Basketball tournament brings Tennessee Town together

TOPEKA, Kansas (WIBW) – People from all over Topeka came to Tennessee Town for a morning of basketball.

“It's great,” said Mike Burns, community policing sergeant for the Topeka Police Department. “The weather is great, the food is great, the community is outstanding and supportive of the neighborhood. And everyone really supports the athletes here while we watch a great basketball game.”

King's Court hosted the 18th annual Tennessee Town Basketball Tournament. The games were entertaining but also hard-fought.

“So it's just a basketball tournament in the format,” said Ronald Lassiter, a player. “It's a simple elimination game. We have adult teams, high school teams, middle school teams and elementary school teams. We all come to play.”

Over the past 18 years, generations of children have been able to participate in the game.

“I know I've been there from the beginning,” said Courtney Sanders Sr. “Now I'm a coach. I bring kids to this tournament as a coach. My son is playing there right now as I speak, passing the torch. So it's a good deal.”

The basketball tournament is not only a fun Saturday morning activity, but also a community-building event.

“The importance of this event is to get the kids off the streets, let them play basketball, bring everyone together and praise God,” said Robert Allen, coach of the Top City Lakers. “I think we just need to come together and stop gun violence and any kind of violence in Topeka and just have fun.”

The Topeka Police Department’s Community Unit was also on site to further expand its commitment to the Tennessee Town community.

“We want to show that we like to get out on the positive days too,” Burns said. “We are approachable, we want to be part of the community and participate in these community events. That's why it's so important for us to be out here today.”

The Tennessee Town Basketball Tournament was free to enter, there was free food, an area to purchase merchandise, a bouncy castle, a snow cone booth, and a balloon booth for the younger kids.

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