In 1972. I was eight years old in Mrs. Ebeling's third grade class at St. Paul Lutheran School in Janesville. That class was taught for a while that year by Mrs. Gershmehl while Mrs. Ebeling was on maternity leave.
It was the first year St. Paul's invited seven other schools to town for a tournament over three days - Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday. The teams playing were primarily 7th and 8th grade boys, although some exceptional 6th graders sometimes showed up in the lineups.
Many of the schools I remember are still making the annual trek: Lombard, Roselle, and Mt. Prospect from Illinois and Portage, Wisconsin. Bonduel and Neenah, Wisconsin round out the tournament this year.
Lombard and Portage were two places St. Paul traveled for tournaments each year when I was playing.
It was about more than basketball. School families and members of the congregation hosted members of the visiting basketball teams and cheer-leading squads. Parents and family who traveled to watch stayed at a nearby hotel.
As a third grader, I remember our family of three hosting cheerleaders for the weekend. There was meeting the guests Friday after the last game, taking them home and usually providing some kind of food or snack.
Then breakfast Saturday morning and a trip back to school for the games. During the afternoon, some visiting schools hosted a pool party at one of the city's hotels, and then back home Saturday night after the last game.
Sunday morning was reserved for church, and St. Paul included a youth-led service most years. That was something I participated in during two years of high school.
After church, it was back to the gym for the afternoon's 5th, 3rd, and 1st places games before the visitors headed back home.
From third grade until I left home, my parents hosted students over JLIT weekend, and continued hosting for years after I left.
When we lived in Janesville again from 1989 to 1992, our family hosted some boys in our house for the weekend.
That part of the tournament is no more - visiting schools book rooms in city hotels for the three day, two night tourney.
1992 was the last time I made it to a game - tomorrow I'm going back.
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