Hardcore basketball fans will probably be focused on the NBA finals this week, but Pickens stores and restaurants may be cheering the action that gets underway Thursday at Pickens school gyms.
A girls basketball camp hosted by the Pickens High Tip-Off club will draw more than 700 players, 70 teams, plus coaches, trainers and parents to Pickens County June 8 through June 11.
Tip-Off Club president Marty Callahan said the new gym at Pickens High was crucial to the club being able to host this camp. “It was instrumental being able to play three games at once [at the high school campus],” he said.
All school gyms will be in action with the camp, which consists of the 70 girls teams playing games in a tournament format. Team scores will be kept, but it will be a practice game style. No individual stats will be kept. No trophies will be awarded, and no one advances based on wins or losses.
“Coaches wanted a format where kids can get some experience, and they can see their teams play,” he said.
Callahan said when they first started planning this, they thought ten teams might want to attend, but that number kept growing until it reached 70 with teams from all across Georgia.
Aside from sports fans, Callahan (who is also on the chamber of commerce board) and Economic Developer Gerry Nechvatal said local businesses should get a boost from the extra people present in the community this weekend. Callahan projected the tournament will generate between $75,000 - $100,000 in spending for meals, hotel rooms and shopping.
All local hotels are full with teams from beyond a daily-drive distance. He said they have been giving out restaurant information to the teams as well as parents who will have time to kill between games.
“We are creating an audience,” Callahan said. “We are getting people here.”
Nechvatal said the economic development office will have information from merchants set up at the camp registration area. “We’ll be there to answer questions,” he said. “Where’s a good place to eat? Where can we shop? Where can we find certain items?”
“This may not be tourism as many people envision it with loading up the family in a mini-van and going away for a week,” he said. “But it is tourism in that it brings people from outside the community here for some purpose or event. This will create visitors and income for business.”
He asked that merchants provide him information to hand out and that they keep an eye out for people in town for the basketball camp, to get an idea of what impact this has. Nechvatal’s office is in the Chamber Building on Stegall Drive. He can be reached at 706-692-5600.
There is no admission to any of the games, and the public is welcome to watch at the school gyms. |
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