HARDWOOD HUSTLE

9th ANNUAL

9U-18U BOYS & GIRLS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

Experience the thrill of competitive basketball at the 10th Annual Wisconsin Hardwood Hustle, taking place at the renowned Community First Champion Center in Appleton, WI.

Boys and girls teams from 9U to 18U can showcase their skills on eight full-length hardwood courts, offering both elite and competitive divisions to ensure engaging matchups for all participants.

With over 180 teams participating in 2025, the Hardwood Hustle has established itself as a must-attend event.

2025 Newsletter

PLAYER CHECK IN

Discounted Timber Rattlers Tickets

Click for Paper Team Registration

Click for College Coach Registration

Rules

2025 Schedule

Hotels

GIRLS 10u-12u

Friday, June 6th

1-Day Tournament

3 Games | $350

Appleton, WI

Registration Deadline is May 20th

BOYS 9u-12u

Sunday, June 8th

1-Day Tournament

3 Games | $350

Appleton, WI

Registration Deadline is May 20th

GIRLS 13u-18u

Friday, June 6th - Saturday June 7th

4 Games | $425

Appleton, WI

2-Day Tournament

Registration Deadline is May 20th

Learn about our Recruit WI Tournament

BOYS 13u-18u

Saturday June 7th - Sunday, June 8th

4 Games | $425

Appleton, WI

2-Day Tournament

Registration Deadline is May 20th

Learn about our Recruit WI Tournament

TOURNAMENT INFO

DATE: June 6-8, 2025 (See schedule tab for detailed team schedules)

DIVISIONS: Elite & Competitive Divisions Available for Boys and Girls

Elite is the top division with most AAU teams who have kids from multiple schools on one team.
Competitive typically has second strength AAU teams or school teams in the division.

AGES: 3rd Grade - 12th Grade

GAMES:

4 Games for 13u to 18u Teams

3 Games for 9u to 12u Teams

COST:

SALES TAX (5.5%) INCLUDED

3 Game Team Fee ($350)

4 Game Team Fee ($425)

MULTI-TEAM DISCOUNTS: YES - Must register (3) or more teams from the same organization.

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: May 20th, 2025

SCHEDULE: See Schedule tab for detailed scheduling plan for teams.

Games will start at 5pm on Friday. *Subject to change.

Games will start at 8am on Saturday and Sunday. *Subject to change.

MAX TEAMS: 190 teams

ATHLETIC TRAINERS: Yes, On-Site

DOCTORS: On Call

AWARDS: Team Champions and Runner-Ups. Individual Hardwood Hustle Power Players.

APPAREL: Apparel will be available for purchase on-site.

TEAM PAYMENT OPTIONS

All 8th grade and older teams must register online to update their roster details for Sports Recruits, but you can still send in a paper or Venmo payment
All 7th grade and younger teams can send in paper registration

Credit Card / PayPal payment online - See registration buttons above

Venmo

Send payment via Venmo to @Blaze365 and include team names, gender, and divisions

Paper Registration

– Click Hardwood Hustle Registration Form for the paper registration form.

– Mail Paper Registration to:

BLAZE SPORTS & FITNESS
230 S. McCarthy Rd.
Appleton, WI 54914

- Checks should be made payable to BLAZE

- Registration spots are not guaranteed until payment has been made.

CLICK FOR 2025 SCHEDULE.

Schedule is also available by downloading the Blaze Events app.

WE WILL SCHEDULE TEAMS AS FOLLOWS:

Games will start at 5pm on Friday. *Subject to change.

Games will start at 8am on Saturday and Sunday. *Subject to change.

GIRLS 3 GAMES - FRIDAY (10u - 12u)

GIRLS 4 GAMES - FRIDAY / SATURDAY (13u - 18u)

BOYS 4 GAMES - SATURDAY / SUNDAY (13u - 18u)

BOYS 3 GAMES - SUNDAY (9u-12u)

Coaches Check-In:

Two coaches bands and one score keeper band will be given to first coach to check-in your team

CFCC - Downstairs on lower level - come in through main entrance and you can bypass the payment lane if you tell them you are a coach but must go downstairs right away to grab your bands

Spectator Check-In:

CFCC - Main Entrance; Cash and Check

ALL spectators can purchase wristbands at the CFCC all three days

ONE DAY TOURNEY

1 Day Pass: $12; 5 and under FREE

TWO DAY TOURNEY

Weekend Pass (2-3 Days): $20; 1 Day Pass: $12; 5 and under FREE

ALL PARTICIPANTS INCLUDING COACHES, ATHLETES, SPECTATORS, MEDIA, AND VOLUNTEERS AGREE TO THE

BLAZE PARTICIPANTS WAIVER TERMS & CONDITIONS

This waiver does not need to be signed by participants as registration of your team and participation of all athletes and spectators is agreement to the terms and conditions therein. This waiver will be distributed to all teams. It is the Director's role to make sure all families are given this information, and Directors and Coaches take full responsibility in acknowledging they have done so.

Thank you!

Your Blaze Staff

Sports Recruits is the Official Recruiting Partner of Blaze and Wisconsin Blaze basketball Tournaments! There are many benefits to participating in the Hardwood Hustle, Recruit Wisconsin and Fight For the Fox tournaments, but if you want to be recruited, or recruit the best, you have to set yourself up for success! Here are all the benefits that SportsRecruits will provide to our participants using SportsRecruits innovative platform and Event Beacon app:

ATHLETES CAN:
Connect with Universities

"Favorite" universities and colleges
Search out every college in the nation
Access vital biographical and geographic information on colleges

Connect with Coaches

Obtain easy access to basketball programs and their coaches
Email coaches direct!!!
Share all your academic and athletic details including highlight film
Track all your communication in one organized manner
See which coaches have viewed your profile and watched your film

Athletes will be able to update their athletic and academic information leading up to, during, and after the event.

All of the families attending our events will have access to exclusive webinars hosted by the
recruiting specialists at SportsRecruits. They will offer advice about leveraging tournaments and showcases during your recruiting process!

If you don't have a password, SportsRecruits will contact players & their families directly to provide access to a free SportsRecruits profile to complete.

College Coaches will have full access to this information by simply logging in to EventBeacon, a product powered by SportsRecruits. This sideline evaluation tool will allow college coaches to access the most up to date athlete information, build a strategic recruiting schedule onsite, and focus their recruiting efforts on the players they are most interested in.

COACHES CAN:

Connect with Athletes

"Favorite" players
Take notes on them
Collaborate with staff!

Access every players':

Academic information
Athletic information
Complete schedule

Access full tourney schedule

Track your "favorite" players in each game

Export your notes and favorite players into any recruiting software you use

If you already have a password set on SportsRecruits, simply go to EventBeacon on your desktop or mobile device and login with your email address and password.

Screen-Shot-2019-11-29-at-4.34.18-PM-1536x575.png

Community First Champion Center

8 Hardwood Courts under 1 roof!!!

Check-In All teams must checkin with signed liability forms from all players.

Site Information

Coolers and carry-ins are NOT permitted (except for athletes downstairs on the court level)
There will be healthy concession and restaurant options on site with full meals and snacks

160,000 square feet of space for:

8 hardwood basketball courts
Seats 1,300
Year-round ice rink with seating for 1,000
Seasonal Arena that converts to one ice rink or four more hard courts
Heated viewing areas with views to both courts and ice
On-site concessions
Meeting & event spaces
Elevated seating
Restaurant and bar
And more!

Blaze Sports & Fitness

40,000 sq ft facility 2 minutes from CFCC
2 Full Hardwood Basketball Courts
560 person capacity
On-Site Concessions
Additional Hot Food items in attached convenience store

College Coaches Register HERE

ALL COLLEGE COACHES MUST PRE-REGISTER FOR EACH RW & HH EVENTS IN ORDER TO RECEIVE
COMMUNICATION AND LINKS TO ATHLETES AND GAMES

FREE REGISTRATION FOR COACHES ONLY ABLE TO WATCH ON LIVE STREAM!
PLEASE REGISTER SO WE CAN COMMUNICATE UPDATES TO YOU!

RECRUITING: COACHES CHECK-IN

College Coaches, please check in at the CFCC.

If you check in at Blaze first for games, your gift bag will be at the CFCC.

SPECIAL COACHES ROOM
Coaches Snacks and Gift Bags

SPECIAL COACHES SEATING
In Community First Champion Center, Spectators are only allowed in Mezzanine seating
Coaches ONLY alongside courts

ATHLETE DATABASE
Packet AND Sports Recruits Profiles
Sports Recruit Event Beacon App

ENTRY FEE

LIVE STREAM ONLY - $0 (separate Fee for BallerTV through their platform)
NCAA D3, NAIA, JUCO - $25
NCAA D2 - $50
NCAA D1 - $75
MEDIA - $50 (Recruiting Companies, Newspapers, and Sports Writers)

ID is required

We have conveniently provided great hotel options for you and your families!

Click This Link to view the Appleton area hotels where we have rooms blocked.

You can reserve individual rooms or blocks right from our Site Search engine!!

If the hotel link expires or shows no vacancies, please email Elizabeth at admin@sitesearchllc.com so she can give you personal service for you and your teams!

"I wanted to let you know how well run the Hardwood Hustle tournament was. I go to so many basketball tournaments, all over the country, and this was one of the best. Many thanks to you and your team for putting on a professional event. Your facility is amazing as well! I bet I know who did the drywall!" - JH1 Elite Parent and Administrator

"You guys run one of the best tournaments we've been to and we've traveled all over the country!" - Wisconsin Focus Parent

"Thank you for being available to answer all my questions. I know you have a lot going on setting up for the tournament, but you always responded in a timely manner. " - Xtreme Coach

"It was great seeing the college coaches watching the games. I know that was extra effort on your part to get them to the tourney. It's apparent you do care about the kids and put them first." - Blaze Parent

"I've never been to a tournament that gives the coaches free sugar cookies! You're the Best!" - Midwest Magic

"Lisa is such a kind person and has always treated us well, that's why I told our parents, all our teams are going to the Hardwood Hustle this summer." - WI Shooters Director

"I love being able to bring my entire boys and girls program to this event. It gives us a whole weekend to really support each other while getting great competition." - WI Evolution Director

"Lisa, Thanks for having our team at your tournament. We didn’t fare as well as last year but it gave our boys another opportunity to play without traveling across the state. We appreciate all of the attention to detail that you put into the event." - Northern Heat Coach

"...Walking out the door at Einstein and hearing a player lead everyone in prayer (in front of MY Pastor)...PRICELESS." - Blaze Mom

"I just wanted to take the time to tell you what a great job you did with the tournament. My daughter plays for the 2027 Lakers. While we would have loved to get more games in and finish the tournament, we completely understand the no-win situation you were in. Your communication throughout the scheduling and mask mandate issues is to be commended. We also really appreciate you having a live stream of the games. With limited attendance, it is so wonderful to have that option for family members that can not be there in person. The facility is one of the nicest we have ever played in. The staff was amazing. Even the referees were the best we have seen this year.
Thanks for all of your hard work! It did not go unnoticed." - Maureen K. 2020

All registrations are bound to the following terms:

I hereby expressly assume the risk of taking part in any course of training. I hereby acknowledge, and agree that I have read this instrument and understand its terms and am executing this instrument voluntarily. I furthermore acknowledge and agree that I have read, understand and will at all times abide by all rules and procedures stated by one or more of the Indemnified Parties. I expressly agree that this instrument is intended to be as broad and inclusive as permitted by law and that if any provision of this instrument is held invalid or otherwise unenforceable, the enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not be impaired thereby. No remedy conferred by any of the specific provisions of this instrument is intended to be exclusive of any other remedy, and each and every remedy shall be cumulative and shall be in addition to every other remedy now or hereafter existing at law or in equity, or by statute or otherwise. I certify that I approve of and will follow the complete liability waiver, terms, and conditions as stated in Enspire365’s system in whole. I agree that signing this waiver is in addition to all other waiver, terms, and conditions and does not exclude me from abiding by all the terms in the comprehensive waiver. This instrument binds me and my executors, personal representatives, administrators, assignees, heirs and next of kin.

All Blaze Sports & Fitness events, tournaments, and camps are subject to cancellation due to unforeseen circumstances. In the case that we have to cancel, we will notify all registrants as soon as possible and refund the registration fees. All hotel reservations, travel, or other cost, are the sole responsibility of the registrants. Therefore, Blaze will not be held liable for any of those costs incurred in the event of a cancellation. Refunds will only be granted if canceling from an event prior to 60 days before the event minus a $75 processing fee. No credit/refund will be given to teams that cancel within 59-1 days before the event begins. 60 days before the event = Refund with $75 processing fee. 59-1 days before the event = No Refund

Lisa's List:

Here's a curated list for fun & entertainment while you're in the area!
Family Food:
Copper Rock Coffee Company [ https://www.copperrockcoffee.com ]
SAP Brunch [ https://sapbrunch.com ]
Carmella's Italian Bistro [ https://carmellasbistro.com ]
Author's Kitchen and Bar [ https://www.authorskitchenandbar.com ]
Draft Gastropub [ https://www.draftappleton.com ]

Team Food:
Tanner's Bar and Grill West [ https://tannersgrillandbar.com ]
The Stoneyard Greenville [ https://stoneyardbar.com ]
Pizza Ranch Grand Chute [ https://pizzaranch.com ]
The Bar (Lynndale and The Avenue) [ https://www.meetatthebar.com ]
Fiesta Rodeo Mexican Cuisine [ https://www.fiestarodeomexicancuisine.com ]

Things to do:
Appleton Axe [ https://www.appletonaxethrowing.com ]
Badger Sports Park [ https://www.badgersportspark.com ]
Fox River Mall [ https://www.foxrivermall.com/en ]
Escape Room Wisconsin-Appleton [ https://www.escaperoomwisconsin.com ]
Urban Air [ https://www.urbanair.com/wisconsin-appleton ]