Air Force Wins Veterans Day 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament
On Thursday, November 10, the Office of Military and Veteran Services, in partnership with the Department of Wellness and Recreation, hosted the first annual Branch vs. Branch, 3-on-3 Veterans Basketball Tournament in honor of Veterans Day. With 21 players on teams consisting of students, faculty and staff, NOVA veterans represented the Army, Marine Corps and Air Force. After six nail-biting games, the Air Force took the championship title over Army in this inaugural event.
Cheered on by Alexandria Provost Dr. Annette Haggray and many supporting students, faculty and staff, the crowd and players were intense at times. Those who participated shared the following insights about their experience:
“Great event – fun and great time!” It was a great event for veterans overall. Good energy and atmosphere, and as a Veteran, I felt very welcomed.” – Jaron Pirtle, Army veteran student, participated in team Army.
“It was nice getting to know everyone from the different branches. People do not understand how it is transitioning out of the service. It was nice to get that camaraderie back and talk with everyone with that experience, no matter their branch.” – Tameric Blockmon, Army veteran student, participated in team Air Force.
“It was a great experience for veterans to come together, have fun and compete. I was in the Air Force and used to play 3-on-3 tournaments all the time. The event reminded me of being in the military again!” – Jim Carlisle, Air Force veteran student, participated in team Air Force.
“I am super excited that our Recreation and Wellness department was able to collaborate with our [Alexandria] veterans department to host a meaningful and successful event. The participants and spectators displayed high levels of respect and sportsmanship, and the energy was awesome. I look forward to more events of this nature to help further enhance our college community.” – Cecil Jackson (CJ), college wide director of wellness and recreation, primary referee.
“Great Job Raisha! It was wonderful to plan and implement such an amazing activity for our veterans and a great way of honoring our vets.” – Najeeb Baha, director of wellness and recreation at NOVA Alexandria.
“As a Veteran, it was great to play in the 3-on-3 tournament. It was a fun time with a great environment surrounded by my friends and family.” – Jarrin Moore, Army veteran & Alexandria Campus Police, participated in team Army.
“As a staff at NOVA, it was an honor to share the experience of playing along the side of many veterans and getting to know each other outside of work! Great Event!”– Tuan Tran, Alexandria Campus Police, participated in team Air Force.
“The event was well organized and the turn out was amazing. All individuals that participated were extremely satisfied with the outcome.” – Michael (Mike) Shallue, Alexandria Campus Police, Spectator.
Spectators and participants were able to enjoy a delicious boxed lunch and exciting raffle prizes (t-shirts, yoga mats, hats, backpacks, travel mugs and much more!) throughout the event, provided by OMVS.
The Office of Military and Veteran Services, led by Dr. Takesha McMilller, would like to express gratitude to the following offices for helping us create this successful and well-received event:
- Department of Wellness and Recreation (Cecil Jackson, Najeeb Baha, & Ena Alvarado)
- Woodbridge Campus Student Life Coordinator (Antonia De Luz).
- The awesome staff members in the OMVS department.
Special thank you to Levita Slymon, Air Force veteran and Alexandria Campus student volunteer photographer, for capturing countless memorable moments of the games.
Submitted by:
Raisha Budiman, Office of Military and Veteran Services, RABudiman@nvcc.edu