06/29/2024
The Second Annual Oasis Shootout along with this year’s basketball summer league have come to a close. All I can say to that is thank you.
Thank you to our advertisers who chose to support an event that, for all intents and purposes, is still in its infancy stage.
Thank you to the officials. One of the most consistent compliments I get is how well-officiated these games are.
Thank you to the Event Center staff and the maintenance staff from the school district. The facilities were well maintained and were kept at a comfortable temperature during the event.
Thank you to the medical staff who gave their time and expertise when they were needed.
Thank you to all the coaches who had the option to take their teams anywhere, but they chose to come to Colby, Kansas.
Thank you to the players from each team who came in and competed while gritting out five games in two days.
Thank you to my assistant coaches, who do an exceptional job of helping wherever they are needed.
Thank you to the community of Colby for welcoming the 29 boys and girls teams for the summer league on those four Thursdays in May and June and then the 77 boys and girls teams for the shootout this past week. A friend of mine told me that he loves driving by the Event Center seeing that parking lot full knowing that kids are playing basketball in the Event Center. I tend to agree.
I have been told that the formula for how much revenue is brought into the community for an event is $100 per person daily. That said, the summer league teams spent at least $104,000 in Colby. In that same line of thinking, the 77 teams for the shootout spent around $138,000 in Colby this past week. With at least 500 spectators, there was hopefully another $100,000 spent in Colby during the shootout. I truly hope those numbers are close to accurate because I cannot tell you how happy that makes me for the community.
We had schools join us from five states and while some teams that played in the Oasis Shootout traveled 20 minutes to play, we had Little Snake River, Wyoming and Seminole, Texas drive eight hours each. One coach from Kansas commented that his kids were very excited to play a team from Wyoming. That was incredible to hear.
Finally, I want to say thank you to the Lady Eagles basketball team. I have often said that one of my greatest blessings is to get to be their coach and they proved that beyond the shadow of a doubt these past few weeks. They ran the score clock, they ran concessions, they took tickets, they refereed, and they did all of that while still playing in the summer league and in the shootout. There is not a more blessed coach out there than me.
Again thank you to everyone who made this event a success.
Hope to see you next year.
Yancey
Send a message to learn more
