Jaci Kopet didn’t know where to begin when she and the rest of a group of boys basketball parents were tasked with organizing the Clippers’ first Wisconsin Dells tournament trip back in 2013.
But the four sets of parents went into a motion offense, and the trip was a success.
“Not knowing what to expect, we booked two three-bedroom condos with kitchens, planned a few meals, made a list of everything we thought we needed and headed off to what turned out to be one of the most fun trips we ever took.”
A dozen years later, the foundation that Kopet and company built is still in place. This summer, 11 varsity players, 12 JV players and their family members, coaches Mike Meyer and Travis Mons and bookkeeper Greg Davis, some 85 in total, made the four-day trip. They left on Sunday, July 6, and most returned the following Thursday.
Beginnings
After Dan Fredrickson's first year of coaching varsity boys basketball in Cleveland, he wanted the Clippers to participate in a Wisconsin Dells tournament during the summer, Kopet said. Fredrickson had coached at Glenville-Emmons, and all his teams there competed in the Dells tournament at Justagame Fieldhouse. Fredrickson held a meeting with the parents about the tournament, but he left them to organize the trip, and he would coach.
Kopet searched for lodging at the Chula Vista Resort, where Fredrickson’s teams had stayed. The Clippers didn't do any fundraising and split the cost of the rooms between the families and parents. They planned the meals. They made breakfast and dinner in the rooms and prepared dozens of ham sandwiches for feeding the players between games.
“We tried to make it as affordable as possible,” Kopet said.
Back then, the Clippers only took a varsity team. There were 10 players the first year, when Kopet’s son Carter was in eighth grade. The parent-chaperones then were Brian and Connie Phillips, Chris and Niki Baker, Joe and Carrie Archer and Kopet and her husband Robbie Kopet.
It was all a learning experience, Kopet said.
“When Jordan Phillips and Chandler Barrie hit heads on the waterslide on day one, we quickly found out we maybe should have collected insurance cards in case of an injury. Luckily, there were no injuries from playing basketball though, but going forward, we made sure the kids brought insurance cards, and we collected all the parents’ cell phone numbers.”
Kopet went on to organize the trip for four more years.
“Obviously, the goal was to improve their basketball skills by playing more games and better competition, which it did. But more importantly, the bond those kids made was incredible. I was lucky enough to see this continue for five years. Each year the kids continued building that bond and became a tight-knit group, making friendships that will last a lifetime.”
But the connections went beyond the players, Kopet said.
“We parents knew each other, but we had never spent that much time together or knew each other that well. But after the trip, we all formed a friendship that will also last a lifetime. We discovered all eight of us enjoyed playing Pfeffer, so each night we played cards, guys against the girls. The girls always won. After the trip, we continued to meet monthly to play cards at each other’s houses.”
By Kopet’s fifth year, the Dells group grew to 20 players and 40 parents and family members.
“I enjoyed each year we went,” Kopet said, “and I was sad to see it end, but I am happy that the tradition has continued and more kids and parents get to enjoy it as much as we did. Hopefully, this tradition will continue in Cleveland basketball. The kids looked forward to it every summer and maybe the parents even more.”
This year’s trip
As the Clippers did not go to the Dells in 2020 and 2021, this year was their 11th trip there.
When Meyer took over as coach in the 2022-23 season, Cheri Rohlfing passed the Dells accounting and info to Candace Lyons. This year was Lyons’ fourth year leading the organizational efforts. Last year, her sons Blake Lyons and Carson Lyons participated. This year, after Blake graduated, it was Carson, who will be a junior this fall, and Pierce Lyons, who will be a freshman this fall.
Unlike the first years, fundraisers help support the Dells trip. This year, they included a 50/50 raffle and drawing at home basketball games, a Legion Club raffle and Legion Club bingo, Lyons said. They also sell Kwik trip car washes, do yard clean ups and sell fire starter packs to campgrounds.
“Part of that goes to the Dells trip to offset condo and food cost for team bonding while the other part helps build the basketball program and helps with other tournaments and training fees for the team,” Lyons said.
Meyer said the competition is always good at the three-day tournament, and it is an opportunity for players to learn how to work together.
“During the season, we are having practices every day and working on things we feel as coaches we need to develop to be successful. Out there we still coach, but we give the players a lot more freedom to just play, which allows them to figure each other out. Not giving them a play to run every time down the court gives them the opportunity to find out what sort of spacing and movement works for them on offense. They also work on communication, movement and where to be on defense. This is extremely important for success in the regular season.”
Dells is a vehicle for players to demonstrate their skills, Meyer said.
“After losing seniors from the previous season, it's a great opportunity for us coaches to keep eyes on certain players and for guys to step up as leaders or showcase what they've been working on and make a case for themselves to be on varsity.”
Still lodging at the Chula Vista, the group reserves three-bedroom condos with two or three families in each condo.
“This allows everyone to be comfortable in their own room but also causes them to share the kitchen and common space to encourage conversation,” Meyer said. “This is great because these families carry that bond through the seasons. That creates a bigger fan base for our games because not only do families want to come and support and cheer on their players, but they also get to continue to grow the relationships that they may have established on the trip.”
After games at Justagame Fieldhouse, it was back to Chula Vista water park to relax. The players and families had lunches and dinners together as a group with the food prepared by a different group of condos each day.
“This gives them more opportunity to work together,” Meyer said. “It has grown to people working together and coming up with fun activities for everyone to do together. As coaches, we love the opportunity to get to know our players better and in a different atmosphere and for parents to get to know a little bit more about us and vice versa. This creates more comfort in communication between players and coaches and coaches and parents.”
On Tuesday, parents conducted team building activities for all the players and the kids who came along. On Wednesday after their last games, they hit a big waterpark as usual. This year it was Land of Natura inflatable waterpark for a swim.
Meyer receives a lot of positive feedback from parents and players about how much they enjoy the Dells trip.
“Just by word of mouth when they go back and share the experience with others, I think it creates more interest in the program and better growth. More people want to give basketball a shot because they don't just see it as running sprints. They see an inclusive and caring culture, and they want to be a part of it.”
Game results
Winning three of four games in pool play, the varsity team made it to the championship round for the first time in years but lost in their first game there. Meanwhile, the JV team was 1-3 in pool play and lost the consolation championship game.
The varsity opened pool play on Monday by edging Clearbrook-Gonvick, a school located in Clearbrook in Northern Minnesota near Red Lake, 43-40. In a tale of two halves, the Clippers came back after trailing 28-17 at the half.
With 10 points, Braeden Smith led the effort. Bode Bartell had nine points. Carson Lyons and Miles Tomaszewski each added five points and each put in a three. Gavin Karels and Mason Kluntz each contributed four points. Alex Kortuem had three points. Garrett Heldberg, back on the court after missing most of last season with a shoulder injury, contributed two points. Tanner Simonette chipped in a free throw.
Soon after that game ended, the Clippers took on Plainview-Elgin-Millville, a 2A school near Rochester, and won 45-32.
Up 16-11 at the break, they had a strong second half. Lyons led the offense with 15 points, including a three. Smith had 10 points, all from the floor, including a dunk. Tomaszewski dropped in a pair of first-half threes for six points. Bartell put in two baskets from the floor, both in the first half. Kluntz had four points. Heldberg put in a free throw.
The Clippers started Tuesday in a defensive battle with Pierz, a school between St. Cloud and Brainard, and lost 32-20. The Clippers were behind 19-14 at the break. With eight points, all twos, Lyons led the effort. Kluntz had three baskets for six points. Bartell put in a basket and a pair of freebies for four points. Sam Ternes had a first half two-point basket.
But the Clippers bounced right back an hour or so later when they edged Shell Lake, a Wisconsin school just south of Spooner, 49-46. With a dozen seconds left, Kortuem hit a three to seal the triumph. The Clippers were behind 27-25 at halftime.
Bartell broke out for 16 points, including a pair of threes. Lyons had 11 points, including one three. Ternes had a pair of threes and a pair of twos for 10 total points. Kortuem and Smith each made a two and a three for five points. Simonette added a second-half bucket.
In the championship round on Wednesday, the Clippers took on Unity, a private school located in Tolono, Illinois near Champaign. After trailing 28-18 at the intermission, the Clippers lost 52-31.
With nine points, including one three, Lyons led the effort. Kluntz had seven points. Simonette added six points. Bartell, Ternes and Kortuem each had one three.
The Clipper JV team beat Clearbrook-Gonvick by about 10 points on Monday. On Tuesday, Plainview-Elgin-Millville edged them 21-20 before they fell to Oostburg, a school near Sheboygan, 40-22.
On Wednesday, Clearbrook-Gonvick avenged their loss in the consolation championship by beating the Clippers by about 20 points.
Above: Some of the 2025 Dells group
2025 Dells trip photos courtesy of Candace Lyons