The Boys and Girls Club is creating an opportunity for Manhattan High students to compete in a friendly three-on-three basketball tournament before the end of the semester.

“Our main thing is [that] we’re just trying to get more teens to come to the Boys and Girls Club because we don’t get a lot [of them normally],” senior Ronald Hill said. “We’re just trying to get more teens involved, and hopefully just hang out and give them a safe space.”

For those who choose to compete, the matches are set up bracket style, making a win more crucial to stay in the game.

“It depends on how many people come but I think last time we had like 18 or 21 people, so six or seven teams, and the people who run it set up a bracket and then you play 10-minute games,” senior Grant Snowden said. “It’s team-on-team, winners advance and they provide food, so it’s a lot of fun.”

On Monday before the first semester ends, the teams of three compete for a prize provided by the BGC. Unlike intramural basketball, this is a one-night event.

“[We compete] Monday night and then the winners receive a gift card to a local business when they come back Wednesday night,” Snowden said.

Even though there is a prize for the winning team of three, the students don’t just do it to obtain it, they do it to have fun.

“I think it’s a lot of fun just because I played intramural basketball through high school my sophomore year, and then last year with COVID-19, we couldn’t do it,” Snowden said. “So it’s a fun opportunity to get back into basketball and just play some pickup with friends.”

BGC also has a similar goal that the students have when participating in this opportunity.

“[We want students to] have fun, but also learn [that] not everyone is bad, there’s some good people out there,” Hill said. “Just finding and meeting the right people and making friends.”

Instead of a victory, BGC hopes that students will gain something else out of this three-versus-three bracket-style play.

“A lot of people love the game, and some people don’t make the [high school] basketball team,” Hill said. “A fun game of basketball and just coming together [and] having teamwork and sportsmanship [is what matters most].