FLY & STY Hustle tourney will bring more than 75 basketball teams to Golden Triangle

COLUMBUS — The Golden Triangle will play host to a big Amateur Athletic Union basketball tournament next week as the “FLY & STY Hustle” tournament comes to town. The June 8-9 tournament will be held across multiple locations in Columbus and New Hope. 

The tournament website boasts the presence of men’s and women’s college coaches, special guest speaking appearances from former professional players, and skill workshops with top coaches. The experience aims to create a healthy and competitive environment to provide exposure and an opportunity to grow for all teams and players. 

“It’s an opportunity for everybody to compete and get better on their respective teams,” assistant director Shelly McElveen said of the Hustle tournament. “A lot of the teams coming in are travel teams from different states, so we get to see a lot of different faces and different talent to compete in front of college coaches and compete for opportunities to earn a scholarship.”

The tournament will take place in Columbus and New Hope on the weekend of June 8-9 and will feature teams across 27 age classifications for boys and girls from elementary to high school. Champions will receive rings for first place with medals given out to the runners-up. 

Registration remains open until June 5, but as of now, at least 75 teams are set to arrive in the Golden Triangle for the event. Last year there were around 30 teams signed up for the STY tournament, and the hope for this year is to see around 100 teams by the time registration ends, with some teams coming from as far as Kentucky to play. 

Previous tournaments for the FLY girls’ basketball and STY boys’ basketball programs have been held separately, but the programs combined for the 2024 tournament. 

“It’s a tremendous increase and it’s a really big event for Columbus in terms of visibility and being able to bring in tourism dollars for the city,” McElveen said. “You’re going to have people in restaurants and hotels. The support we’ve received has been tremendous.”

Facilities for the tournament include gymnasiums at Columbus High, New Hope High and New Hope Middle schools. The assistance of the schools, many of which have coaches and players involved in travel ball teams, was a huge boost for the tournament’s ability to grow in size so quickly from the previous year. 

“The local coaches and directors have been so helpful in allowing us to use their facilities,” McElveen said. “Columbus doesn’t have a multi-court facility like Starkville, so it’s been so helpful for them to open their courts and help make this happen.”

The non-profit organization received help in the form of a $3000 grant from the Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau but is always accepting donations and sponsorship partnerships. The program supports travel teams of all ages and helps create opportunities for boys and girls to play and develop their game in tournaments like this one across the country. 

Those interested in learning more or donating can contact McElveen at (912) 223-3634 or [email protected].