Shiprock Hosts Early Season Basketball Tournaments, Community Rally

Shiprock High School hosted a pair of early season basketball tournaments this week, with opening games beginning Thursday morning and finals concluding Saturday night. The Jerry Richardson Lady Chieftain Invitational opened Thursday with Bloomfield facing Hozho Academy, while the host Chieftains girls took the court against Thoreau after beginning their season on the road earlier in the week. The boys tournament featured the Chieftains closing out opening day against Monument Valley, Utah at 7 p.m.

Teams from across the region took part, and several local programs kicked off the season with games on preceding nights. Bloomfield had opened its season Tuesday night at Crownpoint. Shiprock’s girls had also opened Tuesday on the road at Navajo Prep. Coach Larenson Henderson leads the Shiprock program, which struggled last season, and this weekend provided an opportunity to test lineups and build confidence in front of home crowds.

For San Juan County residents the tournaments offered more than a preview of winter sports. Home games concentrate social energy, bring families together, and inject modest revenue into local businesses through increased foot traffic. The events provided structured physical activity for young people, a factor tied to better mental health and lower rates of risky behavior. At the same time the weekend underscored persistent equity questions that affect rural athletics, including long travel times for teams from remote communities, unequal funding for facilities and equipment, and variable access to on site medical coverage.

Public health and school leaders have an opportunity to translate that attention into practical support. Investments in athletic trainers, reliable transportation funding, and upgraded gym facilities can reduce injury risk and make participation more sustainable for students across the county. Ensuring consistent funding and medical coverage is also an issue of social equity, especially for schools serving large numbers of Indigenous and rural students.

As the prep basketball season unfolds statewide, tournaments like Shiprock’s remain important community touch points. They give coaches a chance to set rosters, give players needed game experience, and give the community a shared space to celebrate youth achievement while spotlighting where policy changes could strengthen both safety and opportunity.