Blue Valley Recreation News

Blue Valley Recreation will play host to 85 teams this weekend during the BVRC Preseason Tournament. Boys and girls will play in three divisions for 5th grade, 6th grade and 7th grade.

The boys side of the tournament features 57 teams while the girls tournament has 28 teams. Each grade division sports three levels of competition. The Blue division is for recreational teams not seeking to play in a competitive game, the White division is semi-competitive for those teams wanting friendly competition while the Red division is a competitive style of play.

Teams registered in the Blue Valley Recreation youth basketball league use this tournament to get ready for league play. Practices started earlier in the month and the tournament serves as game-time experience for the players and coaches before league begins.

"It's a fun opportunity to get a few games in before the season starts," said Larry Lindsay, program supervisor for Blue Valley Recreation. "Many coaches use the tournament as a reward for the hard work at practices and a final tune-up before league begins the first week of December."

The games also serve as a warm up for officials. Blue Valley Recreation referees undergo extensive training during the off season and the tournament provides real-time action in front of a crowd.

Tournament format includes pool play followed by a single-elimination tournament. All teams are guaranteed to play at least three games during the weekend in Blue Valley School District Middle School gyms. In all, BVRC is utilizing nine schools - Blue Valley Academy, Blue Valley Middle School, District Office, Harmony Middle School, Lakewood Middle School, Leawood Middle School, Overland Trail Middle School, Pleasant Ridge Middle School and Prairie Star Middle School.

Game times start at 6:45 p.m on Friday, Nov. 20 and continue through Sunday evening. Daily admission fee of $3 is charged for everyone 18 years old and above.

Click here to view game schedules and locations.