Courts fill again for Gus Macker return

Outdoor courts at the Field of Dreams filled quickly as Gus Macker returned to Las Cruces for its May 16-17 tournament weekend. 

Players of all ages competed beneath the bright May sun while families gathered beneath the canopies. Music echoed across the venue, and long lines formed near food trucks during the opening day of the 3-on-3 basketball tournament. For many longtime residents, the event felt less like a new tournament and more like the return of something the city had been missing for years. 

“There’s so much nostalgia involved with the tournament,” said Josh Dominguez, local Gus Macker coordinator and member of the Mayfield Green and Gold 12th Man Club. “A lot of us played in the tournament in the ’90s and 2000s when it was first introduced to Las Cruces.” 

Dominguez said bringing the tournament back had been discussed for years before Mayfield football’s booster club ultimately stepped in to help host the event. 

“One of our assistant football coaches, Coach Carrasco, had approached our booster club about the possibility of bringing Gus Macker back,” Dominguez said. “Las Cruces hadn’t had the tournament here in a long time.” 

Under Gus Macker guidelines, a nonprofit organization must host and benefit from the tournament. Dominguez said the booster club saw the event as an opportunity to support the community while helping the football program financially. Still, he emphasized the tournament was never intended to center around Mayfield football itself. 

“We try to make this more about Las Cruces, more about the community,” Dominguez said. “It’s not about Mayfield football. It’s about the city of Las Cruces.” 

The event featured players ranging from young children to adults competing across multiple outdoor courts throughout the weekend. Some teams arrived in matching jerseys while others rested beneath tents between games as spectators moved between courts and vendors in the warm, windy conditions. Dominguez said one of the tournament’s biggest goals was creating an event accessible to all skill levels. 

“There’s not a lot of recreational things for the youth around here to do just for fun and enjoyment,” he said. “The Gus Macker brings an opportunity to compete where your skill level is not important.” 

Although the tournament drew strong turnout throughout the weekend, Dominguez said organizing an event of that scale required months of preparation and continued community support. 

“The biggest obstacle is definitely trying to get sponsorships,” Dominguez said. “Everything costs money — security, fire, police, trophies, shirts, all of it.” 

Even so, the packed courts and steady crowds throughout the weekend reflected the type of community response organizers hoped would help keep the tournament in Las Cruces moving forward. From young players carrying basketballs between games to adults reliving memories from earlier Gus Macker runs in the city, the atmosphere surrounding the courts blended competition, nostalgia and community throughout the weekend.