Article

Boostin' some hoops

Hoops Club president looks to bring more support, enthusiasm to Maverick program

By Chad Courrier

Free Press Staff Writer

MANKATO - Jon Rippke has seen college booster clubs at their best, following his youngest daughter Sarah's basketball career for four years at South Dakota State. Now the new president of the Minnesota State Hoops Club, Rippke is hoping to build that kind of enthusiasm here, providing emotional and financial support for the school's men's and women's basketball programs. "I didn't know if I was up for all the work," Rippke said. "You have to be a high-energy person if you want to do it right. "There are some good things that we can build on here, and I decided I'd like to be involved. I thought if I could help out in anyway, I'd give it a try. "

Rippke, 53, is the president of Bolton & Menk, a local engineering company. He's long been a booster of college athletics, but only last year, once his daughter had graduated from his alma mater, South Dakota State, did he become active in the Hoops Club. As an athlete's parent, he saw how effective the South Dakota State booster clubs were, organizing fan buses and get-togethers. South Dakota State is known for holding large gatherings for boosters and alumni at various cities before road games.South Dakota State has a couple of hundred boosters, while Minnesota State had about 80 in the Hoops Club last season."We need a little more community support," said Rippke, who moved to Mankato in 1980. "You'll get more support when you have winning programs, and I think we'll have that very soon."As president of the Hoops Club, Rippke, who only played basketball on a recreational level, wants to maintain and grow some of the things the club does, such as organizing a postseason banquet and Senior Night, as well as fund raising. He'd also like to work closely with the Minnesota State Alumni Association on road events and get a weekly newsletter started to keep club members up to date on relevant events.

"Jon is well-respected in the Mankato area," men's basketball coach Matt Margenthaler said. "He wants to see MSU basketball be successful. "He has a lot of managerial experience, and his passion for MSU is great." Rippke has a head start with the Hoops Club, knowing women's basketball coach Ann Walker because they have the same hometown, Moville, Iowa. Rippke also knew Matt Margenthaler, a former assistant coach at South Dakota State. Rippke said he anticipates devoting two to four hours per week to the Hoops Club, maybe more as the group gets going next month. He thinks the area has a lot of Minnesota State boosters, it's just a matter of organizing and energizing those fans. "If we can get something started, it becomes self perpetuating," he said. That would make his job easier, much like being the leader of a South Dakota State booster club. "I used to think South Dakota State had an advantage because they're really the only game in town," Rippke said. "But Mankato has more of a concentration of people," Rippke said. "You don't have to reach that far, although we need to try to make this more of a regional sports attraction. "I just think great things can happen here with the basketball programs, and I want to be part of it. It's hard not to be excited."