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Area youth have been given the opportunity to participate in the Sacred Hoops Basketball program. Sacred Hoops is an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) program open to middle and high school students to play on regional travel teams and participate in competitive tournaments. It focuses on individual and team skills development and provides life lessons through basketball. Founded in 2018, it has become one of the largest basketball programs in South Dakota with over 700 athletes playing summer basketball. Allen Bertram, head women’s basketball coach at Mount Marty University, along with longtime Red Cloud coach Matt Rama and White River Athletic Director and basketball coach Eldon Marshall are instrumental in organizing the program. The team, coached by Nate Vetch of Mt Vernon, has proved to be quite successful. Their first game was a 54-53 win in double overtime sudden death and a 50-40 in the second game. The third game was a 46-35 win and a 53-37 Championship win. Games are played at the Avera Sports Complex in Sioux Falls. Practices are held once a week in Mt Vernon and the team plays 5 total tournaments throughout the summer.