The Tampa Bay Christmas Invitational won best amateur athletic event in the state this summer.
The tournament, which started in 2016, had eight teams. Now, in its ninth year, the tournament will host over 200 teams across 22 states.
Tournament founder and basketball coach Joe Cooper moved to the area 14 years ago, but noticed Florida was missing a big basketball tournament for young athletes.
“I noticed that there just wasn’t a lot going on from a basketball standpoint,” he said. “It just makes sense for something like that to be here. Why do we have to travel across the country to have something like this?”
So, the Tampa Bay Christmas Invitational was born. With a couple partners, Cooper started the tournament through his nonprofit. He received a grant to help fund the tournament as it grew.
With this summer’s award, he was able to negotiate to increase the grant, helping to support the increasing costs of officials and running the event.
“We’re always trying to figure out bigger, better ways to do things,” Cooper said.
This year, the tournament will also host around 150 college coaches looking to scout the high school athletes. The invitational is another opportunity to be seen and get scholarships.
Since the tournament is hosted around the holiday season, Cooper and his team try to bring in some time to celebrate. One year, the tournament was over New Year’s, so they had a firework show. Other years, it has partnered with local companies to give athletes discounts at their businesses.
“We’re kind of outside-the-box thinkers,” he said. “We’ll go big to add value to the tournament and the experience for the teams while they’re here.”
Cooper is still looking for sponsors to support the tournament. Supporters can visit the tournament’s website for information on the different levels of sponsorships, ranging from $1,000-$25,000.
This year’s tournament will have two sessions, with the first running from Thursday, December 19, through Monday, December 23, and the second from Thursday, December 26, through Monday, December 30.
The Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus is hosting the event at its location, 3021 Sports Coast Way in Wesley Chapel.
For more information on the tournament, visit https://tbchristmasinv.com/.
