Hoopfest organizers look to reel in more volunteers, no experience or basketball fervor necessary

It takes many hands to hold up the tentpoles of the world's largest 3-on-3 basketball tournament, and Hoopfest organizers say they're still a few sets short.

Three weeks ahead of Spokane's annual summer games, Hoopfest organizers are searching for 75 volunteers to ensure the 2026 iteration goes off without a hitch. Volunteer coordinator Chad Smith said securing those additional court monitors will allow for some wiggle room in the event of high heat, attrition and any other unforeseen circumstance.

"It's always nice to have more, and that's just kind of a safe number," Smith said.

Court monitors individually oversee each of the roughly 400 courts that fill downtown streets for Hoopfest each year. Most are more record keepers than referees, Smith explained, there to ensure the games run on time and the results are documented.

Court monitors receive a ball to be used in game that can be taken home after, a T-shirt, hat and shorts. They will also receive a $75-100 gift card to Dick's Sporting Goods, depending on Hoopfest volunteer experience. The application form is available on the Hoopfest website, SpokaneHoopfest.net.

"It is our most requested spot," Smith said. "One, because we need so many of them, but two, it really is for somebody that enjoys being around people."

Not much basketball knowledge is needed, Smith said, because most courts rely on players calling their own fouls. Those who do have referee or more general basketball experience can lend their talents to the fourth through seventh grade competitions, where court monitors officiate games more closely.

The elite competition games are usually refereed by members of the Spokane Basketball Officials Association, Smith said.

"But the majority, the other 300 courts that are out there, it is just enjoy yourself, be a part of the event, be a part of the support team to get these players through the weekend," Smith said.

Spokane retiree Rolfe Will said June 28 and 29 will be his seventeenth Hoopfest serving as a court monitor, after a long stint as a repeat player.

"I played in about eight or nine of them and then my body finally fell apart," Will said.

Will, 70, said he's always loved basketball. He spent more than a decade refereeing local high school games as a Spokane Basketball Official Association member. Being a court monitor provides an opportunity to stay around the sport while giving back to his community.

"Through the years I've refined a few things, like I always have a few buddies help me keep score," Will said. "I'll keep the bracket sheet and blow it up real big and fill it out all weekend."

His favorite age group to serve as a court monitor for are the middle schoolers soon to enter high school, he said. Their skills are coming in and they're still receptive to feedback at that age, he said.

That age group, I just truly enjoy it," Will said. "When I do it, my goal is always to have a good time and to have a lot of parents and kids, by Sunday, thanking me."

That camaraderie and sense of community is a large part of why Richard "Pete" Petersen makes the trek from Portland each summer to volunteer at Hoopfest, he said.

"I just enjoy being a really small part of a really big thing," Petersen said.

There's nothing quite like the world's largest 3-on-3 tournament, Petersen said. He remembers coming out his first year to support his niece and brother, a longtime coach in the area, and being blown away.

Courts were packed, fans were cheering and downtown was bustling. He was hooked, he said. Petersen and his wife now treat it as an annual vacation.

Petersen, a fellow retiree, said he and his brother played four times before opting to take a less strenuous role in the event. This will be his sixteenth Hoopfest serving as a court monitor, after missing only a few years here and there due to a knee surgery and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Petersen doesn't do it for the incentives offered. He just enjoys giving back, and being around the sport. His preference as a court monitor is to oversee the games for middle and early high school girls.

"It's a great age and I really like the girls because they're really into basketball, and they're much more into the team part of basketball," Petersen said. "How do I say this? Sometimes, the boys are more into aggression."

For those who may be concerned about potential conflicts in the role, Petersen said the Hoopfest organizers ensure court monitors are well supported.

Over his many years volunteering, Petersen said there has seldom been unruly parents or players disrupting the tournament.

"I would really encourage people to do this, it's a really fun thing and it's a great sense of camaraderie," Petersen said. "Hoopfest brings in a lot of people into the community to do good work."

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This story was originally published June 4, 2026 at 7:13 PM.