WISCONSIN SPORTS

SERVICES

DEC 2013

Happy Holidays from Bucky’s Locker Room!

Bucky’s Locker Room invites you to stop by any of our convenient Madison or Milwaukee area stores this holiday season! We offer a unique selection of Wisconsin Badgers items as

well as Packers, Brewers, Golden Eagles, and Panthers. Find great gifts for the sports fans in your life and save with the special coupon offer just in time for the holidays!

BADGER TRACKS- NOTES FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DAN KLINKHAMMER

SNOWFLAKES IN ‘NAM

T he Christmas holiday season is my absolute favorite time of year. Like millions of

other Americans, I turn into a big kid when I start hearing Christmas songs on the

radio. The red, green, blue and gold decorations brighten up even the dingiest of

houses and everyone seems to have a little extra “giddy-up” in their step. The thought of

Santa Claus, Christmas Trees, Midnight Mass, piles of presents, cookies, candy, friends and

family conjures up some of the best memories of my entire life. As I reflect on past

Christmases, you’d think that my most memorable would be the year that Santa brought me

my first bicycle or the year that I got a wristwatch or maybe the year that I got a Packer

football uniform. Nope, none of the above. My most memorable Christmas was in 1971,

when I was doing a year-long tour of duty in Vietnam.

Sometime around Thanksgiving of that year, my mortar platoon was relocated to a barren

section of the ridgeline that surrounded the City of Da Nang. There was nothing on that hill

but rocks, dirt and sand. We spent the next 30 days building ammo and perimeter bunkers,

sleeping quarters, mortar pits and a Fire Direction Control Center. Our proudest moment came

when we completed our two-hole outhouse. It was a work of art and we all felt like Kings of

the Castle when we sat on that throne!!!

It seemed as though we were working 24/7 and as December 25th approached, we were one

very tired and beat up crew. In addition to building our firebase, we also had to defend it. So,

when we weren’t pounding nails and flinging sandbags, we were pulling guard duty or

conducting fire missions for the ground troops in the area. We were really busy, really tired

and really homesick. As Christmas got closer, the homesickness got worse and by the time

Christmas Eve arrived we were all feeling like the world had forgotten us. We were having the

biggest pity party of all time and to make matters worse, I had to pull guard duty at midnight

on Christmas Eve. Merry Christmas to me!!??

It was unusually cool on that night, as my buddy Greg and I reported to our assigned bunker.

We were both bundled up in our fatigue jackets. This was some really strange weather for

South Vietnam. As we got settled into our bunker, Greg claimed the first “standing shift,” so

that meant that I got to sit on the folding chair. As we swapped Christmas stories, I leaned

back in the chair and started daydreaming, with visions of my Wisconsin hometown, running

through my head.

When I was a kid, we had a streetlight right smack dab in the middle of our front yard. On one

hand, I hated that darn pole in the summer, because I had to mow and trim around it. On the

other hand, we loved it in the winter because we used it as our “snow meter.” As school kids,

we were always hoping for a snow day and we’d spend a lot of time looking out the picture

window at that streetlight to gauge the wind and snowfall. I remember getting up in the

middle of the night just hoping to see blizzard conditions via the streetlight.

It was also kind of cool because the village would always decorate the streetlights at

Christmastime. There’s nothing more serene than a decorated streetlight, at midnight, in a

rural Wisconsin town. The terms “wholesome” and “safe” come to mind when that picture

flashes through my mind. I remember one Sunday evening when my Mom was standing in the

kitchen watching all of us looking out the picture window at the streetlight, my Dad was busy

reading the paper and our cat was playing with the ornaments on the tree. I distinctly

remember her saying, “Where’s Norman Rockwell when you need him?”

With a thud, my chair flopped forward and I found myself staring out the front of the bunker,

right into the middle of a snowstorm! I am ashamed to admit it but my daydream must have

turned into a brief snooze. It had started to rain and the wind was whipping around pretty

good. I shook my head, rubbed my eyes and took another look, and the swirling rain looked

just like snow against the night sky and illumination of the flood lights. I actually stuck my hand

outside the bunker to check for snowflakes. It seemed that real. As it turned out, it was just

the combination of my childhood memories and the overactive imagination of a 19-year-old kid

stuck in a combat zone a million miles away from home.

Regardless of the reality, for a brief moment I was home. In that moment, I wasn’t cold, tired,

hungry, thirsty or homesick. For those few seconds, I wasn’t involved in the war in Vietnam. I

was standing in my living room, looking out the picture window at the streetlight in my home

town. It was an awesome feeling and those two seconds carried me through the next 8 months

of my tour in Vietnam. Every time I was feeling homesick, I’d just close my eyes and think

about that streetlight. It always seemed to help! To this day, when I’m home for Christmas, I

make a point of it to drive by that streetlight and give it a grateful salute. It meant that much to

me.

This holiday season, regardless of your religious beliefs, I hope that your kids develop a memory

of their childhood that will one day be that crutch to lean on when they are out on their own. I

sincerely hope that everyone has a safe and fun-filled holiday season, and I would hope that

you all take a few moments to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers. Their sacrifice

allows the rest of us to look out our windows and see the light.

Marketing Update By: Brian Meeter, WSS Marketing Director

A re you looking for an opportunity to showcase your business with a growing

organization? In just six short months the Wisconsin Sports Services, with the help

of great local host organizations, has run seven events, reaching over 1,500

participants and their families. Some businesses are already seeing the benefit of sponsoring

WSS events, such as Bucky’s Locker Room, the Hampton Inn, and La Crosse Area Convention

and Visitor’s Bureau. There are many different ways to get involved with the Wisconsin Sports

Services, but the key is flexibility. We are able to create a custom branding program that is

sure to get your product in front of a captive audience. Some benefits of sponsoring a WSS

event:

Growing audience base. Now is a great time to get in on the ground floor! Great sponsorship opportunity for hotels, restaurants, retailers, travel-based

businesses, and destinations. Dynamic website, updated continuously. Customizable sponsorship packages. Ability to get your message or product to sports groups, known for their purchasing

power!

Below is a list of sponsorship opportunities. Contact Brian Meeter for more information at

brian@wisportsservices.org or 608-780-2054.

Badgerland Nationals Wrestling Tournament Fall Softball League Badgerland Baseball – Ring Sponsor Fall Fast Pitch (Girls) Tournament Central (web page for each tournament we host) Tournament Index for each sport Badgerland State Basketball Championships Badgerland Spring Basketball Championships

Thank you for considering our sponsorship opportunities. For more information and to get a firsthand view of our work, visit www.wisportsservices.org.

B ucky’s Locker Room is pleased to support Wisconsin Sport Services!

We look forward to our partnership with the organization and to

serving the coaches, athletes, and families who participate in WSS

programs. Bucky’s Locker Room has been the official retailer of University of

Wisconsin since 2004 and is the leading merchant of Wisconsin Pro sports team

apparel. Whether you’re looking for Badgers, Brewers, or Packers items,

Bucky’s Locker Room offers something for every sports fan. We carry a wide

selection of styles for everyone, including women and children. Come visit us

and make Bucky’s Locker Room your one-stop-shop for the whole family!

Bucky’s Locker Room has over 15 years of athletic apparel retail experience in

Wisconsin. We are the official apparel vendor at all University of Wisconsin

men’s and women’s sporting events. You will find apparel representing all 22

Badger sports, including wrestling, volleyball, and swimming in our stores and at

our website. We are officially licensed by the NCAA to produce University of

Wisconsin Badger merchandise. This allows us to offer an exclusive and

matchless selection of Badger products. Support your favorite Pro sport team

with a jersey, name and number tee, or hat from name brands including Adidas,

Majestic, and Reebok. If you are looking for

gifts, we’ve got you covered with items such

as glassware, home décor, pennants, and plush

toys for the Badger, Brewers, and Packers.

There are 9 stores conveniently located around

Madison, including Insignia on State Street and

our shops in the Kohl Center and Camp

Randall. Another four stores called Name of

the Game are available in the Milwaukee area.

These locations also carry items for the

Marquette Golden Eagles, the University of

Wisconsin Panthers and Milwaukee Admirals. (See next page for locations.)

Bucky’s Locker Room invites you to come check us out! Get in on all the

exceptional products sold exclusively at our stores and enjoy a unique shopping

experience with us soon!

You can also visit us on-line at http://www.buckyslockerroom.com to purchase

University of Wisconsin Badger apparel and novelties.

Bucky’s locker room: sponsor of wss athletics

BADGERLAND Basketball By: Lance Klinkhammer, WSS Staff

H ello again to all the youth basketball folks out there! It’s officially winter which means the youth

basketball season is in full effect. Here at the Wisconsin Sports Services we’re proud to announce

that our Badgerland Super Savers were a success in Elk Mound, La Crosse and Chippewa Falls.

We’d like to extend a big THANK YOU to our host organizations:

Elk Mound Girls’ Basketball Boys’ and Girls’ Club of Greater La Crosse Chippewa Falls McDonell Basketball

If your team wasn’t able to register for any of our events in November and December you can still get in on

the action in January and February! Here are the dates and locations of our Super Saver tournaments in the

upcoming months:

January 11th @ Chippewa Falls McDonell High School

January 18th @ Mathy Center – Viterbo University – La Crosse

February 1st @ Logan High School – La Crosse

February 8th @ Rice Lake High School

Information and entry forms can be found on our website; follow the

“Basketball” heading and click on “Badgerland Super Savers” to find our

webpage dedicated to those events.

And then there’s the BIG ONE in March…we’re already receiving interest

from all corners of the state from teams that will be attending the Badgerland State Basketball

Championships! If your team would like to play in this event, let us know and we’ll tell the world you’re

coming on our State Tournament news feed. Again, this tournament is open to ALL Wisconsin boys’ & girls’

youth basketball teams in 4th-8th grade and don’t worry – we don’t want your local “A” team playing against

your “C” team, which is why we’ll be offering multiple levels of play in this event! The girls’ tournament will

be held on March 15-16, 2014 and the boys’ tournament will be held on March 22-23, 2014. All pertinent

information, including the entry packet, rules, tournament timelines, etc., is available at wisportsservices.org.

At the WSS, we really want this event to be a big one, but what’s a State Tournament without souvenirs,

right? The Wisconsin Sports Services, in partner with Signature Concepts, will have an online apparel store

available in the weeks prior to the event for all spectators and participants to order their unique State

Tournament apparel! We’ll notify all participating teams when the apparel is available for purchase on our

website.

Lastly, Mother Nature has reminded us of just how brutal winter can be with the snow, ice and sub-zero

temperatures that have recently covered the state. Getting to that all-important game time on the weekend

becomes that much more difficult when you throw icy roads and falling snow into the mix. Whether you’re

traveling to a basketball tournament or to your relatives’ house to drink egg nog and open gifts, we’d like to

wish everyone safe travels this holiday season!

Badgerland Baseball Championships Update By: Jake Wenzel, WSS Staff

The WSS would like everyone to note that the Badgerland Tournament of Champions event will be undergoing a name change. Due to a few other events in Wisconsin having a similar name, we have decided to change the name to the “Badgerland Baseball Championships” to avoid any confusion. We ask that any information on your local association’s website regarding our tournament be updated to make sure that everything is current. Planning for the second year of the Badgerland Baseball Championships (BBC) is well underway and all signs are pointing to an exciting event this upcoming summer. The 2014 BBC will be expanding to offer the age divisions of 10U-14U in what once again should be a very competitive event. The 2014 BBC will also be marketed to every team in Minnesota in an attempt to create a dynamic field of teams. The WSS and the Milwaukee Brewers once again have an agreement to award the first place teams their rings on the field at Miller Park before a Brewers game in September of 2014. Without the Milwaukee Brewers we would never be given the memories of seeing the excitement of the players as they stand on the same field as their favorite Major League players. Due to the great support from many local associations, we have locked in host associations for the 10U, 11U, 12U, and 14U divisions. The Wisconsin Sports Services is still seeking a host group for the 13U division. If your community/association is interested in potentially being a host and would like more information, please email Jake Wenzel at jake@wisportsservices.org

To stay current with information regarding the 2014 BBC and other

baseball events, please check our website at www.wisportsservices.org.

2014 BBC Locations

July 25-27, 2014

10u—Kaukauna, WI

11u - Waukesha, WI

12u - Holmen, WI

13u - TBD

14u - Kaukauna, WI

BADGERLAND Wrestling By: Jeremy Innes ,WSS Staff

The Midwest Wrestling Tour has been

created. The tour will encompass the Gopher State Nationals, the Badgerland Nationals and

the Hawkeye Nationals and will showcase the phenomenal youth wrestling that the Upper

Midwest has to offer. Rest assured that participants will be able to expect the same level

of excellence at the Badgerland and Hawkeye Nationals that they have come to know at the

Gopher State Nationals. At this point, we plan to award a belt that is customized for each wrestler

who competes and places in all three events.

The Gopher State Wrestling Nationals, with more than 1,100 participants in 2013, has earned the reputation of being one of the toughest and best run tournaments in

Minnesota. The event has drawn wrestlers from Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois,

Michigan, North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Missouri, Louisiana and Wyoming. Wrestlers from all states are eligible to compete in all Gopher State Wrestling events.

The inaugural Badgerland Nationals event was a huge success. Over 350 wrestlers

from five different states invaded La Crosse, Wisconsin in March of 2013. Participants were very pleased that caliber of the event was the same as the Gopher State Nationals.

We look for this event to really take off in 2014 and perhaps even double this year's participant numbers.

The Hawkeye Nationals will complete the three legs of the tour. Look for the Hawkeye

Nationals to happen for the 2014-15 season.

The North Star Wrestling Tournament was created to give beginning or developing wrestlers in grades K-8 an opportunity to compete in a prestigious tournament without

the pressure of having to face the high level/elite wrestlers. There is also a high school

component to the tournament. Since it is being held after the Minnesota High School State Tournament, any wrestler in grades 9-12 can participate. This event will be held

at the Hopkins Lindbergh Center on Sunday, March 2.

Questions? Visit our wrestling page: www.wisportsservices.org or contact

Jeremy Innes at 763-746-1720 or jeremy@myas.org.

2014 Wrestling Events:

January 4-5 * Badgerland Nationals

February 8-9 * Gopher State Nationals

February 23 * Gopher State K-6 Team Tournament

March 2 * North Star Wrestling Tournament

Date TBA * Hawkeye Nationals

WSS ADULT SLOW PITCH By: Adam Klinkhammer, WSS Staff

With single digit temperatures and snow covering all of

our favorite ball diamonds, December is a difficult time of

the year to start thinking about softball. If I appear green

in the face it’s the envy that I feel about the southern

states and their warm weather.

Can you believe they are playing in Texas right now?

Since there is nothing we can do about Mother Nature

and the disappearance of warm temperatures, we are using this time to try and formulate

our program for next year. The plan is to offer two events in August of 2014. The dates and

details have yet to be finalized, but we are tentatively planning to offer a MN-WI Border

Battle on August 9-10 and a USSSA State Tournament in Janesville on August 16-17. Stay

tuned as we will publish information as it comes available.

However, we do already have in place some services we will be offering to the adult softball

community in 2014. Read on to learn more.

Currently, there is no one-stop shop for all

the tournament opportunities available to

teams in Wisconsin. In an effort to bring all

this information together we created the

Wisconsin Softball Tournament Index. This

Index allows ANY tournament operator to

upload their event’s information including

date, location, entry fee, divisions offered

and contact information, and they can also

upload a printable registration form.

These services are free and were built for

the betterment of the entire Wisconsin

softball community.

Wisconsin Softball Tournament Index Free Agency Central

Free Agency Central is a tool that was

created by the WSS staff to assist in

helping players find teams and teams

find players. An easy registration process

delivered online will allow players to

register themselves as “Free Agents” and

be included on a list to help teams find

players in their area. Players can include

the position(s) they play, what nights

they are available, home city and contact

information. Teams can also register

themselves as “Looking for Players” in

case the shortstop bails on late notice

before a big weekend tournament.

‘Twas the night before Christmas and at the ballfield Were 10 inches of snow, a bountiful yield A few more in December and we’ll meet our quota But the goal is not to beat Minnesota

The bats are nestled all snug in their bags Along with the gloves, cleats, eye black and rags Mizunos, DiMarinis, Combats and Eastons Are waiting for the next yellow ball to be feastin’

While visions of home runs dance in my dreams In my sleep, I hit much farther it seems But it’s warm too with the sun on my face And I find it hard to top such a beautiful place

Pop flies, short hops and ground rule doubles I blame my bat but it’s the least of my troubles I tell everyone that I went five for six But there was an error somewhere in the mix

With butt towels hangin’ and bat bags in a row Everybody came to see the famous bomb show A bad call by the ump made me to beg his pardon And then drove me to find the nearest beer garden

The parking lot is packed with coolers and barbeque But only because those teams went 0-2 A low outside pitch and I back off a little Because real ball players stay out of the middle

With the courtesy foul being thrown out this year It’ll only give more teams more time to drink more beer NIT’s, Qualifiers, Nationals and Worlds In Florida, those yellow balls are batted and hurled

Oh how I miss the dugout chatter With “Come On” and “Let’s Go” distracting the batter I can’t wait for the softball season to begin All those games, tournaments and trophies to win

While we still wait for the teams to be chosen We can dream while our fields are still frozen We can dream of hot day games and night We can dream of the sight of a softball in flight

The season will come soon enough you’ll see Before you know it you’ll be taking BP And even though it’s full of George Strait’s exes Why, oh why do I not live in Texas?!

The Night Before Christmas – Softball Style

By: Adam Klinkhammer

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!

MATHY CENTER

VALLEY TROPHY

5th AVE AWARDS

WSN- WISSPORTS.NET

BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF

GREATER LA CROSSE

ELK MOUND GIRLS BASKETBALL

HOLMEN VIKINGS WRESTLING CLUB

CHIPPEWA-FALLS MCDONELL HIGH

SCHOOL

UW-LA CROSSE VARSITY WRESTLING

CURRENT PARTNERS PAST PARTNERS

JOSTENS

USJT SPORTS

MILWAUKEE BREWERS

HOLMEN PARK AND RECREATION

ONALASKA PARK AND RECREATION

HOLMEN YOUTH BASEBALL PARENT’S

ASSOCIATION

Happy Holidays from the Wisconsin Sports Services!