OKMULGEE, Okla. – Sneakers squeaked and basketballs pounded the court at the Mvskoke Dome during the Youth 5-on-5 Basketball Tournament in Okmulgee on Friday, June 20 through Saturday, June 21. The tournament saw teams compete in the 5th/6th Boys Division, the 5th/6th Girls Division, the 7th/8th Boys Division, and the 7th/8th Girls Division.
Ronnie Duncan is the coach for team One Tribe. He also had two grandchildren play in the tournament, Zylin and Talin. Coaching basketball has been Duncan’s job for the past 25 years and basketball has been his passion his whole life.
When basketball season during the school year ends, that is when Duncan begins to assemble his MCN Festival tournament team. Training typically lasts a month.
Although these tournaments appear low stakes on the surface, Duncan knows they can have personal high stakes because they are a constructive activity for his athletes.
“These tournaments, it’s a good way to keep these kids out of trouble,” Duncan said. “Some of them might go to the NBA, or college, which I hope they do. Some of them might not get that far. But when they’re little kids up to high school my plan is to keep them out of trouble.”
Marcina Harjo (Mvskoke) enjoys coming out to the Youth 5-on-5 Basketball Tournament. Although she did not have any kids in the tournament herself, she had friends whose kids competed. Her family’s basketball game days are behind them, but Harjo still enjoys watching kids play in the tournament.
“I’m cheering for everybody,” Harjo said. “Basketball was mainly our thing, my husband coached my daughter and our older boys growing up.”
Harjo’s kids also grew up playing volleyball and softball, both sports they still enjoy playing periodically. When asked about this year’s softball tournament location change, Harjo said she misses the old location.
“I wish it was here. I feel like there are not a lot of (softball) teams this year as there would usually be if it was here (at the Claude Cox Omniplex),” Harjo said. “I wish it were done so it would be here.”
Tierra Dobson came out to watch her son, Benton play in the tournament on the Hustle Tribe team. Dobson’s older sons played in the tournament in past years.
“They grew up with it, they’ve had many, many games here,” Dobson said. “They’re super competitive and they’re very athletic.”
This weekend’s tournament also happened to coincide with another major basketball game, Game 7 of the NBA finals where the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers 103-91 in a historic professional league title win, the first for the state.
For Duncan, basketball is more than just a game. It’s a way to pass down what he has learned and provides life lessons along the way.
“I’m trying to teach these boys how to play,” Duncan said. “I try to teach them stuff about life. Life ain’t fair. You’re going to get calls, you’re going to not get calls. I tell them keep hustling, keep playing.”
Muscogee Festival 5-on-5 Youth Basketball Tournament Results
5th/6th Boys Division
Champs – Dream Hoops
Runnerup – SouthEast Indians
MVP – Preston
5th/6th Girls Division
Champs – Lady Ironheads
Runner-Up – Lady Tvstvnke
MVP – Harper B
7th/8th Boys Division
Champs – Tribe
Runner – Up – Hustle Tribe
MVP – Preston Lewis
7th/8th Girls Division
Champs – LE JR’S
Runnerup – Native Ballers
MVP – Layla Shomo
Results provided by Muscogee (Creek) Nation Recreation Athletic Coordinator Lucas Taylor.
