Photos: Bret Christensen
Story: Jim Dyar
Recreation
In your court
“ D ub ” sanders creates blacktop classic Sitting at home watching television all day can quickly become a recipe for unhappiness and unhealthiness. That’s exactly what Wendell “Dub” Sanders wanted to counter when he formed his Dub’s Blacktop Classic seven years ago. The annual men’s basketball tournament takes place each Sunday over a seven-week period in July and August at Martin Luther King Jr. Park in Redding. The tournament has evolved into a feel-good gathering, where spectators gather to enjoy barbecue dinners while rooting for their friends and family members on the court. Because of his work in forming the tournament, Sanders was named a 2011 Action Hero by Healthy Shasta, a multi-agency partnership that aims to promote
healthy, active living in Shasta County. “He just wanted more physical activity in an area that needed a good family atmosphere type of event,” says Eddie McAllister, a community organizer for Shasta County Public Health, who helped Sanders coordinate with the Martin Luther King Jr. Center and other agencies to make the tournament a reality. “A lot of people show up. There are kids all over the place, music and food. A lot of people come down and say, ‘I had no idea this was going on (in Redding).’” Sanders has played basketball since he was a kid and coached youth teams in the area for nearly a decade. In addition to helping coordinate the double-elimination tournament, he also referees for it. The Blacktop Classic is comprised of six teams, each with between continued on page 56 February 2012 Enjoy 55