HUNTINGTON -- During the course of the last 15 years, the ValleyBall 3-On-3 Basketball Tournament has been a fixture at Ronnie Paul Angelo Memorial Park on Spring Valley Drive.

And, as they prepare for the July 16-19 festivities, tournament organizers Joda Burgess and J.B. Blankenship are adding a wrinkle to ensure that the ValleyBall tournament is around for at least another 15 years.

This year ValleyBall will have two youth divisions -- one for players entering fifth and sixth grade and another for seventh- and eighth-graders.

"For the upcoming tournaments, we want kids to get a taste and then keep coming back when they get to that B Division or even that A Division," Burgess said. "We'll see what kind of response we will get from it."

If the past is any indication, there will be a swarm of kids looking to join the tradition that has become the ValleyBall tournament.

Burgess, a former Ceredo-Kenova High School and Marshall University guard, said he began playing in the tournament around 1996 when there were 12 to 14 teams. Three years ago, he made the transition from player to co-organizer with Blankenship.

The tournament has grown to 26 teams, forcing Burgess to put a July 10 deadline on registration.

"We will have to turn teams down because we will have too many," Burgess said.

The beauty of the ValleyBall tournament is that it brings all varieties of basketball enthusiasts together for one weekend of enjoyable competition.

And no matter the skill level, the competition is what brings players out to participate.

"One year, (former Marshall player) Tamar Slay played in it while he was with the Charlotte Bobcats," Burgess said. "I love to tell this story. On our Web site, we've had everything from an NBA player in Tamar Slay to a team called that called themselves The Potty Train."

One of the unique aspects of the ValleyBall tournament is that it is the only full-court, 3-on-3 tournament around.

Its unique format has kept players such as Jamie Riggs coming back since its inception in the mid-90s.

When it started, Riggs was a high school kid who enjoyed playing ball. He now has a career and a family, but Burgess said that he always loves to pencil in the tournament to his summer schedule.

But not only is Riggs a tournament regular, he is also accustomed to winning his division.

Last year, Riggs won the title and Burgess confirmed that he will be back to defend his crown.

"I'm ecstatic that Riggs is playing in it again. He's been in it longer than I have," Burgess said. "He's been around 14 years or so and he won it last year. He wants to follow that up."

A Web site has been created for the ValleyBall tournament (http://www.valleyball3on3.com) with information and registration.

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