MARCH GLADNESS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

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Each year EVAC Basketball teams travel to California to participate in the March Gladness Homeschool Basketball Tournament hosted by California Home School Sports. This tournament is exclusively for homeschool basketball teams and usually features teams from both California and Arizona. EVAC has been involved in this tournament for decades, and we love it because it gives all our basketball teams a chance to take part. From elementary boys and girls to varsity boys and girls, all our EVAC basketball teams are registered to play. It's a fantastic opportunity for us to experience competition, community, and Christ.. This tournament typically takes place the 3rd or 4th week in March.  More details will be posted here closer to tournament time.

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IMPORTANT TOURNAMENT INFORMATION FOR 2024

 

Community Focus:

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EVAC families highly value the love for the community, friendships, relationships, and the opportunity to worship the Lord together. Therefore, many adjustments and decisions for this year's tournament focus on making the community experience even better.

Dates: The official tournament dates are from 03/20/2024 to 03/23/2024.

 

Registration Costs: Team registration fees for March Gladness are already included in the player fees paid at the beginning of the basketball season.

 

Schedule:

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Wednesday, March 20th: March Gladness Opening Ceremonies and Varsity Boys and Girls All-star games. There is not an EVAC event on this date.

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Thursday, March 21 & Friday, March 22: Days start with an EVAC morning praise & worship, devotional, and announcements, followed by the CHS tournament games. In the evenings, after all the games are done, EVAC will have a dedicated space to hangout as a community.

 

Saturday, March 23rd: This day is similar to the previous days, EVAC morning chapel time followed by CHS tournament games. The tournament concludes with championship games and awards at Jurupa Valley High School. Immediately following, EVAC has one final get together. From Jurupa Valley High School each family will pick up food from anywhere they want. We will then meet at another location that EVAC reserves for all of us to gather,  eat our dinner, worship, and hear a few words from EVAC coaches and our AD to close out the weekend.

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Sunday, March 24th:  Most families choose to return home on this date - although many extend their spring break or hit the beach before leaving town!

 

Lodging:

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The primary hotel location has changed. While there is some nostalgia attached to the Ayres and old Ayres (Best Western), those locations are not large enough for our needs. Consequently, we will be staying at the only hotel in the Corona/Norco area with event space - Fairfield Inn & Suites Riverside Corona/Norco.

 

This hotel boasts a much larger lobby than the Ayres and is designed for hanging out and fostering community. Additionally, they have a dedicated large meeting room event space that we have reserved for the duration of the tournament! This means there will be significantly more space set aside for EVAC to accommodate more families for morning devotions, announcements, and evening hangouts. Because this space is reserved for us, we will also be able to set up tournament brackets and provide other necessary information, making it easier for families to stay informed and plan their day. This new hotel is also much closer to most of the tournament game locations. We are thrilled about this new hotel location and the additional space it provides for enhanced relational engagement!

 

Booking a Hotel:

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There are three options for booking a hotel:

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1. Utilize the room block link that the hotel set up for EVAC.

2. Directly book with the hotel using their public booking link, a hotel booking site, or a credit card travel points system.

3. Book a stay at a neighboring hotel within walking distance of the Fairfield.

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The Fairfield Corona/Norco provided us with a very limited room block. Consequently, the room block is expected to sell out quickly. However, the discount offered through the room block is negligible. Therefore, if you book directly with the hotel, you won't miss out on much financial benefit.

 

Furthermore, the two neighboring hotels (Extended Stay America and Regency Inn) are likely less expensive than Fairfield Inn. Additionally, these hotels are within walking distance of the Fairfield, where EVAC will have the large meeting room reserved for morning devotions and evening hangouts.

 

Booking Links:

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EVAC Room Block link at Fairfield Inn & Suites Corona Norco 

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Fairfield Inn & Suites Corona Norco website to book directly 

 

Extended Stay America

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Regency Inn Norco booking on Expedia 

 

NOTE: You are not required to stay at any of the above hotels to participate in March Gladness. However, EVAC will have our hub at the Fairfield Inn & Suites Corona Norco event space. As a result, staying at that hotel or close to that hotel for easy access to the event space will provide for most people the best March Gladness experience. While March Gladness is still a few months away, it's a smart ideal to book your hotel as soon as possible. The rooms at the mentioned hotels are likely to sell out soon after the new year.

 

Communication:

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A text message update system will be set up to provide information on game times, schedule changes, results, and other essential updates. In addition, the dedicated meeting room will have tournament brackets posted on the walls and a large TV, microphone, and speakers for morning and night announcements.

 

Conclusion:

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March Gladness is a special event for EVAC families, and we are thrilled to help you experience competition, community, and Christ. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to Grant Botma at grant@stewardship.pro.

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