Recapping the T-3 3v3 Basketball Tournament

The inaugural T-3 3v3 Basketball Tournament took place on Saturday, April 22 at the Skagit Valley Family YMCA. 

Eleven teams of youth in grades 6-9 played 3v3 basketball in the tourney, which was established by the Schweigert family and the YMCA to honor the life and legacy of Trey Schweigert. Trey, who passed away in 2018 after taking a fake pill that contained fentanyl, was an avid basketball player in the Skagit Valley who had aspirations of sharing his love of basketball with the world.  

“We welcomed the opportunity to partner with the YMCA to honor our son Trey through his love of basketball while supporting his life philosophy to pay it forward, pass on kindness and inspiration, to love, to share, and to make a positive difference in the world,” shares Carol Schweigert, Trey’s mother. 

Team registration fees supported the T-3 Memorial Fund, which supports basketball programming at the YMCA by funding scholarships for youth and families facing financial barriers, paying for court/equipment upkeep, and more. The funds helped purchase new basketballs and a wall-mounted basketball storage rack, both of which were unveiled at Saturday’s tournament. 

“Our family appreciates all the generous donations and sponsorships that helped make the tournament happen,” says Schweigert. 

The tournament was structured so that all teams played at least three games, which each lasted either 20 minutes long or until a team reached 21 points. After round-robin play in the morning, championship games and 3rd place games took place in the afternoon. There were several down-to-the wire games between the competing teams and games were filled with fast-paced action. 

First and second place teams received T-3 trophies, 3rd place teams received medals, and all players received reversable jerseys and tournament t-shirts. Additionally, each player received a “swag bag” filled with materials related to the dangers of fentanyl, fake pills, and how to be safe in a time when fentanyl deaths are on the rise.  

“We are exceptionally happy about how the tournament went,” said John Borgognoni, Volunteer and Program Director at the YMCA. “We are excited to grow the impact of the tournament next year.” 

While games were taking place indoors, the semi-annual Drug Take Back Day event run by MV Hope and the Skagit County Sheriff’s Department was taking place outside the Y. Community members stopped by throughout the day to safely dispose of medications and could pick-up medication lock boxes. 

May 9^th is National Fentanyl Awareness Day, and the public is invited to tune into a series of virtual webinars with issue-related experts to learn more about fentanyl and how parents and kids can mitigate their risk of encountering this illicit drug. Visit www.fentanylawarenessday.org/speaker-series to learn more. 

The tournament will return May 4-5, 2024.