Does basketball bring excitement to South Tucson?
Ask a couple of local high school coaches and they will attest that interest is building in the South Tucson community.
Both La Cholla and Pueblo High School have each welcomed a new coach this year and both have high hopes to put basketball back on the map.
"The idea that these kids don't play basketball is wrong," said La Cholla's Coach Massai Dean. "Basketball is popular out here at schools like Cholla and Pueblo who are traditional powerhouses in South Tucson."
New Pueblo High School Coach Randall Moore feels the same way.
"Students are always in the gym after school playing pick up games," Moore said. "I've always said that Pueblo has a rich basketball tradition and with two state championship flags on the gym wall, the legacy of those teams continues."
The first step at branding basketball into the community is recruiting players for the teams. At Cholla, only about 30 students tried out each of the last three years and all of them made the teams. In the off-season, Coach Dean went to different junior high Schools to get kids to come play at open camps at Cholla. The football coach also promoted his athletes to come out and play basketball. This year, Dean had about 60 to 70 students try-out.
"It was great to have this many kids competing to play," Dean said. "When you are forced to make cuts, it's a lot more special for these kids to make the team."
At Pueblo, Moore and his staff actively recruit kids on campus, which is vital especially for freshmen that don't always know when tryouts are. Through the first nine weeks of school, there was an average of 35 students at the open gym events held on campus and that was consistent with the boys who actually tried out for the team.
"We encourage these students by providing training and conditioning and being part of something positive," Moore said. "We also get referrals from students' families and friends asking that we take a look at a student-athlete."
While both schools have put together what they feel could be strong competitors this upcoming season, another issue has been poor attendance at games.
"Last year was not that great, probably because we weren't that good or competitive," Dean said. "It was nothing like when I was in school at Tucson High."
Dean believes there is a renewed interest this year at Cholla. After all, the basketball gym is named after Cholla Alumni Sean Elliott, who starred at the University of Arizona and went on to play professionally. A competitive team will help put people in the stands.
However, Athletic Director Gus Brisco doesn't attribute poor attendance to the lack of competitiveness at Cholla. Brisco believes there are two factors playing a major role.
"There isn't excitement like there used to be in years past," Brisco said. "We haven't had any outstanding athletes lately that draw in that big crowd."
Brisco also said that students travel miles to get to and from school by bus. After school is over and they go home, they don't have transportation to get back to attend the games.
Over at Pueblo, Moore says there is no marketing by the media for the team so a lot of communication is word of mouth.
"I think if we can put together a good season, then support will absolutely increase," Moore said.
Both teams try and involve themselves in the community too by doing various fundraising events.
Moore says their primary fundraiser has become the use of the Arizona tax credit. This means that Arizona taxpayers can donate to a school or program up to $400 per year and receive a tax write-off from the state for that amount.
"Some parents and community member have decided that is a win win and much easier than all day fundraising events," Moore said.
The Pueblo basketball team is also hoping to help beautify the South Tucson community and assist the elderly in cleaning their property in the near future.
The Cholla team raises money by selling t-shirts, activity cards and car washes. They also hold tournaments at the gym during the off-season and make money by selling food and drinks at the snack bar.
"We are going to have a good season this year and raise our interest in the community," Dean said. "Administration has done a great job getting us where we need to be and we're moving in the right direction."
