Print edition: 
Except for maybe the players, few are happier about being at the NCAA women's basketball tournament this weekend than four middle school girls from Frankfort.
"We're ecstatic," said Maura Kennedy, 13. "We've been so excited since September."
Maura and 12-year-olds Becca Adams, Kyla Hardwick and Emilee Ebert made the three-hour drive with their parents from their homes in northeast Kansas to chase loose balls and mop sweat off the floors during games today at Intrust Bank Arena.
They are among dozens of volunteers working to make sure the three basketball games over the next three days go smoothly.
On their security identification tags, the girls' officials designation is "Ball Kid." The four, who all play basketball, will also get courtside seats.
The girls got the job when Frankfort High School basketball coach and athletic director Bruce Gunter got the job of helping oversee the volunteers. Gunter, 51, is working on his master's degree in sport management from Wichita State University.
Gunter enlisted the girls' parents for less glamorous jobs.
"We clean up the locker rooms," Gunter said. "We make sure they have clean towels, soap, the refrigerators are stocked and the teams have food after practice."
Most of the volunteers will be working out of sight, but they are important to make sure the games go on as scheduled.
"There are a lot of moving parts to this — and I wasn't really aware of just how many until we started talking about it," tournament manager Brad Pittman said Saturday.
Pittman scooted off when he had a call on a walkie-talkie, as teams practiced and got acclimated to the arena throughout the day Saturday.
"Can we talk?" Pittman asked Kristin Rhodes, another volunteer supervisor, as she briskly walked past.
"Not now _ Michigan State is on its way," Rhodes said.
One of Rhodes' duties is making sure the teams get checked into the arena and get to their lockers.
In addition to their security credentials, each player and member of the team staff get a bracelet that allows them into the locker rooms and on the courts for practice and games.
"It's a different color each day," Rhodes said.
As the players file through, Rhodes, 29, and four others quickly check off names and snap on the plastic bracelets. A security officer searches equipment bags. Other volunteers take them to the locker rooms.
"They're here to focus on the games, and practice," Rhodes said. "They don't want to spend 10 minutes having to deal with us. We want to get them through, so they can do what they came to do."
Rhodes, another WSU graduate student, and Gunter get college credit for their work at the tournament. They will work at least eight hours a day until well after the final game Tuesday night.
Between games, there will be practices. Before games, shooting practices.
Vicki Adams, an assistant basketball coach from Frankfort and Becca's mother, has been assigned as "Bench Monitor."
"Basically, she makes sure the players have towels and drinks," Gunter said.
The "Ball Kids" know their jobs, and the rules.
"We have to stay out of bounds, behind the black line," Becca said.
"We have to get the referees water when they need it," Kyla added.
Just no playing favorites.
"We're not supposed to cheer," Maura said.
