June
10, 2004 |
www.sanantoniosports.org
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This time of the year always gives us an opportunity to review and be thankful for the successes we have had as a city, Sports Foundation and sports community. What greater thrill than being awarded the 2008 NCAA Men's Final Four and the 2010 Women's Final Four late last summer? UTSA, the City of San Antonio and the team at the Sports Foundation worked diligently to successfully position San Antonio as the only city awarded both a men and women's event! October 1, 2003 was a momentous kickoff of the first ever Diamond Shamrock Go!Kids Challenge. What a rewarding program as more than 105,000 K thru 5th graders launched the program and 40,000 boys and girls completed the 26 mile goal. 2003 marked our first year participating in the For the Love of Kids & Harley's gala. We received a warm reception from the other charities that also benefited from the event. Great thanks to the founders for selecting our Dreams for Youth program as a worthwhile investment. More children participated in the Sports Foundation Dreams for Youth satellite programs than ever! Our coaches have worked hard to build a reputation of a model program that gets national attention. The Big 12 Soccer Tournament held at Blossom Soccer Stadium resulted in Oklahoma State walking off with the honors in front of an enthusiastic crowd and capped another very successful event for the Foundation. Sunshine greeted a full compliment of golfers for the third annual Sports Foundation Golf Classic at the Dominion Country Club. Thanks to SBC for its ongoing support of the event and supplying GRAND prizes. The 2004 Sports Hall of Fame proved to be the best ever. In addition to inducting an incredible class, the event marked the beginning of the 20th Anniversary of the Sports Foundation. Hearing our founders talk about their vision and knowing how much the Foundation has accomplished in a few short years was very uplifting! March Madness arrived and so did the thousands of fans for the 2004 NCAA Final Four. Great teams, excitement and memories filled the week! The economic impact report is in and San Antonio was the real winner -- more than $55 million in direct visitor spending. In addition, San Antonio expects to receive $5 million as a Final Four sales tax rebate due to legislation that the Sports Foundation and City of Houston were successful in securing during the 2003 legislative session. As important were the number of boys and girls positively affected by the youth programs conducted in conjunction with the Final Four. The dust from the Final Four had not yet settled when our guests for the 2004 Pan American Sports Organization General Assembly arrived for a series of meetings and special events. In partnering with our good friends at the United States Olympic Committee, the Sports Foundation was able to establish its status as a host for international meetings. We welcome back the 42 Olympic Committees and the delegations from the 2012 bid cities for other such important professional and business meetings. We appreciate the weather cooperating for Day 2 of the Whataburger Roundball Ruckus Basketball Tournament. It is very gratifying to know how this event has continued to grow. Thanks to the staff at the Alamodome who continue to provide us a venue for this popular event for all ages. We are still so very happy in our new home at the Alamodome. We cannot thank enough the City of San Antonio Mayor and Council for their financial support and confidence in our Foundation leadership. The City staff gives us guidance, direction and advice at every turn of the road. The City/County Bond election resulted in the first ever bond support of a University of Texas at San Antonio athletic facility. We look forward to the day that we attend our first event at the track and soccer complex. We can race Dr. Romo around the track! Thanks to Judge Wolff and the Commissioners who were instrumental in this funding becoming a reality! Again, thanks to all of our Board members, sponsors, patrons, volunteers and everyone who made this year so successful. And once again, Happy 20th Birthday San Antonio Sports Foundation! |
| SASF Speaker's Bureau -- Book us now! The San Antonio Sports Foundation celebrates its 20th Anniversary this year, and we are hoping to share our story with organizations throughout the area. The Sports Foundation's Speakers Bureau welcomes the opportunity to provide a speaker for any organization or club. Whether
your group is interested in learning how we go about securing major
amateur sporting events for San Antonio or our innovative youth programs,
a Sports Foundation speaker is only a phone call away. To book a presentation
on a variety of topics, please contact Mary Ullmann Japhet at 210-820-2123
or mjaphet@SanAntonioSports.org. SASF Staffers Find Life after the Final Four
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On June 19th sports history will be made in San Antonio’s Alamodome. At 7:00 that evening, Mexico’s national soccer squad will play its first ever World Cup qualifier in the United States. Never before has this team played a World Cup qualifier outside its home country, and San Antonio is thrilled to host its match against the national team of Dominica. Advance tickets are $20 for general admission. Reserved seating tickets are $35 & $45. Tickets are available at the Alamodome Box Office, all Texas Ticketmaster locations, www.ticketmaster.com or by phone (210) 224-9600. Tickets will be $25, $40 and $50 on the day of the event. For more information call (210) 207-3663. The qualifier for the 2006 FIFA World Cup offers excitement that crosses all borders. In 2002, World Cup games accumulated more than 1 billion television observers at any given time. This game will be broadcast internationally on Telemundo, Televisa and TV Azteca. Proudly entrusted to keep the excitement afloat, San Antonio will host events surrounding the game at local hot spot Sunset Station. Starting at noon and complete with tailgate parties and pep rallies, Sunset Station is boasting bands, booths and activities—everything from face painting to funnel cakes—so join in the fun!
Teams will compete for cash prizes at the elite levels, tickets to the San Antonio World Cup qualifier, as well as the ultimate prize—a trip to watch the finals at Copa America 2004 in Peru. An
Insider's Look at San Antonio Baseball King says, "The books are also available at the gift shop at Wolff Stadium -- and as they'll tell you in the store, just come up to the press box and I'll be happy to sign it." For more information on "San Antonio At Bat" visit the Texas A&M Press website. It is also available online through major retail outlets.
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The Dreams for Youth team is different from other club volleyball teams around the city. No one is turned away if she is unable to afford the entry fee. In fact, 42 of 61 players paid off their entry fee through fundraisers this year. There are no tryouts. If a girl wants to play, she can. Each player is placed according to her ability and each gets to learn skills and be part of a team. Joe Herrera has been coaching Dreams for Youth club volleyball for five years. A special education teacher at Holmes High School, Joe feels that volleyball teaches the girls responsibility and helps build character. “It takes a lot of heart and dedication,” he says. He points out that the girls are never late for practice and keep up their grades because they want to play. Bianca, 14, has been playing volleyball with Dreams for Youth for four years. “Being a member of this league has taught me so much,” she explains. “Playing for Dreams for Youth has taught me to be a better player, teammate and leader. We work hard to win, to be part of a team and most of all to just have fun playing the sport.” Dreams for Youth holds a summer volleyball league for girls beginning in June. More than 500 participated last summer. For more information, contact Alma Striker at (210) 820-2113. In The News... It's amazing what
a little mention will do. DFY director Alma Striker received close
to 100 phone calls when on June 1, the San Antonio Express News ran
a brief mention of our Dreams for Youth programs available during
the summer. At the same time, KSAT-TV ran a story on keeping kids
busy this summer and included the Sports Foundation's programs as
an option, complete with video. |
Mary Ullmann
Japhet In her own words... How long have you been associated with the Sports Foundation? I was a reporter with KENS-TV in the 1980s and did several stories on the Sports Foundation's efforts to win the AAU Jr. Olympic and the U.S. Olympic Festival for San Antonio. Never did I imagine I'd end up working for this organization and helping it to celebrate its 20th Anniversary. After working in the TV biz in Los Angeles, I returned to San Antonio to oversee advertising and special events for the U.S. Olympic Festival-'93. After that, I was on the Sports Foundation board of directors until Susan Blackwood invited me to join the staff in the summer of 2001. What's the most rewarding aspect of working for the Sports Foundation? While it is great fun to host major amateur sporting events, it is most rewarding to be a part of our efforts to help children in San Antonio become healthy and realize their athletic potential. Whether through our Dreams for Youth program or the Diamond Shamrock Go!Kids Challenge, we're really making a difference in children's lives in this community. That's worth everything! What are the best perks of working for the Sports Foundation? We definitely get access to some great event tickets! But I really appreciate the opportunity to work with impressive organizations like the U.S. Olympic Committee and the NCAA. I've been a dedicated fan of the Olympics since I was a little girl. Just last month, Bob Condron and my friends at the USOC invited me to be a part of their Olympic Athlete Media Summit in New York. It was a thrill to meet many of the 2004 Olympians. I so admire their dedication and talent. It's an honor to support their efforts for the Summer Games in Athens. I just hope that someday soon some of our Dreams for Youth athletes might make an Olympic team. It will happen, and when it does I want a front row seat to cheer them on. Join these great folks who have joined the Sports Foundation as new or renewing patrons. Just click on these links to see the great new benefits for individual or corporate donors. Corporate Patrons
Event Sponsors
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| San
Antonio Sports Foundation PO Box 830386 San Antonio, TX 78283-0386 tel 210.820.2100 fax 210.820.2199 www.sanantoniosports.org |
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The
NCAA Final Four has come and gone, but fortuately two Final Four staffers
have agreed to new positions with the Sports Foundation. San Antonio
Local Organizing Committee executive director Wendy McCauley
(right) will assume development responsibilities with the Sports Foundation.
She'll oversee some key fundraising events and will work to increase
the Sports Foundation's outreach to local and regional corporations.
To watch Dreams for Youth club volleyball player Bianca Martinez
power jump three
feet up to a platform from a stand-still, jump down and do it again,
is to understand the dedication to practice that gives her this strength.
Bianca is one of 61 girls, ages 12-18 who practiced their volleyball
skills every Sunday afternoon from November through April at Holmes
High School gym. For three hours, coach Joe Herrera
led them through drills and practice so that each girl could improve.