Basketball ... and ‘extra things’ — CDA Summer Shootout tourney, now in Post Falls, set to unfold June 20-22

By MARK NELKE 

Sports editor 

Basketball teams can go just about anywhere and play a lot of games in a short period of time. 

So what’s behind the growing popularity of the CDA Summer Shootout, a hoops tourney featuring (mostly) high school teams, the fifth edition of which is scheduled for June 20-22 in Post Falls? 

“In Year 5 now, the word is out,” tournament director Jon Adams said. “People who have come in the past, they just see, it’s a well-run tournament, it’s an enviable location, there’s extra things that comes along with the tournament.”

Organizers expect around 120 teams in nine divisions. There will be eight high school divisions, four boys and four girls — a large-school division, a small school division, a JV division and a freshman division. 

Middle school divisions in sixth, seventh and eighth grades were offered, but the only one which attracted enough teams was a seventh-grade girls division. 

Adams, who coached the Coeur d’Alene High boys varsity team the past five seasons, is now head coach at Liberty Launch Academy, a prep school in Liberty Lake with plans to start fielding a pair of national-level prep boys basketball teams. 

So the tournament moved from its base at Coeur d’Alene High to its new base at Post Falls High. 

Other facilities to be used for the tournament are Post Falls Middle School, River City Middle School, Mullan Trail Elementary, Seltice Elementary, The Courts at Real Life and the Prairie Athletic Center. 

There is still time for teams to sign up. Adams said the cutoff will be June 10 or 120 teams signed up, whichever comes first. 

Teams from Idaho, Montana, Utah, Arizona, Washington and Oregon are expected. 

“We benefited from Gonzaga canceling their boys team camps,” Adams said, “so all of a sudden a lot of those teams started calling us. It’s a good problem to have, but we quickly had to add some gyms.” 

About those “extra things” ...  

Teams can take advantage of a discount to visit Silverwood Theme Park during their day in the tourney — the discount also applies to the Thursday before and the Sunday after the event. 

All teams will be treated to a pizza night during their stay. 

New this year is a “welcoming event” on Thursday before the tourney, at North Idaho College from 3 to 9 p.m., in the parking lot of the Molstead Library. 

The event is put on by area high school and NIC athletic trainers as a fundraiser to “go toward protecting the health and safety of high school athletes by boosting the healthcare services available to high school athletes throughout our community,” a flyer said. 

Athletic trainers will be available at the event, which includes a 3-point contest from 4 to 5 p.m., an NBA-type all-star skills challenge from 5 fo 6, an alumni 3-point contest from 6 to 7 and a live concert from local band “Bruiser” from 7 to 9 p.m. 

It’s also a chance for visiting teams to pick up their tournament packets. The event is targeted for the entire community, not just the participating teams.

“Everybody just loves to come here for this,” Adams said. “It’s like an excuse to come to Coeur d’Alene. And then we throw in all these amenities around it.” 

Adams said tournament sponsors and volunteers are still being sought.  

New this year — Adams said the Kootenai County Fairgrounds is offering camping and RV space at a minimal cost. 

Helping Adams run the tournament is Jayson Ulrich from Post Falls High and Arnold Brown, Adams’ assistant at Coeur d’Alene the past two seasons, who ran similar summer tournaments in Spokane for many years. 

“Very appreciative of Post Falls High School,” Adams said. “They stepped up and offered all this gym space at their school and surrounding schools for us to hold our tournament. 

A daily pass to watch the games is $10, and can be purchased at Post Falls High, Real Life or the Prairie Athletic Center, and used at any of the facilities. 

A three-day tournament pass is $22, and can be purchased online. 

“This is always something I wanted to start when I got here,” said Adams, who graduated from Coeur d’Alene High in 1991, then played at Whitworth University, then spent some two decades in the Seattle area, working and coaching basketball, before returning to take the head coaching job at his alma mater. “I love doing it; I love seeing how many of these teams and people that we can bring in from the Northwest just to Coeur d’Alene, not only to see some great basketball and see some great teams, but also to get some exposure for our area.” 

Information: cdasummershootout.com