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Having a ball: HoopsFest crowds downtown

By William Kibler 6 min read

At Saturday's HoopsFest downtown, a city police officer spoke of the department's presence there mainly as a deterrent against the potential for outsiders causing trouble.

There were plenty of outsiders at the event, which featured 216 three-on-three basketball teams, with a total of 850 players from six states and a foreign country, but no trouble -- not that the police really expected any.

"It's a family event," said Lt. Tom Hanelly. People come for fun, and officers are pleased to interact -- "and happy to be part of it," said Sgt. Chris Moser, standing with Hanelly and a third officer mid-afternoon on the sidewalk on 12th Avenue, observing multiple games on portable baskets set against the curb.

It was the 21st HoopsFest, and the second to occur in Altoona, after founder Jim Kilmartin moved the event from Tyrone, along with his ministry that is now headquartered at Center City Church on 12th Avenue -- plus his Joshua House after-school program -- for which HoopsFest is a fundraiser.

The event took over downtown between 13th and 16th streets, with youngsters playing in the skinny parking lot behind 11th Avenue; food vendors and stationary businesses selling food and drinks on 11th Avenue; and older kids playing on 12th Avenue.

Everyone gathered at lunchtime in Heritage Plaza for evangelical speeches on athletics and Christianity, plus a dunk contest.

"I wish they had something like this when I was coming up," said guest of honor, Altoona native and former San Antonio Spurs point guard Johnny Moore, one of 10 Spurs whose number the team has retired.

He had fun playing basketball, but "I never played for fun," Moore told the players, who were sitting on the concrete floor of the plaza and on the concrete bench that surrounds it. If you're ambitious, you need to push, according to Moore. "You can't let anyone outwork you," he said.

Former Christian rock-and-roll singer John James from Australia followed Moore, telling the kids he was abused as a youth, resulting in feelings of worthlessness -- which ended when he encountered a Christian youth worker. After his talk, he asked everyone to bow their heads and invited anyone who felt the need for spiritual assistance to raise their hands discreetly, after which they could meet with a counselor.

HoopsFest was "perfect" for people who aren't into drinking and partying, according to Ernest Coit of Altoona, who goes by the artist name Eskille and who has a marketing and consulting firm. Coit came to see how diverse the event would be, and it didn't disappoint, as there were people of all ages, both Black and white, said Coit, who is Black. He hopes the event continues "so Altoona can unite and become one, and everyone can enjoy everybody's company," he said.

It was a nice "mixture of people coming together -- peaceful and organized," said John Hrivnak, owner of JJ Hadley and Co. Brewers, which was busy in the middle of the afternoon. The prior gathering at Heritage Plaza formed "a beautiful picture," said Assistant Manager Joshua Jones, who appreciated the "Christian focus," Jones said. The event was beneficial to Hadley's, helping to promote its brand, thanks in part to the thoughtfulness of the organizers, who consulted them prior to the event, soliciting input and cooperation -- especially on the location of food trucks, so disruption of stationary businesses would be minimized, they said. Such consideration helped give the day a different, better feel than during events the restaurant looks merely to "survive," Jones said.

Mansion Donut Co. had a "steady stream" of customers, said owner Brian Detwiler, associate pastor of Center City Church and member of the HoopsFest steering committee. Speaking hypothetically, and as the owner of a stationary business himself, he would have been willing to put up with a bit of competitive inconvenience, he said. "Sometimes you have to give a little to get a lot," Detwiler said, referring to the overall vitality of downtown, which helps all the businesses there. "We love being a part of (that) revitalization," he said.

Business was slow at the beginning of the day for vendor Tim Jackson of Claysburg, who operates Shuman's Concessions, selling pork, hot dogs, burgers, fries and other items. But when the midday gathering at the Plaza started, "it was bang," he said. The staff was friendly and attentive, and he plans to come back next year for his second HoopsFest, he said.

Amy Detwiler was a member of the event staff Saturday. Brian Detwiler's wife, she is also executive administrator of Center City Church. Kilmartin is a family friend, and invited the couple to check out the church in 2018, according to Amy. "I just loved the culture," she said. "It felt like home." Fellow event staffer Ashley Digan was working a table with Amy. Digan knew the Detwilers, who urged her to come see for herself. "I was drug in willingly," Digan said.

Paul Kopac of Hollidaysburg, who coached basketball many years ago at Hollidaysburg Junior High School and Bishop Guilfoyle, came to see the "environment" at HoopsFest, being a lifelong "sports nut." He'd seen it in Tyrone five years ago, but Saturday's event was "a notch above," he said, adding he was "totally impressed."

One of the players on Saturday was William Kales, 15, who will be a sophomore at Altoona Area High School next month. He plays for the Blair County Bucks, who lost all three of their games, and so didn't make the playoffs -- which requires a 3-0 preliminary record. Still, Kales scored a total of 20 points, mostly at the rim as a power forward. He plans to try out for Altoona, which will be his first time on a school-based team. The Bucks are coached by Edwin Franklin, 20, former Altoona high basketball and football player, who wasn't altogether satisfied with his own performance Saturday. His playbook is good, but he needs to be a little less of a "robot coach," and to give his players more freedom to get into the rhythm of the games, he said. He could tell they were a bit over-conscious of his instructions, which inhibited their flow, he said.

Laurie Dunsmore of Madera brought her daughter to play in the 12-U group. "Everybody was kind," Dunsmore said. "And the talent is really good." The experience will help her daughter and her daughter's teammates to "play up," she said.

The weather last year was hot, but Saturday was pleasant, Kilmartin observed. There were more teams in Tyrone several years ago, but probably more people this year than for any prior HoopsFest, he said. "I hope it blesses the city," he stated.

Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038.

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