The March Madness Experience

Every year March Madness sneaks up on me. All of the sudden I start hearing terms like 'bracketology', 'bubble games', and 'basketball pools' and I have NO idea which teams are likely to win, lose, or anything. Hence the reason that I have never finished in the top half of any bracket contest.

Well, this year I thought I would get a head start. For the first time I attended the IHSA March Madness Experience at the Peoria Civic Center. And if that in itself wasn't 'Mad' enough, I brought nine grade school age boys with me, just to heighten the insanity. All told there were 15 of us, 9 campers and 6 summer staff from Camp of Champions USA.

After three hours of madness this past Friday night, I think I'm ready for all of the bubbles, brackets, and pools you can throw at me.

I was extremely impressed with the overall environment of the Experience. Despite the big crowds and even bigger exhibition hall, I felt totally comfortable turning the boys loose (in groups of 3 with a staff member to lead them). All of the games were fun and competitive, yet they maintained a spirit of fairness. Each individual contest made me remember why I love basketball. They brought out the kid in me, along with a good sense of playground nostalgia. Who doesn't like to chuck half court shots across a gym? Or shoot at a 40 foot tall hoop? Or jump off the back of a car in order to slam dunk?

One particular moment encapsulated the spirit of the night: Three guys in our group ended up playing a 3 on 3 pick up game in which they were grossly over-matched. The man who was running the contest was nice enough to let them play a second game with a team more on their level. And despite their loss, the three still scored free T-shirts. (Imagine a skinny freshmen, 5th grader, & 6th grader in extra large shirts. They were swimming in them!) The three boys enjoyed the contest, mostly in part to the game leader forgetting the official rules and using sports to encourage kids; something that often falls by the wayside in the name of competition.

This group of guys hanging out in an empty gym would have led to some crazy moments. But put them in the Experience, and the madness only grew. A few favorite moments:

• The aforementioned skinny 5th grader refusing to eat potato chips because of their trans fat content. Seriously, you know that health food marketing is working when an 11 year-old boy is concerned about clogging his arteries.
• Two boys being more enthralled with the National Guard booth than any of the basketball contests. I'm guessing that the guardsmen working the booth were looking for recruits that were a little older. No matter, they still obliged when the two boys insisted on getting their picture taken on the Patriot Chopper. And taking home a calendar. And a DVD.
  
• Everyone in the building binging on chocolate milk. I'm not sure who decided to give out free chocolate milk, but it's the best idea I've ever heard of... or the worst. I'm leaning towards the latter after finding out that one of our group downed 5 cartons in the three hours we were there. Luckily there were no roller coasters!

Two other highlights that bear mentioning:

• A Special Olmpics game first caught my eye because I knew the referee. But after sticking around to watch some of the game, I realized how special it really was. The refs, announcers, and fans made the game real for the kids involved. They had everything from pre-game introductions to cheerleading squads. Awesome.
• I also had the chance to meet Doc & Kotter of 96.5 ESPN. I often place radio personalities on a higher level just because of their publicity, but it was great to see that both of them are down-to-earth friendly guys. Although I did think it was a little humorous that Kotter took the time to introduce me to himself and Doc, especially with their names printed in huge letters on their backs. For being local, it's a pretty good show (5-7pm weeknights) and I've always had good luck getting on air any time I've called in to give my two-cents.

The icing on the night was listening to the Fighting Illini upset the Boilermakers on the radio as we drove home. The game ended and the van went crazy, a great finish (and start) to the March Madness Experience.

The night was a great escape for all of the kids involved. But it was especially so for a few that are going through tough times at home. It was a privilege to take them and watch them have such a wonderful time. I'll definitely be returning next year, if only for the free chocolate milk.