Newaygo County Gus Macker a Giant Success

Newaygo County Gus Macker a Giant Success
Photos and story by Alexis Mercer

In its third year of operation, the Newaygo County Gus Macker welcomed 313 teams and over 1200 players to the courts. Thousands upon thousands of people found their way to the Newaygo High School parking lot, which was a new site for the tournament.

The first year Newaygo hosted Gus Macker, the tournament was located at Newaygo Middle School. Grant Middle School was the site of choice for year two, being that the two towns planned to alternate locations each year. So this year it was back to Newaygo, but the high school instead.

Volunteers were abundant, stepping up to help make this 50th anniversary Gus Macker event a success. Registration took place Friday night in the gymnasium and then again bright and early Saturday morning. By the time the first whistles of the patient and kind referees on Saturday morning at 8:00, the event was hopping.

Newaygo City Police was on hand to calm any overly excited players or parents, but tempers mostly stayed in check and they were able to keep the crowd reassured the atmosphere was one of excited competition.

Food trucks lined East street, offering tacos, coffee, sweet treats, slushees, and even biscuits and gravy for the extra hungry partakers. 

Like every Gus Macker tournament, some teams went home with the big gold trophies, some with the coveted toilet bowl trophies, and most with no trophy, but instead great memories, camaraderie, and a little bit more sunshine on their faces and shoulders than when they started.