By Richard Shank
Shank’s Scoop
Noon on Saturday, March 21 marks the tipoff of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) men’s basketball tournament in Hutchinson’s Sports Arena.
According to Ron Chadwick, the event’s chairman, the 2026 tournament will be the 77th time this competition has been held in Hutchinson.
Hutchinson’s American Legion, which brought the tournament to Hutchinson in 1948, should be proud of what they have accomplished and continue to do.
The story of how the tournament ended up in Hutchinson is one that cannot be told enough. As the story goes, the first tournament was held in Oklahoma in 1947, with less-than-desirable results. When the powers that were sought a solution on how to improve the event, HutchCC Athletic Director Charles Sesher rose up and said, “Move the tournament to Hutchinson, and we will do it better,” an offer the NJCAA could not refuse. As the old expression goes, the rest is history.
What other city in Kansas can lay claim to recruiting approximately 200 volunteers annually for more than three quarters of a century to host a national sports event?
For Ron, volunteering at the tournament is a part of his family’s genetics. His father C.C. (Chad) Chadwick signed on as a volunteer at the American Legion-sponsored event in 1950, a commitment lasting 50 years until his death in 2000. Ron volunteered at his first tournament 40 years ago, in 1986, and was elevated to chairman 36 years later in 2022. So, hats off to the Chadwicks for a combined service of nine decades, on behalf of the juco tournament.
On Feb. 19, a sea of volunteers descended on Hutchinson’s American Legion for an annual appreciation dinner, including a pep talk from Ron and final instructions in advance of the big event.
A glance around the room was an exercise in viewing a roomful of giving people who are proud to be volunteers. In conjunction with the tournament, the American Legion will host a pancake feed on March 26, the proceeds of which are designated for scholarships at Hutchinson Community College.
As a volunteer of 16 years, I noticed the first time around that this event runs like a well-oiled machine. When unexpected issues arise—not uncommon for any event—they are resolved posthaste.
Everyone has a specific job, whether it be parking lot attendant or public address announcer, and all take their responsibilities seriously. No one is paid nor seeks public recognition or adulation. As the late President Dwight Eisenhower said, “It is amazing on what can be accomplished if no one is concerned about who gets the credit.”
The American Legion assigns one of its members to serve as “team host” to the 24 competing teams. The host provides assistance to the teams on everything from restaurant options to directions to other spots in the city. Most of all, these hosts provide a home away from home environment for competing athletes and coaches.
High school bands from Hutchinson and Sterling provide entertainment for day games. And, tournament-goers look forward to Wednesday evening when Hutchinson High School’s Daryl Koestel escorts the school’s Drum Line to entertain during halftime of the 5:30 p.m. game. For half-time of the 8 p.m. game, the Hutchinson High School band overwhelms the floor for a performance everyone wants to see.
Other half-time entertainment groups include the YMCA Kids Basketball scrimmage and the HCC Dragon Dolls and Cheer Team.
Whether HutchCC fields a team in the tournament, the college is available throughout the tournament to lend a helping hand. All hands are on deck to assist, a tribute that has its origin the first time around in 1948. Some call the tournament the city’s greatest example of teamwork each year.
In travels across Kansas each spring, it is not uncommon to receive inquiries regarding how the tournament has survived so long and keeps rolling along. The standard response from this bystander is that Hutchinson is blessed with a large group of volunteers who give their all. We can hope that never changes.
Hutchinson’s Rotary Club, which saw its origin in 1935, operates under the motto “Service Above Self,” and the American Legion in Hutchinson adheres to each of those three words.
As the national championship game starting at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 28, winds down, Hutchinson and its American Legion should sit back and take a bow for another job well done.
The NJCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Championship is contracted to be held in Hutchinson until 2041, at which time a new agreement will be negotiated. One can assume that 16 years in our future, a new group of Legionnaires and community volunteers will be on hand to contract the tournament beyond 2048, marking its first century in Hutchinson. Could we say, this rodeo has just begun?
Richard Shank is a retired AT&T manager and external representative for Hutchinson Regional Medical Center. He can be reached at shankr@prodigy.net or by calling 620-664-1517.