Bemidji hosts Rick Lee Invitational with competitive local high schools

The Rick Lee Invitational returned to Bemidji on Jan. 12, drawing area high schools for a day of tightly contested winter basketball and strong community turnout. The tournament showcased depth across the region, with multiple programs trading leads and testing rosters early in the season. For hosts Bemidji, the boys finished sixth with a 1-3 record and the girls placed seventh.

Early results at the tournament underscored how clustered talent is across northern Minnesota. Several games came down to late possessions and foul-line pressure, and visiting teams produced a mix of balanced team scoring and individual bursts that shifted brackets. Bemidji’s squads found opportunities to evaluate younger players and to identify areas for growth as conference play approaches, even as wins were hard-fought.

The invitational’s packed stands signaled more than local sports interest; the turnout reflected community investment in youth activity and town pride. For families and volunteers who staff score tables, run concessions, and coach from the sidelines, tournaments like this provide social connection in the long winter months and a visible outlet for student athletes. Those community ties also carry public health benefits: regular participation in school sports supports physical activity, structured routines, and mental health for adolescents.

Yet the gathering also highlights ongoing equity and access questions across Beltrami County. Travel distances, equipment costs, and variable facility quality can make it harder for smaller districts to compete on an even footing. Ensuring young people from every neighborhood can reach events, access training and medical support, and play without financial strain is a public concern that ties into broader county health and education policy planning.

For coaches and athletic directors, the invitational offered a practical chance to see matchups they might not otherwise schedule and to adjust lineups before league play. For players, the compressed tournament format tested stamina, depth and in-game decision making. For fans, it was a reminder that local sports remain a staging ground for character-building and community cohesion.

Our two cents? Keep showing up for these games, but also push for practical supports that make participation sustainable: affordable transportation, equitable equipment funding, and routine athletic health services at school sites. Those small investments help keep the Timberjay-sized crowd coming back and give every kid a fair shot on the court.