The Jamestown Civic Center, main entrance
Basketball season is ramping up this time of year, and Pam Fosse, Director of the Jamestown Civic Center, is working to put on some great tournaments. She spoke to KSJB’s Seth Dunlap about what preparation for that entails, as the girls region tournaments kick off today.
“We are busy and we’re doing great. We’re excited to start the basketball and tournament season and can’t wait… for all those championships.”
Investments have been made this past year to make this upcoming tournament season, particularly the state tournament, bigger and better.
Seth: And I’m sure it’s not just a week leading up, I’m sure this is kind of a full-year process, full year-round thing for you.
Pam: It really is. I mean this summer we already started, we added some new lockers down in the Hanson room. We’ve added big-screen TVs in all of the meeting rooms but also in the locker rooms so the coaches can run through plays and they can watch video of other teams… it’s a lot of purchases and amenities directed towards the tournament play itself. And then of course operations at the Civic Center, it’s a lot of finding ticket takers and score table workers and preparing for the hospitality room. We provide a room for the coaches and tournament officials and the media where they can go and grab a bite and a drink and get back out on the court because they typically don’t have time to stand in concessions or wait in line for anything.
All the effort pays off for our community. The Jamestown Sun reported that the Division B State Tournament in March of 2024 brought in $1.4 million dollars to Jamestown’s economy. And to Pam, this all starts with being a good host.
Pam: It is a community effort. I think all of the businesses really step up, the restaurants, the hotels. We provide tournament t-shirts to the hotels where the teams are staying so those team hosts are, thank them for their hospitality if they get a chance.
And speaking of tournaments again, so if we… and I’ll kind of step ahead of things here, if anybody out there is interested in hosting a team, meaning your information is simply given to a coach and then if they have questions about our community they’re able to contact you and you’re able to, for instance, welcome the team when they arrive to Jamestown, maybe meet them here at the Civic Center and just introduce yourself.
The Civic Center says they’re looking for a little extra help this time of year with concessions and other odd jobs.
Seth: You said you have full-time or at least a paid work and volunteer work, how can they reach out for those positions?
Pam: They can certainly just stop by the Civic Center here. Typically tournament personnel are part-time during tournaments or during basketball games only. So anybody that’s willing to volunteer or be put on payroll, they’re welcome to stop by here at the Civic Center and we can certainly visit with them and see what they’re interested in.
For those unfamiliar with the Jamestown Civic Center, it’s a malleable, shapeshifting building that can host everything from a rodeo or circus to a concert, with that transformation taking place quickly through a team effort.
Pam: And then as far as the games [themselves], it’s arranging to have the courts put down. The University of Jamestown is a great help with that. Their teams come in and rotate our courts, whether it be the regulation court, which is solid wood, or the sport courts, which are kind of a rubber interlocking floor. So it does take a lot of preparation and a lot of organization behind the scenes to keep things going.
Seth: But it’s not just sports, you guys doing concerts too. This Your Town Tour for ND Country Fest, that kind of piggybacks the sports season coming up and they got another big act coming. And I love how you guys are bringing some music back to Jamestown too.
Pam: Yeah, that’s always a fun concert, that North Dakota Country Fest, and we’re always surprised… there’s some anticipation every year to see who Luke is going to bring in. And that’s always a fun concert. I think the energy during that concert is just so fun and exciting and people should really come out and see that. Another concert we have coming up is through the Saint Johns Fundraiser and they’re bringing in Tigerlily. So that should also be an excellent concert. They’re North Dakota girls, so everybody should come out and support them as well.
Seth: Yeah, that’s fantastic. And that Your Town Tour we were mentioning, it’s the Frontmen, that is Little Texas, Restless Heart, and Lonestar, the lead singers for those bands. Friday, March 27th at the Jamestown Civic Center and those tickets are available right now.
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