GREENSBORO, N.C. — Giving back to the community is key to one of the most popular high school basketball tournaments in the state. The HAECO Invitational, featuring boys and girls teams from eight high schools around Guilford County, tips off this week at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex.

What You Need To Know

  • The HAECO Invitational tipped off this week at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex
  • The HAECO Invitational features boys and girls teams from eight high schools in and around Guilford County
  • Greensboro Day School won the championship game last year and made history by winning seven years in a row from 2011 to 2017

Freddy Johnson is the head basketball coach for Greensboro Day School, where he’s been a coach for 47 years. He and the Bengals won the championship game last year and made history by winning seven years in a row from 2011 to 2017.

“Approach what you want, to get better each game and that's how I look at it. I don't like it when I lose it and I like it getting better. Rare. If we come out of this playing well, we're going to play well in January, and that's the most important thing for us,” Johnson said.

Johnson calls this tournament special.

“Such pride because it's people from your area and where you’re going to school. We played all the way from Hawaii to Vegas to Florida. This one [tournament] is so special to the kids because they get to play against their friends that they play AAU, or play at the Y with, or at Plymouth Park with,” Johnson said.

The HAECO tournament doesn’t just focus on what high school basketball team is the best in the Triad, it’s about giving back to the community.

“It's so important that you have an event like this that brings the community together and everybody comes out from all sections of the City of Greensboro and people take such pride into playing in the tournament,” Johnson said.

The HAECO Invitational donates proceeds to local charities, and the games give back to the participating schools by donating thousand of dollars to each school’s athletic budget.

The tournament has given more than $1.3 million to the participating schools since 2008 and the donation amount ranges each year.

“It gives your programs a chance to do special things that you might not have the money for. And I'm sure the other schools use it to supplement or uniform budgets and extra equipment and stuff,” Johnson said.

The HAECO Tournament began Dec. 19 and goes until Friday, Dec. 22.

It’s being played at the Novant Health Fieldhouse Court at the Greensboro Coliseum where the Greensboro G-League swarm team plays.