FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 13, 2023
HUB CITY TIP-OFF YOUTH BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT ATTRACTING 130 TEAMS
Lafayette, LA – Lafayette is hosting 130 youth basketball teams for the Hub City Tip-Off, a three-day tournament drawing players, families, and fans from Louisiana, Texas, and Alabama. Tournament organizer Brian Jolivette, former Ragin’ Cajuns basketball player and Above All Sports Hoops owner-operator, is bringing back the tournament for a second year. “Both my wife and I have a labor of love for basketball. We’re creating an environment that kids and coaches want to compete in and parents want to attend. It’s organized and highly competitive.” he said.
Jolivette, who grew up in Lafayette and now lives in Houston, has signed up boys’ and girls’ teams (third through twelfth grade) that fill four gyms at Lafayette Parks, Arts, Recreation, and Culture (PARC) recreation centers and four high school gyms from Friday through Sunday. “The partnership with Jolivette,” said PARC Athletic Programs Supervisor Walter Guillory, “is valuable not only for the participating kids but also for the community. I’m grateful for the relationship I have with Brian, and it’s an honor to have him back in Lafayette. He and his wife Annette run well-organized tournaments across the country. Hosting a tournament of this size is great for our city.”
Events like this bring in visitors who stay in hotels, dine at restaurants, and shop at stores. The Hub City Tip-Off Tournament is expected to have an impact of $500,000 on the Lafayette economy. “The youth sports market continues to be our fastest growing market, and the Hub City Tip-Off will be another great event for the area. We appreciate former Ragin’ Cajun great Brian Jolivette bringing this event back home as well as another one this summer,” Lafayette Travel President & CEO Ben Berthelot said.
Jolivette is committed to helping kids succeed and is providing a $1,500 scholarship for college-related expenses. This year’s recipient will be announced at 12:30 p.m. at Northside High School, one of the tournament venues. “We know that many kids have aspirations to attend school but due to limited finances and limited assistance to navigate college entrance we’ve decided not only to provide the scholarship but to guide them in navigating the college admissions process.”
Jolivette continues supporting and maintaining a relationship with recipients long after the scholarship is awarded. Last year’s recipient, Tyler Harris, was the first in his family to attend college. After Harris was enrolled and started classes, Jolivette continued to check in on him and assisted with additional school-related purchases.
Tournament games will be held Friday, April 14 through Sunday, April 16 at PARC’s Domingue, Comeaux, Dupuis, and MLK Recreation Centers and at the following high schools: Northside, Carencro, David Thibodaux STEM Magnet Academy, and Teurlings.
View the schedule at https://aboveallsportshoops.com/events/.
