Bay State Games

The Bay State Games are an Olympic-style athletic event for amateur athletes in the state of Massachusetts, which includes several divisions and allows athletes of all ages to compete. The Games are divided into Summer and Winter Games. The Summer Games include 25 sports and are usually held in late July. The Winter Games include three different sports and are usually held in late January or early February. The Bay State Games is a member of the National Congress of State Games.

Overview

The Massachusetts Amateur Sports Foundation (MASF), organizer of the Bay State Summer and Winter Games, provides Olympic-style athletic competitions and developmental programs for Massachusetts amateur athletes of all ages and abilities. The MASF operates statewide and year-round to promote personal development, education, physical fitness, teamwork, sportsmanship, and mutual respect. The MASF is a member of the National Congress of State Games, which comprises 42 states nationwide that conduct State Games events.

In 2009, the Bay State Summer Games celebrated its 28th anniversary, while the Bay State Winter Games enjoyed its 24th year. From a modest beginning of four sports and 300 athletes, the Games have grown to include almost 10,000 athletes in 28 different sports from more than 300 Massachusetts cities and towns. Each sport is organized according to national governing body rules. Age and skill divisions have been created to allow medal opportunities for a broad range of athletes.

The Bay State Games is the largest amateur multi-sports organization in the state of Massachusetts. This non-profit organization is a member of the National Congress of State Games, associated with the US Olympics and the multi-sport organization council. The Bay State Games’ mission is to promote personal development, education, health, physical fitness, teamwork and sportsmanship through recreational and educational programs. Over 30,000 Massachusetts residents ranging in age from 6 to 86 participate in these programs each year. The majority of athletes are from the middle school, high school, and college levels. The events by the Bay State Games generate an economic impact for the commonwealth of Massachusetts that is estimated at $3–4 million annually. Each year, the Bay State Games has over 1,500 volunteer including coaches, referees, and medical staff.

History

The Bay State Games was founded by Dave McGillvary in 1982.[1] McGillvary was on the Governor’s Council of Physical Fitness and Sports. He wanted to create a statewide summer sports festival for Massachusetts. McGillvary appointed Doug Arnot to pitch the idea of “Sportsfest” to the commonwealth of Massachusetts and to become the executive director. “Sportsfest” started off with only four sports with 500 athletes. The games were conducted on hardwood floors and playing fields at UMass Boston.

The Games’ breakthrough year came in 1985. Basketball became the Game’s showcase event in both women and men’s divisions. That same year, Arnot developed the idea of creating a winter sports festival for Massachusetts athletes. The Winter Games took place in the Northern Berkshire region because of the facilities available to them. Four hundred athletes took part in the 1985 Winter Games with competitions including figure skating, alpine skiing, cross country skiing and speed skating. Within the first couple of years with the Winter Games, there was much experimentation. Figure skating and alpine skiing were the only two sports which were included in every winter game. Masters ice hockey, youth ice hockey, speed skating, ski orienteering, snowboarding, sled dog racing, and cross country skiing were added into the competitions as the Winter Games became more successful.

Winter Games

The Winter Games are usually held in the month of February in the Northern Berkshire region of Massachusetts. Featured sports include figure skating, alpine skiing and ice hockey. Each year, the Winter Games have featured the Bay State Skate Figure Skating Show. This show was created in the 1980s to display some of the best skaters in the Winter Games. The Bay State Skate has more than a dozen Olympic skaters from the National and World Championships. Shows presented by the Bay State Games have included Olympians Nancy Kerrigan, Paul Wylie, Surya Bonaly, Linda Frattiani, Sylvia Fontana, and National competitors Mark Mitchell and Jennifer Kirk. The athletes in the Winter Games represent over 200 Massachusetts communities and participants range from ages 8 to 62.

Events

Summer Games

The Summer Games is Massachusetts' own Olympic-style athletic competition that has been held since 1982 and features more than 7,000 athletes in 26 sports. Athletes represent over 300 Massachusetts communities, and participants range in age from 6 to 86. The Bay States Games reached it popularity in the 1990s when the number of participants increased to over 10,000 athletes. Over the years, the Bay State Games has expanded and focused more on individual sports such as swimming and track and field. The Bay State Games consists of competitions with archery, baseball, basketball, diving, fencing, field hockey, ice hockey, junior basketball, soccer, softball, tennis, volleyball, wrestling, 6v6 field hockey, and 7v7 soccer. Also, lacrosse has been one of the Games’ fastest growing sports. Master divisions were created and recreational sports such as baton twirling, judo, table tennis, and badminton. The Summer Games span is six to seven weeks in June and July. Tryouts for the Summer Games are held throughout the month of June, with finals taking place in the Metro-Boston and central Massachusetts area in mid-July.

Events

Programs

Verizon Future Leaders Scholarship Program

The Future Leaders Scholarship annually awards six $2,000 college scholarships to Bay State Summer and Winter Games participants. In partnership with Verizon, the MASF is proud to award these scholarships to student-athletes who demonstrate leadership through community service, academic excellence and athletic achievement. Since its inception, more than $200,000 has been awarded to students who have gone on to successful careers at prestigious institutions.

New Balance Sportsmanship Initiative

New Balance and the MASF are proud to do their part in promoting and recognizing acts of good sportsmanship. This program educates all Bay State Games participants on the elements of good sportsmanship, evaluates the level of sportsmanship exhibited by participants in Bay State Games events, and recognizes over 200 people each year who are strong role models for all athletes.

High School Spirit Program

Following the successful model established by other state games across the country, the Bay State Games launched the program in 2009 to help promote the Games and to reward Massachusetts' high school athletic departments for their participation in the Summer Games. Schools across the commonwealth are divided into three categories according to enrollment, and then more than $5,000 in grants are awarded to the top participating schools in those categories.

Kids Fitness Days

The Kids Fitness Challenge is a free, one-day program designed to motivate children to participate in physical activity, to educate them on the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and to foster a sense of school spirit. In addition to accomplishing these goals, $4,000 in cash grants is distributed annually to selected participating schools to enhance that institution's health and physical education programs. Since the program's inception in the fall of 2006, more than 25,000 students from across the commonwealth have participated each school year.

Sports Medicine Symposium

In conjunction with Boston Children’s Hospital Division of Sports Medicine, the MASF sponsors an annual sports medicine conference to educate athletic trainers and sports medicine professionals on current trends in the field. Participants earn continuing education units to maintain their certification.

Bay State Games Hall of Fame

The Bay State Games Hall of Fame recognizes athletes, volunteers, coaches, officials, organizers and commissioners who have had an extraordinary impact on the people and communities that are a part of the Games. Inductees include former Bay State Games athletes who competed in the Olympics, NBA, NHL, or MLB.

Class of 2008

Class of 2007

Class of 2006

Class of 2005

Class of 2004

Class of 2003

Class of 2002

Class of 2001

Notable Bay State Games alumni

References

  1. ↑ "FAQ". Massachusetts Amateur Sports Foundation. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
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