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“Whatever you do, work at it with all
your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.”
~ Colossians 3:23
Paradise Jam Logo Library
Visit
us at Basketball Travelers.com
General Tournament Overview
We are a company established in 1985 to arrange domestic and international
basketball competition. Our staff is comprised of former coaches and
players who have an outstanding network of basketball contacts around
the world. All but one of our staff members competed in athletics at
the collegiate level.
Over 200 collegiate and high school teams participate annually in tours
and tournaments organized by Basketball Travelers, Inc. In addition,
we organize NCAA foreign exhibition games as well as international Olympic-qualifying
tournaments for national teams.
As basketball's popularity and skill level continues to grow around
the world, Basketball Travelers, Inc. seeks not only to contribute to
the sport's development, but also to facilitate goodwill and understanding
between nations and peoples of all backgrounds.
The Staff:
Jennifer Ashby,
Paradise Jam Tournament Director
Jenn directs the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam, BTI's Division I tournament
in St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. Jenn also works directly with Nels, primarily handling
the administrative details involved in the organization of foreign and domestic
tours. Jenn played basketball at Puget Sound Christian College.
Nels Hawkinson, Executive Director
Nels is the executive director of BTI and is a well-known and respected member
of the international basketball community. Nels has a masters degree in
Sports Administration, has played and coached in the US and overseas, and
is a certified FIBA instructor. He has traveled to 50+ countries to establish
his network of international basketball contacts.
Neal Holden, President
Neal directs the business and administrative end of BTI. His knowledge of
computers and background as a systems analyst has been instrumental in keeping
BTI's daily operations running smoothly and efficiently. Neal has a master's
degree in Business Administration and also has experience playing and coaching
professional basketball in France and Norway.
Erik Evans, Vice President - Tournaments
Erik played basketball during his undergraduate years at Seattle Pacific
University and also interned at BTI. Since 1992, he has been running our
San Diego Surf 'N Slam Tournament, which has grown into one of the largest
Christmas-time high school competitions in the U.S. Erik also runs the Women’s
Sports Foundation certified tournament in November for NCAA Division I women’s
teams.
Nancy Hawkinson, Creative Services Director
Nancy’s duties include updating our two websites, writing the company
newsletter, and adding the special details that make our tours and tournaments
an experience to remember. She has worked for BTI since 1988, but after the
birth of her and Nels’ two children, Joshua and Carlyn, she now works
for BTI only part-time. Nancy played basketball at the University of Washington
and professionally in Denmark.
Jason Sarkies, Sponsorship Coordinator
In addition to his Sponsorship Coordinator duties, Jason directs the Phoenix
Cactus Jam, a boys and girls high school and Men’s Div. III basketball
tournament in the Tempe area held every Christmas. Jason also oversees the
WBCA/BTI Classic, a women’s certified NCAA Div. I tournament held
annually in November. Jason played football at Willamette University and
finished his undergraduate work at Seattle Pacific University. After completing
his masters in Athletic Administration at Ohio State in 1995, Jason began
working full-time for BTI.
Craig Jonas, Marketing Consultant
Craig markets BTI to collegiate coaches nationwide and also consults on BTI's
sponsorship and television contracts. He recently stepped down as VP of
Business Development for SportVision and Coaches Edge to pursue duties as
a marketing consultant with the Jonas Group and to complete his PhD from
Kansas University in Sport Psychology. Craig coached at Lakeland College
and has served as an advisor on the Olympic Committee and the South African
Professional Basketball League. He is also a certified FIBA clinician. Craig
lives in Littleton, Colorado with his wife, Seanna, and their two children.
Becky Johnson, Travel Manager
Becky brings over 28 years of experience in the travel industry to Basketball
Travelers. Becky coordinates the air ticketing and hotel bookings for our
many tours and tournaments.
Brooke Ingalls, Tour Administrator
Since 2002, Brooke brings Division I coaching and playing experience to her
position here at BTI as a tour and tournament administrator. Her main duties
are to direct the "Junkanno Jam" Grand Bahama Island and "Duel
in the
Desert" Las Vegas women’s NCAA Div. I basketball tournaments. She
also is in charge of administrating the supporters’ tours for summer college
overseas trips. Brooke graduated from UNLV, where she played four years of basketball,
followed by one year as an assistant coach. She hopes to pursue a masters degree
in Sports Management.
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