While getting an annual tournament started can be a daunting task, keeping it going year after year can be even tougher.
Unless you're the Capital City Summer Hoops Classic.
The Jefferson City event, which is entering its fourth year, is not only surviving, it's thriving. The Classic runs today and Sunday with more than 40 teams at various levels competing on seven different courts.
"We're very happy with our numbers," said Helias head coach Josh Buffington, one of the members of the organizing committee. "We're at over 45 teams, and last year we ended up in the high 30s or low 40s.
"Any more with the summer shootouts, you're competing against every region in the state of Missouri. The month of June is just loaded with them and teams can pretty much do whatever they want. There's somewhere to go really close to them. So for us to get some Kansas City and St. Louis teams in here, plus Springfield-area schools or from Columbia or wherever, it says a lot about our shootout."
While there are plenty of familiar faces - Helias, Jefferson City, Blair Oaks, Calvary Lutheran, Fatima and Russellville are in the field - there are others that aren't so familiar.
"Myself, coach Buffington and (committee member) Craig Husting start meeting sometime after the J.C.-Helias game every year and we meet once a week or once every two weeks," said Jefferson City head coach Blair Thompson, another member of the committee. "We pool our connections and resources and reach out across the state to find a diverse pool of teams we don't see through the winter time."
Another familiar factor is the gyms that will be used, including Rackers Fieldhouse, the Helias Gym, Calvary Lutheran, Thomas Jefferson and Lewis and Clark middle schools and the Simonsen Ninth Grade Center.
"I feel like our facilities are good ... and not too many gyms go unused," Thompson said.
New to the mix this year is Lincoln University's Jason Gym, which helps out with Fleming Fieldhouse being unavailable due to the floor being redone.
"We're bringing in Lincoln for the first time, which I think is fantastic," Buffington said. "I think coach (John) Moseley is doing a great job and this gets kids on their campus."
Thompson echoed those sentiments.
"Coach Moseley is awesome, letting us use that, and they can showcase what they've got," Thompson said. "It's a good move on his part, and it's good we have that relationship."
That move continues a trend of the event utilizing almost every gym in the immediate area.
"Everybody is willing to lend their facilities if it works out for them," Thompson said. "Coach Mark Buffington at Calvary, coach (Ryan) Fick at Blair Oaks, it helps that everybody around here is pretty tight."
The number of gyms helps cater to the needs of as many of the teams as possible.
"Our goal is for this to be a high-level schedule for all classifications that play in it," Buffington said. "If a team only brings a JV squad, we want to put them in the best situation for a high-level game that we can. If a Class 5 team comes in here, we want them playing all Class 5 teams. If a Class 4 team comes in, they'll play all Class 4, unless they want to play up. That's one thing we've been very solid at doing for four years.
"And we've done our best to be very flexible with these coaches on scheduling - when they can arrive, when they can play, tweaking schedules."
That flexibility helps teams decide whether they want to be in it both days or just one. That's helpful if they're getting close to the high end of the 25 contact days allowed each summer between coaches and players, which is set by the Missouri State High School Activities Association.
"We toy around with new ideas year-in and year-out, and we've even toyed around with the idea of making it a one-day event," Buffington said. "We keep adjusting, and the flexibility we've offered has made it very appealing to a lot of programs."
It's one of many reasons the event continues to grow.
"We keep the price very reasonable, because you're asking people to travel and spend money when they're here," Thompson said. "It takes a little persuasion at times, but it's good when it all comes together and you can bring in a good, solid number of teams."