Chapter Two: "We All Scream for Ice Cream"

Surprisingly, 7:15 am muster had everyone all present and accounted for and Bering Air was on the deck in KIVLs with two birds at 8 bells, just like they said they would. It was a beautiful sunrise over the Baird Mountains while at the same time, we said good bye to a half moon across the Chukchi Seas. It's flights like that that I'm going to miss once basketball is done.

15 teams from 10 villages all converged on the Kotzebue Schools. Most of them arrived yesterday. Noatak, Kivalina and Buckland eventually all made it in today. When you combine that many student athletes with a school population that is trying it's best to stay in session, it can feel pretty cozy. Players and coaches staked out areas of the commons to stage their bags and gear and politely mingled about while waiting for scheduled games to start.

Being as this is a seeded tournament, the first round games can be a little lopsided. We were not the exception to that rule and lost our game today by more than a few points. The Selawik Wolves successfully ran a Box and One defense, frustrating and shadowing our toughest player. Last week we countered the Box and One with balanced scoring. Today, on a bigger stage, we folded.

But this is the Big Show Under the Big Top. Our girls are happy to be here. They are excited to go store. They have to be reminded to not just walk out in to the street. In Kotzebue there is real traffic. The Big Show reminds me of what seasonal Fish Camp was probably like many generations ago. So many people from all of the surrounding villages have congregated at this one spot. And although basketball may seem like the main purpose, I don't think that it really is. Making re-connections with old friends and seeing relatives that you don't often see seems way more important than the final score on the scoreboard.

Sure the winners will advance to the State Tournament in Anchorage in two weeks. I don't suspect that we will need our dancing shoes for that but it may happen. This is a True Second bracketed tourney. Although we are now in the "bottom" bracket, the winner here will also win a berth to the State Tournament.

Either way, I'm happy to be here. I recognize many familiar faces. Handshakes and hugs are easy to come by. In a crowd of hundreds of Inupiat folks I must stand out like a sore thumb with my long hair and orange beard but I don't feel like I do. I'm appreciative to be seeing something new; excited to be a part of the circus.

And they have Ice Cream here!

I haven't had any but at last count, my Point Guard has had five.