It may not have had the glitz and glamour of Midnight Madness nights featuring celebrities and professional prospects seen at some universities, but Grand Valley State University’s Tip-Off Madness gave players and fans the opportunity to experience the excitement of the upcoming 2010-11 season together.

The event, held in conjunction with the football team’s Kid’s Club Day on Saturday, allowed players to showcase a fun side for both themselves and more than 250 children and fans in attendance.

“It’s fun to come out and see all the fans and kids out there,” said senior forward Justin Ringler. “We appreciate their participation because when they come to games it gives us an advantage.”

The event featured five on-court games, won handily by the women’s team. In a battle of coaching staffs, the women out-dueled the men in a free throw contest. Then the three-point shootout matched Nick Carreri and Wes Trammell for the men against Elizabeth Van Tiflin and Jasmine Padin for the women. Van Tiflin and Padin dominated shootout as Van Tiflin defeated her back court counterpart in the finals. The on-court games wrapped up with an 18-player game of lightning, won by sophomore guard Dan Newell.

“It’s always beneficial to practice at home with an atmosphere like we had tonight,” said men’s basketball coach Ric Wesley. “Being a fun thing for the players, they can take experiences from festivities like this and use them to joke with each other and grow closer as a team.”

The monotony of practice is something that comes with being an athlete. The drills do not get any different, and the wind sprints do not get any shorter, but the change up of being able to get on the court with fans in the seats is a change the teams see as a good one.

“Sometimes it’s just fun to go out and play some games,” said Ringler, a second team All-American. “It loosens up the atmosphere for the team and gives us a chance to get away from the normal practice.”

As far as practice goes, the season is still young. Some jumpers looked a little flat and some dunks clanked off the rim, but both teams enjoyed being able to showcase themselves to the fans.

“It’s great to receive support,” said junior guard Alvin Storrs. “We use that as motivation. The first week of practice is always the toughest, so it’s fun to get out on the court and just enjoy playing basketball.”

Both Ringler and Storrs agreed Tip-Off Madness has an effect on the team. While the players hang out off the court, the chemistry and camaraderie the team gains at nights like Tip-Off Madness is an added bonus.

“We’re already close as a team, but this gives us a chance to get even closer,” Storrs said. “Being able to get off the practice court makes things less serious. I think that is great for us.”

The teams have two weeks until their first games of the season, both exhibition games. The men will travel to Dayton University to take on the defending NIT Champions, while the women will head to East Lansing to take on Michigan State University.

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