Event wouldn’t be possible without efforts of Jim Justice
Jim Justice is quick to point out that it takes a village to pull off
the annual hoops smorgasbord that is the Mountain State Coal Classic.
Make no mistake, the Coal Classic is his baby.
The coal magnate, with the help of the West Virginia Coal Association, rescued the tournament when it was dying in Charleston.
The Beckley Register-Herald
Published: January 30, 2008 10:35 pm
Event wouldn’t be possible without efforts of Jim Justice
Jim Justice is quick to point out that it takes a village to pull off the annual hoops smorgasbord that is the Mountain State Coal Classic.
Make no mistake, the Coal Classic is his baby.
The coal magnate, with the help of the West Virginia Coal Association, rescued the tournament when it was dying in Charleston.
The years it’s been at the Raleigh County Armory/Beckley-Raleigh County Convention Center have been an unparalleled success.
For starters, Justice instituted the ultra-successful Mountain State Coal Classic Tip-Off Banquet.
But in typical fashion, he wasn’t satisfied to just feed the masses prior to tip-off. No, he has yearly brought in a guest speaker. The list is a who’s who of big-name athletes: John Elway, Bill Walton, Larry Bird, Dick Vitale, Terry Bradshaw, Julius Erving, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bo Jackson, Jerry West, Hot Rod Hundley, Lou Holtz. It has been, simply, an amazing list.
Without Justice, that doesn’t happen.
And then there are the teams.
He could have had a four-team tournament or an eight-team tournament.
Instead, he has seven different divisions, ranging from middle school to college.
The national teams he brings in are always well received. Oak Hill Academy annually makes the trek to the Beckley and Steve Smith has called the Coal Classic one of the best-run tournaments in which his Warriors play. And he is a man who knows tournaments.
In addition to giving the middle school kids a chance to play on the convention center floor, Justice also made sure that local elementary schools played in preliminary games. What a thrill it is for those youngsters to run onto the big floor and play.
Justice also instituted a $500 scholarship for a player and a cheerleader on each high school team. Over the years, the coal association has given out scholarships to the tune of $300,000.
When he says it’s for the kids, it’s not just lip service.
But the classic benefits more than the kids.
The week-long event brings in loads of people to Beckley — and they bring their wallets with them, eating meals, buying gas and perhaps doing a little shopping at area stores. All of that provides a mid-winter boost to the area economy.
No doubt, there is a cast of many behind the scenes annually pulling off what is, next to the state championships, the top tournament in the state. And maybe on the East Coast.
But without Jim Justice, this tournament doesn’t get done.
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