3-on-3 Tournament Returns To Downtown Chewelah

Downtown Chewelah will be transformed into a street basketball venue July 25 as Courtzite 3-on-3 returns with more than a dozen courts, divisions for players of several ages, and new competitions for participants. The Courtzite 3-on-3 tournament will include adult, high school, middle school, and youth divisions.

According to organizers, registration costs $80 per team and remains open through July 18 at courtzite3on3.com. Organizer Dakota McQuain said the tournament has drawn players from across eastern Washington, with the largest share coming from outside Chewelah. “From my knowledge, the farthest people we have been having come consistently are from Tri-Cities, specifically Kennewick.

Their team name is Legends and they have won two years in a row in the youth bracket,” McQuain said. Approximately 70% of registrations have come from Spokane, Spokane Valley, and Wellpinit, according to McQuain. He said roughly 95% of the teams during the past two years have traveled from outside the Chewelah community.

McQuain hopes more local families and young players will participate in this year’s tournament. “I’m honestly looking for feedback on how I can better tap in with parents in the community and get more youth teams signed up because I know we had a bunch of kids playing in the bitty ball league,” McQuain said. Youth competition will include three age groups and a co-ed division.

McQuain said middle school divisions will be available for boys and girls, while high school competition will include a girls division and a boys elite division. Adult divisions include men’s elite and men’s competitive brackets. A new high school boys elite showcase court will be part of this year’s event. “We are adding a high school boys elite court that will be sponsored by McKinstry Co., who is the company that is remodeling Gess Elementary,” McQuain said.

The tournament will also feature a men’s elite showcase sponsored by John Lynch Construction. Organizers are promoting the elite courts as opportunities for top regional talent and college players to compete in a championship-style atmosphere. Additional activities will include an NBA-style 3-point contest and a youth free-throw challenge, according to McQuain. Qualifying for the 3-point contest is scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to noon, with the top shooters advancing to the finals.

McQuain said this year’s additions will include “team photo shoots, an official media team, and a youth free-throw competition with prizes.” The prize for each skills competition is a $200 Nike gift card and a custom Champs backpack. Tournament champions will receive T-shirts, while winners of the elite divisions will also receive custom backpacks.

McQuain credited downtown businesses, sponsors, and other community members with helping the tournament continue to grow. “Feedback from the community has been overwhelmingly positive from my generous sponsors to the businesses on the street allowing us to use their venue and shut down the streets,” he said.

The downtown setting is intended to provide the energy of a large street basketball tournament while retaining Chewelah’s smaller-community atmosphere, McQuain said. “I think the beautiful scenery and infrastructure of our main street makes the tournament you need because it kind of does give you a big city feel during the game like you would at hoopfest without all of the stress and shenanigans of the big city and long walks,”

McQuain said. “When you look past the hoops from the highway it’s the most beautiful view of any 3-on-3 tournament I’ve ever been a part of.” Along with basketball, the tournament is expected to include competition areas and community vendors.

More information can be found at courtzite3on3.com.