Jam the Gym
Athletics department has fun with annual 'friend-raiser'
Matt Daniels
Issue date: 2/24/10 Section: News
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Laughter and a little friendly rivarly were part the atmosphere at the Jam the Gym event at Madison College's Redsten Gymnasium on Feb. 20.
The day started with alumni games and included a social gathering afterward. The alumni were then encouraged to stick around to watch and support the current WolfPack men's and women's basketball teams take on College of Dupage as they wrapped up regular season play.
Steve Hauser, Director of Athletics at Madison College, thinks of the event as a friend-raiser. He, along with Jason Verhelst and Kris Mills, worked hard to make this event a fun, social gathering where the 150 pre-registered alumni had the opportunity to reconnect with Madison College and with each other.
"It's a way to socialize and support today's student athletes and find out what is going on with Madison College, but really it's about having some fun and meeting people," said Hauser. "The benefit is that people have a good time."
The range of alumni who came to the event spanned nearly the entire existence of the basketball program. The alumni ranged from Gene Roberts (1968-69) to Abbie Windus (2008-09). Roberts came back to play basketball for the third time since graduating. He keeps in shape for the game, playing three times a week in addition to working at ABC Supply Co. Inc. in Beloit.
"Nobody else my age comes back anymore, but it's still fun to come out and play," said Roberts.
Mills, the athletic coordinator in the athletic department, is focused on making Jam the Gym a success. She played basketball for the WolfPack for two years and graduated in 1988. She also coached the women's basketball team from 1988-1999 and has worked at Madison College since 1989.
Her biggest hope is to draw even more people to the event in the future. The recent creation of the Madison College Athletics fan page on Facebook is one way in which more alumni can be contacted about Jam the Gym for next year and the years to come.
"The alumni love it. They're always asking when we are going to have another event," said Mills.
The men and women each played four games lasting 10 minutes. They took turns playing on the court with Breneman calling the play-by-play of the games with his headset.
"Big Dog announcing is always fun to come back to," said Denise Stenklyft, who graduated in 1996 and coached the women's basketball team from 2001-2003. She was the first basketball player in school history to earn All-American honors. Stenklyft currently serves as Fitness, Health & Recreation Coordinator and has worked at Madison College for 12 years.
"It makes you feel old when you can't play like you used to," she said after coming off the court, despite looking like she had a few more good games left in her.
In the spirit of the event, it was fitting that the men's final alumni basketball game ended in a tie. With his team down by three, Brandon Watkins, who played on the 2004-05 team, sank a three-point shot with 10 seconds left and evened up the score at 24-24. The game's final two shots were both misses and the game ended in a tie.
Todd Johnson, who is in his first season as the assistant coach on the men's basketball team, played in his second alumni game since last playing for Madison College in 2002 and was all smiles at the end of the tie game. When he wasn't on the court hitting his shots, he was socializing with other alumni and just enjoying himself.
"The people here are great and it's always good to give back and show support for the organization and college," said Johnson. "This event shows that the program works."
In addition to the fun and festivities planned for the alumni, the athletic department had activities planned for young children. A bouncy kingdom was provided along with activity sheets, badminton, basketball and snacks.
While the athletic department at Madison College puts on the event, the alumni are the people who make the event special and when they do come back, their presence is appreciated.
"We're thankful when people come back," said Hauser.
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