Note: We need everyone's support to help us with our "list"

The Great 48 Youth Basketball Tournaments have been so much fun in so many ways over the years.  Meeting and working with the high school coaches has been great. Helping the high school programs raise money for their programs has always been a nice feeling. Getting to know coaches, players and parents has been fun. But truthfully the best thing is picking up a paper on a Saturday morning and reading about the high school football games that were held the night before, or reading about the high school Girls or Boys High School Basketball State Tournament. In the spring it's fun to follow high school baseball, softball and track; in the fall reading about boys and girls high school soccer, football, cross-country and in the winter boys and girls basketball and wrestling. Its also fun to follow the boys and girls in lacrosse, water polo and swimming. Besides just being fans, its really fun for us because we remember so many of these outstanding young men and women when they were in 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grade playing in Great 48 Youth Basketball Tournaments. Basketball is fun in that we see the kids up close and in person, they are not wearing football helmets, softball hats; and we also see them "hanging around the gyms" between games with their friends, teammates, coaches and parents. We have "memories" of the kids and then all of a sudden they are in high school and their names start showing up in the newspapers, we see some of their highlights on the 11:00 news on local television and sometimes we hear one of them playing a basketball game on radio. In some cases we hear about them being recruited to play their sport in college, we see a "press conference" where the Oregon State Beavers are announcing their new football or basketball recuits; or the Ducks are talking about their next great quarterback.

For all of us in the Great 48 as we read the newspaper, watch TV, listen to the radio sports talk shows; boy does this bring back memories. "Wow, I remember watching Erik Ainge play as a 6th grader in the Beaverton Great 48 and now I am watching him on television playing quarterback for the University of Tennessee" "Michael Calkins was a fun kid to watch in the Great 48. I saw him play as a 6th grader and what a great looking kid he was. Great smile and a real competitor. He is now a professional tennis player (after graduating from the University of Illinois where he won a couple of NCAA Championships)" "Sure Aaon Rogers was a great college quarterback at the University of California and a high draft pick by the Green Bay Packers, but you should have seen him as a point guard for Homecourt Pizza when he was a 6th, 7th and 8th grader in the Great 48 Tournaments. The kid could flat out play."

Whether it be boys or girls, we have seen just about every top player that has played high school sports at one time or another as a 5th, 6th 7th or 8th grader in one or more of our Great 48 Tournaments.

Another fun experience is turning on the television and watching PAC 10 Sports (football, mens and womens soccer and basketball, baseball and softball) and in most games involving the Beavers, Ducks, Cougars or Huskies, we will see a player or two that we first saw in the Great 48. We have a fun challenge for everyone who attends a Great 48 Tournament this season. We have put together a list of players from Oregon and Washington that have played in Great 48 Tournaments that have gone on to play a sport in college (at any level and in any location) or signed a professional sports contract (baseball, soccer, basketball, football, tennis, golf).

We know that we do not have everyone listed. Many of you have had more than one child play in our tournaments and many of the coaches have been coaching in our tournaments for over 8 years. Can you think of players that should be on this list? If you can think of anyone, please call Greg Barton at 971-244-2515 or email him at: greg@bonzidev.com . We will make sure to get that player or players on our master list for everyone to see. When you really look and study this list, it's quite remarkable just how many great athletes have come out of this area over the past 10 years. For all of you young players and parents of the players; we wish you the best and hope to one day add some names to this list - hopefully many from this years 6th, 7th and 8th grade classes. Enjoy the season.