Sometimes when Gayle Bailey thinks about her son, it feels like yesterday.
On other days, the pain and heartache of suddenly losing Brandon feels like it has lasted forever.
The cruel reality for the Baileys is that Brandon passed away nearly six years ago during a fireworks-related accident. Which means the sixth annual Brandon Bailey 3-on-3 Basketball Shootout is rapidly approaching this Memorial weekend.
The tournament was introduced by Newcastle ISD teachers and those from nearby Woodson who wanted to preserve Bailey’s legacy and help raise money for a memorial scholarship in his name.
Since its debut, the tournament has awarded $47,500 in scholarships to area teenagers, including $10,500 handed out this year. Gayle said her family has been humbled by the annual turnout with nearly 70 teams from as far away as Childress, Abilene and Wichita Falls coming to Young County.
“We’ve always said from the beginning we don’t know how long we’ll be able to maintain it and keep going, but as long as we can, we’re going to,” Gayle said. “Because we’re just trying do something good out of a tragedy and the scholarship is really important to us.”
Basketball was important to Brandon, who graduated as Newcastle’s salutatorian in 2011 and was attending Tarleton State at the time of his passing. Football was his first love, but the quarterback took on a coaching role when he was diagnosed with spinal stenosis, sidelining Brandon for his senior season.
“He was such a leader and part of the football team. He coached them up and turned into part of the coaching staff,” Gayle said. “That was his team, he stayed right there with them. Then he put all of his energy into basketball.”
It’s hard to imagine a 3-on-3 tournament drawing more interest from so many area towns. Rider standout Ty Caswell has been known to bring some buddies down. Guys who’ve played at a high level at Graham and Electra have brought teams in.
There are boys and girls divisions for five ages brackets – elementary, junior high, high school, college and adult. The most competitive divisions are the college and men’s divisions. Some of Brandon’s Tarleton buddies still show up playing in honor. Some never knew him, but they’re drawn to the competitive atmosphere.
After playing all day in gyms at Newcastle and Graham, the finals tip off at 6 p.m. inside the gym Brandon grew up playing basketball in. Keeping the tournament going – lining up sponsors and building the brackets – keeps Gayle busy when she’s not working as Newcastle ISD’s secretary, but it only serves as a temporary distraction from having lost her and her husband Bruce’s only son way too soon.
“You get into the event and eventually it slows down and it hits. But no, I can’t believe it’s been six years,” Gayle said, pausing to collect herself. “Some ways it feels like forever and a lot of ways it feels like yesterday.
“It doesn’t ever go away so you just keep trying to push through and do something to make it the best you can.”
Brandon Bailey 3-on-3 Basketball Shootout:
When: Saturday, May 26
Where: Newcastle and Graham Junior High gyms
Cost: $50 per team (three or four players allowed)
Entry deadline: Friday, May 18
For more info: Contact Gayle Bailey (940-846-3531) or Courtney Bozeman (940-521-4023) or visit Brandon Bailey Memorial Scholarship on Facebook.