OTHELLO – They had a little girls basketball tournament at McFarland Middle School last week, but learning, not necessarily winning, was the goal.

Caleb Tovar from Othello provides some officiating and some teaching assistance during the action. He helps the defenders get in proper position, between the offensive player and the basket, while being able to see the ball and the player at the same time.

Each game at each basket has an official providing such assistance. The younger players, including these two teams of third-graders, were in one gym and the older players were in the other gym.

With a different game on each of the baskets in the two gyms, more than 80 players from grades three through eight were learning some of the fundamentals of the game.

“Organized chaos,” Othello coach and organizer Josh Tovar said. “We have tons of teams with something like 80 players because Royal and Connell did not bring all of their players.”

Royal City has 90 players involved in grades 3 through six. Othello counts just under 30.

“We practice on Tuesday and Thursday and play on Saturday,” Tovar said.

Next Saturday the tournament will be in Connell. Then Royal City and then it will come back to Othello and end it here.