The Milan News-Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Milan happy to play host to regionals
Revenue, prestige motivations behind school taking on duties
By Brian Cox, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: March 15, 2007
Milan wasn't in the boys' basketball regionals Tuesday night, but the regionals were in Milan.
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And though not a single Big Red took to the court, the Milan High School gym stands thundered with the hollers and pounding feet of hundreds of fans as teams from Chelsea, Gibraltar Carlson, Detroit Southwest and Dearborn Heights Robichaud competed in the regional semi-finals.
Courtside, Milan Athletic Director Chris Gill looked on.
"This really gives us a chance to showcase the facility," he said. "We have a beautiful gym and a beautiful school that we should show off whenever we can."
Boys' basketball is the third Michigan High School Athletic Association regional Milan has hosted in recent weeks. The school staged the volleyball regionals last weekend and the individual wrestling regionals in late February. The wrestling team districts also were held at Milan. Last spring, the baseball and softball districts came to town.
The school has waited three years to host this level of competition, said Milan High School Principal Ron Reed.
"We've applied ever since we opened the new building," he said. "We're thrilled about it."
The high school is well suited for MHSAA and other tournaments with its four team locker rooms, an officials locker room and plenty of seating for fans, Gill said.
It helps, too, that parents and coaches are willing to volunteer assistance in running the tournament, said Gill. Milan football coach Steve Robb, for example, helped wheel on and off court the bin of practice balls.
"Luckily, I've had parents and coaches step up and help out," Gill said. "I couldn't do it without them."
Along with a certain prestige and the opportunity to highlight Milan's campus, hosting high school playoffs brings needed revenue to the athletic department through parking and concession sales, and 10 percent of the gate.
The athletic department netted around $300 from the volleyball tournament and twice that for the wrestling regionals, according to Gill's estimate. The two-day basketball tournament was expected to bring in up to $2,000.
"We're trying to make money where we can," Gill said. "Some might say it's only $300, but that can fund something. It could help pay for a coach or supplies."
At halftime and in between games, fans lined up 20 deep outside the concession window in the school's rotunda to buy pizza, hotdogs, water and popcorn. The proceeds from concession sales are shared equally between the athletic department and booster clubs manning the stand.
Some 15 to 20 volunteers from the volleyball and softball booster clubs ran concessions Tuesday night and will do so again Friday at the finals, which will feature Chelsea and Detroit Southwestern.
Mary Beth Protske, president of the softball booster club, said the regionals provided her club an added opportunity for outside revenue. The money raised will be put toward refurbishing the softball field.
"These tournaments help our kids," said Reed, who estimated several thousand people would pass through town over the two days. "The athletic department benefits, the boosters benefit, it even helps the local economy."
A clerk at a nearby gas station admitted it was a little busier than normal for a Tuesday night.
"I am getting a lot of people asking for directions," she said.
Staff Writer Brian Cox can be reached at 429-7380 or bcox@heritage.com.
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