When one family has six teams entered in a basketball tournament, sprinting from one game to the next is part of the fanfare.
“It's boom, boom, boom,” said Hank Conko-Camel. “You're figuring out where you have to go next,” she said.
The event attracted 184 teams this year, which is four more than the year before, said event coordinator Amanda Hemry. Teams come from as far away as Minnesota and Idaho, but most participants are Montana residents.
The two-day event generates around $15,000 for the Chamber of Commerce. The money, in part, goes to charitable organizations and the chamber's high school and youth leadership programs.
Three-on-three basketball is a family affair for the Camels, many of whom live along U.S. Highway 93 in Polson, Ronan and Arlee. Every weekend, it's a different basketball tournament in a different town. Last weekend, the family traveled to Spokane Hoopfest, the largest 3-on-3 basketball tournament in the world.
The family has been coming to the Missoula 3-on-3 tournament since its inception in 1997.
On Saturday, the Northgate Plaza on North Reserve was packed with fans, hoopsters and referees. Folding chairs outlined the half-court play and whistles sounded every couple of seconds. Pop music blared over loudspeakers.
But no matter the crowd or commotion, around every corner was another jersey with the team name “Desert Horse,” which refers to a camel - the family's last name. All six of the family's teams have the same name.
“It's a spot to gather,” said Zack Camel, the Salish Kootenai College men's basketball coach. Saturday, Camel and his wife, Liz, took turns coaching their two teenage sons, Isaak and Zack Jr.
After a solid victory for young Zack's team in the afternoon, Camel busted feet across the parking lot to try to catch the end of his other son's game, even before his players finished shaking hands with the other team.
“This is important,” he said. “It gives them experience. Basketball can't happen in just two months.”
He'd rather the kids spend time on the asphalt - driving, shooting and picking - than doing something else.
Even if the family wasn't hitting up tournaments each weekend, they'd still likely be playing basketball, said Conko-Camel, who coached her 12-year-old daughter's team.
When they're watching television, they lie on their backs and shoot a basketball straight into the air. Or, they are outside challenging each other to shoot-off competitions. Even on Friday evening, Conko-Camel had her girls outside running plays.
On Sunday, when only the championship games remain, the Camels' troubles will remain. “In every bracket, there's usually a team in the championship,” she said, which makes it hard to catch every minute of every game.
The 3-on-3 tournament continues Sunday, with games starting at 9 a.m., and are expected to wrap up by 4 p.m.
Reporter Chelsi Moy can be reached at 523-5260 or at chelsi.moy@missoulian.com.
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