For the numerous men and women teams competing Sunday at McArthur Court, the goal will be simple: to play hard and win.
For the organizers of the Warsaw 3-on-3 Classic, however, the goal will be heartfelt: to raise money for research on Parkinson’s disease, a brain disorder that James Warsaw has.
Warsaw, the founder of the acclaimed Oregon Warsaw Sports Marketing Center, was diagnosed with the condition in 1993 and, for the past four years, has worked in Washington, D.C., where he continues to fight for a cure to his disease.
The tournament, which goes by the name of “The James H. Warsaw 3-on-3 Classic: Shooting Out Parkinson’s Disease,” is in its fourth year and is entirely student-run.
“We all owe Jim a debt of gratitude for the work he’s done with the Warsaw program and we put on this event as a way to say thank you to him,” said Gerald Tsui, who is on the Warsaw 3-on-3 committee.
The Classic will begin at 8 a.m. Sunday with the check-in at Mac Court, and is open to anybody 15-years of age or older. People have until Friday to register and the cost of each three or four person team is $40.
A new addition to this year’s Classic is that there will be a women’s division as well as a men’s.
“I’m really excited for the women’s section and took this position because I knew there was a market out there to tap into,” said Kiza Brunner, the director of the Classic’s Women’s Division.
Brunner, a former Sheldon High basketball star and Brown track and field athlete at the collegiate level, has returned to Eugene after 10 years away. In the time she was away, she has seen the popularity of women’s basketball increase dramatically.
“It might take a little while to get where we want it to be, but when we build relationships with high schools and get the word out, I expect the women’s division to get better and better each year,” Brunner said.
Last season, with only a men’s division, 64 teams (256 players) competed and helped raise $16,500 for the National Parkinson’s Foundation. This year, the goals are to attract 90 teams and up the monetary total to $20,000.
Each team will be guaranteed three games, with the winners advancing on through the brackets. For the men’s division, the winners will get the opportunity to go head-to-head with the “UO Basketball All-Stars.” Last year, the Classic brought in A.D. Smith, Darius Wright and Alex Scales. This year, the three-man Duck crew will consist of seniors Julius Hicks, Flo Hartenstein and David Jackson.
“We accept all skill levels, and just want people to go out there and have fun,” Tsui said. “Because how many chances are you going to get to play in Mac Court?”
An added attraction to the Classic will be the EA Sports Playstation 2 booth, which will allow participants to play video games in their down-time between games. EA Sports, which is in its first year of sponsorship for the event, will also be involved in the raffle prizes that will be given out.
“EA Sports is excited about reaching out to our target market and giving students an opportunity to fool around with the games a bit and have a good time,” said junior Scott McNevin, campus representative of EA Sports.
When all is said and done, however, the heart and soul of the Classic belongs to Warsaw and his inspiring struggle with a disease that has no cure, and affects about 1.5 million people in the United States.
“As always, we want to create awareness for Parkinson’s and for Warsaw, who has battled it courageously for years,” Tsui said. “He’s lobbied in D.C. and spoke in front of Congress on the issue and is very passionate about it. Usually, when you see people that are sick, you think they’re a victim, but not Jim. The disease has taken a toll on him, but he continues to be a role model.”
The event was started in 1998 by M.B.A. students in the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center to honor Warsaw. It as shown no signs of slowing down as it continues to expand and attract people in Eugene and its surrounding communities.
“To me, this is an expression of what higher education is all about,” Warsaw told the Emerald last spring. “Words alone cannot express how grateful and honored I am to see the tournament every year. It’s so heartwarming.”
Registration for this Sunday’s tournament can be done online at www.warsawcenter.com or by visiting the registration booth at the student recreation center from 2 to 8 p.m. today through Friday.