on and off the floor.  The undulating flux in nationwide reopening dates, size parameters and the degrees to which events might be offered can (and do) change day to day, state to state and even city to city.  In other words, absolutely nothing is written in stone.

Mennig’s time across April and May in particular has involved keeping up with each and every state on the USJN schedule, their current lock-down status, and ultimately plans to move forward.  That means watching gubernatorial press conferences, reading press releases, following rising and falling cases and deaths just to see “where” just might be on track for hosting some basketball this summer.  It has also meant paying attention to other states as well who might happen to offer greater flexibility and operational possibilities once they’re back “open for business” and the appropriate time comes to return to the gym.  That process remains ongoing and the monitoring of each state and where they currently stand could dictate additional changes at a moment’s notice.

And still, there are pre-pandemic contracts existing with facilities to renegotiate, new agreements moving to different locations, hotels to work with, officials to lock in dates with, travel considerations, staffing and more.  All precariously tied to dates written very shallow in the sand…at high tide.  I’m guessing sleep is pretty much optional these days for Mennig and his peers.

And just think, we haven’t even begun to touch on the extraordinary challenge of assessing, developing and creating a safe competition setting.

It’s not just about getting back in the gym.  It’s about operating in line with state codes and guidelines, individual facility standards and procedures along with making the environment emotionally and mentally comfortable for players, parents, and others.  It’s about actually being safe rather than providing lip service and a piece of paper in an effort to negate potential legal liability.  Not exactly unlocking the gym and rolling out the balls, is it??

It’s hard to say whether the “when” of summer basketball 2020 or the actual “how” might entail greater insight, vision and microscopic attention to detail.  Much of what we have known to be club basketball is going to be changing for some time to come until there’s a genuine “all-clear” provided only by a successful and scientifically proven vaccine.  Until then, consumer confidence will drive many of the decisions of club operators, parents and the players themselves.

Let’s talk about changes.

First and foremost…crowds.  Not the ones in the bleachers, we’ll get to that in a moment.  Crowds at the door, around the restrooms, near the concession stands and waiting courtside if your team is up next.  Social distancing dictates that all those gatherings go away…and stay away.  Old habits die hard.  Mennig is looking at registration occurring outside.  Ticket sales will also exit the building to negate a backup at the doors.  All individuals working the event will be temperature checked and wearing protective masks before taking up their posts.  Those entering the building will tightly attach their own wristbands under the watchful eyes of USJN.

Each individual entering the facility will be required to continuously wear a protective mask with the exception of athletes and game officials during their games.  Masks will be available at a price for those failing to bring their own.  The actual number of spectators will be limited to one per athlete without exception.  Social distancing will be maintained in seating on each floor and designated doors will be utilized to control and expedite traffic flow following games to protect those individuals both exiting and arriving as well as clear the floor efficiently for new sanitation/disinfectant procedures between contests.

Miles and miles of floor tape, directional signage and barriers will control the flow of teams and individuals once inside the facility.  Time and logistical thought has been given to the most efficient and safe means of moving people throughout the event.  It’s important that individuals don’t take it upon themselves to reevaluate those efforts for their own selfish (see “lazy”) considerations.  Please bear in mind safe will always win out over efficient when the two collide. Convenience be damned.  That means you may see the restroom just a short distance from where you’re sitting but have to hike the scenic route to actually get there because of its location in relation to other courts, entrances, etc… In other words, don’t cross your legs and wait until that last moment.  Clean up on Court #2!!

Concessions will potentially be taking on a restaurant-like approach with tentative order and delivery to the stands.  Let’s face it, with only one person per player, crowds will be limited in size and manageable enough to have items ordered brought to observers.  The old halftime rush might not exactly be replaced by a “last call for alcohol” but there just might be a “final horn for popcorn” as the clock winds down.  Bring your credit and debit cards, cash can be a carrier!!

Now let’s talk about the actual crowd in the stands.  It’s safe to say the “Wave” most likely will look more like splash in a puddle than a tsunami as Social Distancing will still be the way of the world.  Yes, though you may have eaten side by side at breakfast and driven over sitting just two feet from each other in the front seat, you’ll be asked to maintain appropriate spacing once in the gym.  It’s important once again not to second guess policy as it may well come from the state, city or facility itself and be beyond USJN’s prerogative to bend.  It serves no purpose to act like guests of Jerry Springer and debate an issue that, in reality, has nothing but safety and well-being for its basis.  Nobody cares that you’ve “always sat together”…in fact, we’ve actually heard you yell…six feet will present no problem in hearing each other.

That seating will be wiped down prior to and in-between contests with disinfectant wipes.  The players bench and scorer’s table will be sanitized as well utilizing brand new UV Wands purchased specifically for players protection.  USJN is returning to the previous protocol of providing balls at events in an effort to control quality and cleanliness, however they will do absolutely nothing to cure a bad jump shot.  To make a point of USJN’s attention to detail, even the scorekeeper at each game will utilize a brand new pen rather than one left behind from the previous contest.

Let’s talk for a moment about those folks not able to be in the gym.  Additional parents, siblings or friends can join dedicated and job conscious coaches benefitting from an exclusive and very cost friendly streaming deal recently struck between USJN and BallerTV.  The NCAA currently has Division I recruiters locked down on campus until June 30.  There currently is no calendar in place to make up for lost recruiting weekends nor has there been confirmation that the scheduled 12 days in July are a go or no go.  Specifics will be available from both USJN and BallerTV making sure entire games will be at the fingertips of hard working recruiters grounded by Big Brother and the NCAA bible.

Enforcement of all event and safety guidelines will fall to both USJN and facility employees in an effort to protect every individual in terms of their health as well as their opportunity to play.  Failure to comply can compromise the event for a fan, a player, a team or even the facility as a whole.  To quote an old movie, “the needs of the many, outweigh the needs of the few”.  A little arrogance can sink the whole ship or worse yet put another individual’s health at risk.  It’s common knowledge that healthy people can and have been spreading the coronavirus from day one of Pandemic 2020.  The goal of USJN in all of its efforts is to provide the safest setting possible within the applicable guidelines of the state, city, and facility in which they might be hosting an event.

Please don’t show up thinking you’re different, guidelines don’t apply to you or nobody is going to tell you what to do.  All of us have seen the videos of the inbred, mentally challenged individuals proclaiming constitutional rights in not wearing a mask or honoring distances.  Your logic is severely misplaced.  That narrow view is not true when you choose to enter a private business setting/gym.  At that point, you choose a higher road and to be part of a community and its efforts to protect the participants and provide them something special.

No matter the level of your passion for basketball…regardless your political leanings or skepticism as to the veracity of the Covid-19 virus stats (97,601 US deaths at this writing)…we face a very real, life threatening consideration for any athlete, team or fan looking to return to the gym.  All steps and efforts to make a setting safe warrant your appreciation, respect and adherence.

Always putting athletes first, USJN is one of the longest running organizations in girls’ basketball and has been running tournaments across the country since 1986.  In addition, USJN is the first privately owned company outside of AAU to offer girls basketball tournaments and events. Nike has been sponsoring USJN since the early 1990’s and has remained one of the strongest supporters of girls grassroots basketball in the country.

Tip your hat to those event operators when you see them.  I guarantee you that no matter the legitimacy of any complaint you might think you have there are bound to be additional concerns or reasons tied to the topic you haven’t begun to think about or deal with.