Arkansas Business

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

The Garrett Uekman Memorial 7-on-7 Tournament that was announced several weeks ago for mid-July at War Memorial Stadium has so far drawn up to a dozen high school programs, including Little Rock Catholic, Warren, Little Rock Central, Vilonia and Little Rock Parkview, to name five.

Now, organizers hope to extend that reach to younger teams.

Chris Monroe, a Little Rock Catholic graduate who has a couple of pre-teen sons and has them involved in such organizations as LifeChamps and Junior Deputy Baseball, said he thought the Uekman 7-on-7 event would be a good spot to expose 7-on-7 football to younger kids. Catholic Coach David Estes and Central Coach Scooter Register loved the idea.

So, besides the plans for a tournament for rising 9th-through-12th grade 7-on-7 teams, there is room now for 7-on-7 teams in 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grade.

"I've been trying to find some youth 7-on-7 events in the summer, with no luck, zero," Monroe said. "We're on the way home from spring break this year ... and I see 'Garrett Uekman 7-on-7 Tournament put on by Coach Estes over at Catholic High.' I graduated high school with Brendan Cook, I cleaned out his dorm room after his tragic death (in 1990 at Fayetteville), so the Garrett Uekman death really hit home with me, with my memories of my old friend Brendan Cook.

"So when I see this link to the 7-on-7 tournament, I thought, hey, it's a good idea, and hold on: I've been digging for 7-on-7 for my oldest son's age group ... So I sent an email over to David Estes, who I don't know, and asked, 'Have you considered adding youth to the 7-on-7 tournament?' ... He emailed me back a couple of weeks later and said the coaches and the Foundation are extremely excited about it."

Estes told Monroe had had one problem: he didn't know any of the youth teams. Well, that was right up Monroe's alley, as he's been a board leader at Junior Deputy and involved with LifeChamps. Monroe said he'd make the calls to cobble some teams together, and he says the response already has been great.

For the first year, the Uekman Memorial 7-on-7 organizers expected that War Memorial Stadium would be able handle all the teams competing July 13-14. But perhaps in coming years, Monroe says, the Garrett Uekman 7-on-7 Tournament might be viewed like the football version of the travel basketball "Real Deal in the Rock," attracting 7-on-7 teams from throughout the region and playing on fields all around the Capital City. Also, perhaps it could evolve into a summer 7-on-7 league, he said.

Every penny raised from the $250 team entry fee (all divisions) goes to the Garrett Uekman Foundation, whose purpose is to raise funds for heart disease research and education and to fund scholarships for deserving student athletes. Teams may sign up via the tournament website.

Uekman, a former Catholic High star and a tight end the past two seasons for the Arkansas Razorbacks, died suddenly of a previously undiagnosed heart condition, just one day after he played in the Hogs' win over Mississippi State at War Memorial Stadium last fall.

High school friends and teammates Chase Miller and Carter Morris along with Uekman's coaches, Catholic's Estes and Register, who was previously at Catholic High before moving to Central, came up with the idea of a Foundation for Uekman, which led to the benefit 7-on-7 football tournament to honor their fallen friend.

Uekman in his playing days helped work at youth camps as well. The Uekman family was excited about the Foundation and its events, Monroe said.