Press Release

ONTARIO, Calif., October 24, 2006 - Jam On It Basketball Academy and the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) will host an AAU Super Regional National Qualifying Basketball Tournament.  The November 11-12 tournament serves as the first in a series of tournaments that will be held at the Ontario Convention Center over the next three years.  Collectively, the tournaments will draw more than 12,000 spectators from the Inland Empire, northern California, and across the country.

Matt Williams, founder of Jam on It Basketball Academy, worked closely with the Ontario Convention Center in developing the partnership. In his current role, Mr. Williams serves as the Governor of the AAU Pacific District and serves on the executive board of the AAU. He is also the tournament director for over 24 tournaments per year and the majority of the tournaments are located in Northern Nevada and California.  

AAU is one of the largest sports governing bodies in the U.S. with an annual membership of more than 500,000 youth and adults.  The National AAU office is located in Orlando, Florida and oversees 25 sports with basketball being one of the largest. 80% percent of the players that are playing in the NBA participated in AAU.  

Jam On It will host a high school sanctioned tournament during the winter and provide a camp for local youth.  Local teams will benefit from having some of the top competition in the west come to their area. Jam On It will also host a series of local camps during the holidays.  

Jam On It has a similar partnership with the Reno-Sparks Convention Center (RSCVA).  The Reno Memorial Day 2006 Basketball tournament at the RSCVA drew 350 teams from across the country; utilizing 35 regulation size basketball courts simultaneously under one roof.  "I saw first hand in Reno how Matt has grown the Jam On It Basketball Academy, and I worked with him to develop the same model for the Inland Empire," said Bob Brown, general manager and CEO of the Ontario Convention Center. "The partnership with the convention center was extremely important in bringing Jam On It to Ontario," said Williams.

Because of size restraints at the convention center, outside facilities will also be used. The tournament will feature state of the art equipment, and teams will pay on college-size wood floors.

The two day tournament at the Ontario Convention Center will begin Saturday, November 11 from 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. and conclude Sunday, November 12 from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Tickets cost $8 for spectators.  Parking at the convention center is $6.00.