In an effort to pack in more tennis and eat up less time for players, Jon Messick elected to mix things up.

First, he cut the Debbie Boose Memorial Tennis Tournament from a seven-day event to just four, starting Thursday and ending with finals Sunday. Then Messick changed the format of the charity tournament to a round robin, meaning a few more matches could be played by participants.

The two major modifications for the annual event’s 16th year are ones the director hopes will keep the Debbie Boose a more engaging and worthwhile pursuit for tennis players around Northern Colorado on the court.

“What we’re trying do is shorten the time commitment people would have to make and we’ll kind of see after the tournament is over how people liked that,” Messick said.

To accommodate more matches in a smaller time frame, Messick also split earlier matches to another location, utilizing seven new courts at Mehaffey Park on 29th street. All finals Sunday will remain at the traditional site of North Lake Park near Loveland High School.

Unlike many similar charity events, the Debbie Boose simply refuses to lose steam. Sure, the numbers have fluctuated over the years for a variety of factors, but Messick is expecting roughly 145 participants in this year’s edition, essentially the same figure as last year.

The Debbie Boose includes everyone from kids to players more than 60 years old, a feature they added three tournaments back. Also included are men’s and women’s singles and doubles as well as mixed competition. A youth clinic hosted by Amazing Athletes and Free After School Tennis (FAST) will take place Saturday to teach a new generation of tennis enthusiasts.

Included in the registration fee is a dinner catered by Loveland’s Cactus Grill Friday night, and professional exhibitions, with pro wheelchair tennis exhibitions Saturday. There are also silent auction items available throughout the week, including original artwork.

“This is the 16th year of the tournament and at some point you figure it’s going to struggle, but we still have strong numbers,” Messick said. “Not what they were at the peak, but they’re holding in there pretty strong, which I think is pretty significant for a tournament like this to still be going strong this many years.”

Messick’s guidance and commitment to ensuring a fun tournament, as well as the work of the event’s committee, has certainly factored into the Debbie Boose’s sustained, thriving existence, however, it’s the cause that truly keeps people coming back.

The event will once again donate all proceeds to the Pathway’s Hospice floor at the McKee Medical Center as well as the McKee Cancer center, a passion of the tournament’s namesake, who tragically lost her life in a car accident in 2001.

Every year the tournament keeps going is a sense of pride for those involved, none more so than Boose’s husband John and their daughters Kristy Harris and Amy Black.

“It’s really incredible, the support we’ve had over the years and how many people are involved. We’ve had pretty much the same committee a majority of the past years, which shows their dedication to it,” Black said. “It’s just a really neat way for us to honor my mom.”

Black played mixed doubles with her father for the first time in years at last year’s tournament, and as a player, likes the alterations Messick’s made. The weather is expected to be beautiful and clear as well, just another bonus.

Last year saw more than $16,000 raised and the Debbie Boose generally ranges anywhere between $20,000-30,000, according to Messick. That’s something Black is positive her mother would smile about.

“She would be really, really proud and honored that this has been going on so long and that so much money has been raised to help the people in our community,” she said. “It’s a great tribute to my mom, because she helped a lot of people when she was alive and now she’s continued to help people.”

Cris Tiller: 970-669-5401, tillerc@reporter-herald.com or twitter.com/cristiller