On the ball: Eldorado Holiday Tournament underway for 53rd time

ELDORADO - For three days between Christmas and New Year's Day, Eldorado High School's Duff-Kingston Gymnasium becomes the center of the boys basketball world in southeastern Illinois.

Thursday will see the opening of the 53rd Eldorado Holiday Tournament at the gym, which will be buzzing with activity on and off the court.

Those three days likely give little evidence of the sheer amount of time and effort that goes in to preparing for the event, though, according to those involved.

The day after Christmas, for instance, EHS employees Eric Cantrell and Jason Herrmann were busy building a new platform for a VIP seating promotion. The platform will hold a luxury couch to be used by donors as part of an Eldorado Rotary fundraiser during this year's tournament, adding another new twist to the storied EHT.

"This is pretty well our busiest time of the year," Cantrell, a 25-year employee for the school, says as he and Herrmann measure and cut boards to assemble the platform. "Every year, there's about 100 things to do at this time."

That sentiment is echoed by EHS Athletic Director Greg Goodley, who coordinates the tournament.

"It's a year-long task. It starts the day after the tournament," Goodley says, regarding preparation for each year's event.

It takes that kind of preparation, he says, because the tournament has created a unique social dynamic for the region. In an era where face-to-face interaction takes a back seat to electronic devices, the Eldorado Holiday Tournament is a well-anticipated throwback to days gone by.

"Even with social media and people staying in contact with other people that way, this has been going on so long that people look forward to it and look forward to seeing other people each year at the tournament," he said. "I usually start getting phone calls at the end of January with people asking the dates for next year's tournament. They are planning their vacation time so they can come here."

Goodley said that like many holiday traditions, an important family component exists.

"A lot of the folks who come grew up going to the tournament, then as adults they've brought their kids. They're passing that tradition along," he said.

Besides preparing the gym, there is coordination of donations and volunteer help, he said. It's something that brings the community together.

"A lot of people donate stuff to the tournament, because we have a lot of really nice people who want to be a part of it," he said. "Their generosity really helps, whether it's in the hospitality room, providing shirts, promotional items; there's just a lot of stuff that goes into it."

Parking direction and cleanup between games are other critical logistical considerations, and Goodley praises the EHS students involved.

"We have to plan ahead for parking, and we're fortunate that our high school kids are able to make some money doing it," he said. "Cleanup is another big thing. Between sessions, we have part of our cleanup crew come in, and those kids in 10 minutes pick up everything in that gym."

Like the VIP couch, each year brings new features, he said.

"We always have new stuff. We always have someone who wants to dance, or twirl at halftime, or sing the national anthem," Goodley said. "There is always something evolving. It's a busy three days for sure, but between our administration at the school, our basketball coach and cheerleading sponsors, everybody dives in and does something to make the tournament successful."

The influx of people coming to the EHT also is an economic boon to the county at large, he said.

"As we're going around, we hear people say 'Let's run to Tailgaters' or 'We're going to McDonald's' or Ponderosa. They're planning where they're going to go, and that's great for Saline County," he said.

As much as Goodley looks forward to the tournament, he'll also look forward to its conclusion and a little rest, brief as it may be.

"There is a lot of work involved to put it on, but on Dec. 30 at midnight, I'll take a deep breath and unwind for a little while," he said, laughing.