by Fred Seely
Editorial Director
The new arena is a big lure for two local entrepreneurs.
Following a dream of being basketball promoters and making a few bucks on the side, Ron Etheridge and John Garman have taken a sizable step toward their goals: they’ve gained a bit of legitimacy.
“Most people who put on high school basketball tournaments make a big noise and then they disappear,” said Etheridge, a substitute teacher and assistant basketball coach at Andrew Jackson High School. “We’re into our third year. We’ve stuck with it.”
They need funds, like others before them, and they’ve been working on the City’s Sports and Entertainment Board.
“We’ve seen guys like this before,” said the board’s director, Mike Sullivan. “But Ron and John have come back. They said they were in it for the long run. Apparently, they are.
“We told them to come back and we’d judge them each year. We’ve watched them, and they seem to be doing the right thing.”
They got a small grant — $3,200 — for this year and will ask for more next time. The next two weeks are big for them: a girls tournament this weekend at Ribault High and a girls event next weekend at Raines High School. They’ve already had a Thanksgiving tournament.
“We bring people to town, and we help the local programs,” said Etheridge.
High school basketball tournaments are a cottage industry that’s becoming a bigger business. Out-of-town high schools want a trip, and local teams want to see how they stack up with the better teams from out of state.
Teams coming over the next two weekends include several from the Miami area, two from Georgia and one from Orlando. Additional funding will allow the two to pursue the top northern teams, who are looking for a trip south in the winter but demand money for travel and lodging.
“Teams bring people, who use motel rooms and eat at our restaurants,” said Garman, a teacher at Matthew Gilbert Middle School. “An eight-team tournament brings more people than you’d think.”
The two have worked the community for help. The Best Western in Southpoint has provided discounts, and the Barnhill Buffet chain helps feed the players. What the two have gotten from gate receipts has gone back into the tournaments.
“The new money will let us get into the room with other potential sponsors,” said Etheridge. “It’s a big help for us.”