Every year, we participate in the Western Region Family Basketball Tournament. This year, we are hosting the tournament February 4-6, 2022! The ages that are eligible to participate are from seven year old’s through adults. The breakdown of ages are: Co-ed ages 7-12, 12-18 Boys and Girls (non-co-ed), and Adults. Practice typically begins in October and goes until February. To visit the Tournament website, click here. For their Facebook page, click here.
For more information, please contact our Youth Director, Jon Klein.
History of the GOYA Basketball Tournament
In 1946, the Youth Club of Duluth, Minnesota, challenged the Minneapolis Youth Club to a basketball game over a weekend. So many young people took the chartered bus to Duluth and the enthusiasm and success of this event was so pronounced that Minneapolis, in 1947 invited not only Duluth but the Greek Orthodox youth from all over Minnesota for a state –wide youth rally. Over 300 attended.
Since then, annual tournaments have been held each year since 1948. In 1951, the first annual GOYA Basketball Tournament was held with Minneapolis crowned as the first ever champions. In 1953, a distinct queen contest was inaugurated. Choir festivals had been held, seal and emblem contests staged, to mention a few activities.
Today the tradition continues with Orthodox communities from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas participating in the annual tournament, which now has been named the “Metropolis of Chicago Western Region Family Basketball Tournament.”
