Internationl Sports Experiences

Last month I had the privilege of attending the Women and Sports Conference in Kumamoto, Japan. It was very important for San Antonio to have a representative since our sister city, Kumamoto, was the host of this prestigious conference. 

Not only was the trip very educational, I believe we have gained new insight and ideas for launching our local program for GoGirlGo! San Antonio this fall.  The GoGirlGo! program will help San Antonio deal more effectively with health risk behaviors through increased girls’ participation in physical activity programs.  Stay tuned!

Speaking of international…don’t miss the opportunity to see basketball’s future all stars from the Americas take on Team USA at the Bill Greehey Arena from June 28 through July 2.  Tickets start at $5.  Be there and help us convince some of these top players that they would prefer to play in a San Antonio Spurs uniform someday soon! Click here to purchase your tickets online.



Dr. Susan Blackwood
Executive Director

Golfers Tee Up for Kids

Golfers took to the links on Monday, June 5, in the annual San Antonio Sports Foundation Golf Classic presented by Lifetime Fitness at the Dominion Country Club. The team from Merrill Lynch took top honors. The JaniKing team came in second and a foursome led by Sports Foundation board member Keith Harward placed third.

Special thanks go to event chairman and Sports Foundation board member Carlos Ramos and the entire golf committee. Committee members include Mike Chapman, Jason Cronkhite, Mark Erhardt, Keith Harward and Dick Lord. Thousands of children’s lives are improved because of your generosity.
Thank you to our top sponsor, Lifetime Fitness and all of our team sponsors for helping the Sports Foundation raise more than $30,000 to support our Dreams for Youth and Valero Go!Kids Challenge programs.

Click here to check out photos from Monday's tournament.  

Bill Self Headlines Champions Luncheon

Don’t miss your chance to hear Bill Self, head men's basketball coach at the University of Kansas share his stories of life on the court at this year's Sports Foundation Champions Luncheon.  Self will be introduced by his former player, new UTSA men’s head basketball coach Brooks Thompson.

The exclusive event will be held Friday, June 16, beginning at 11:30 a.m. at Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar in the Quarry Marketplace. Seating is limited, so please reserve your place today! Members of the Sports Foundation's Champions Club, individual donors at the $1000 level or above, are entitled to a ticket to the luncheon and an invitation to the VIP reception with the speakers. Other Sports Foundation members may purchase tickets for $35; non-members for $50.

To book your seat today, click here, or contact Gretchen Garceau-Kragh at 820-2109 or gkragh@sanantoniosports.org.

Proceeds from this event benefit the nonprofit San Antonio Sports Foundation and its youth sport and fitness programs.

Tournament of the Americas Brings Future Stars to SA

Discover the next superstars of NBA and Olympic basketball at the Tournament of the Americas – 2006 FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Men, June 28-July 2 at St. Mary’s University’s Bill Greehey Arena.

This is the first time this prestigious event has been held in the USA. It will feature the top young players from Argentina, the Bahamas, Brazil, Canada, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Uruguay and the United States. All competitors are 18 years of age or younger. They’ll compete for a chance to represent the Americas in the 2007 FIBA U19 World Championship in Malaysia.

Don't let the NBA scouts have all the fun! Get your tickets today to experience exciting, international tournament action. June 28-30 and July 1 all-session, single day, general admission passes are just $5 each, and reserved seating passes are available for $10. All tickets for the July 2 finals will be $10. You can enjoy all five days of the Tournament of the Americas with an all-tournament pass.  Patron ticket packages are also available and include VIP hospitality opportunities.

Past participants of the Tournament of the Americas include current NBA players Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Dee Brown, Grant Hill, Alan Houston, Stephon Marbury, Quentin Richardson, Andre Barbosa, Todd MacCulloch, andLuis Scola.

Secure your chance to see the next Manu Ginobili take the court. Purchase your tickets today online or call 210-820-2100.

Summer Fun with Dreams for Youth 

If you’re looking for something different for your child to do this summer, Dreams for Youth has several options. 

Fencing
Summer fencing camps are open to beginner, intermediate, and advanced fencers.   Fencers will be divided into groups depending on their age and skill levels.  Classes are limited to 15 participants.   

Sessions:

Fees:
·        5-day camp =  $170.00
·        3-day camp =  $120.00
·        1-day camp =  $50.00
($75 deposit required at time of registration)

Equipment:
All equipment will be provided for beginner fencers.  Intermediate and advanced fencers should bring their own equipment.

Location:
SASF Training Center
525 San Pedro Ave.
San Antonio, TX 78212
Call 210-226-5479 for more information or to register.

Diving
Beginning diving
3:30-4:30 p.m. at Northside Aquatics, 7001 Culebra Road
Mon./Wed. or Tues./Thurs. June 5 - July 27
Must know how to swim
$30 a month (meet two times a week)
Call 210-834-2274 for more information or to register.

Badminton, Team Handball, Gymnastics
June 5 - July 28
Ages 5-17
Free

Millers Pond Parks & Recreation Center, 6075 Old Pearsall Road
Mondays, 2-4 p.m.,Tuesdays 9-11 a.m., Wednesdays 9-11 p.m. and Fridays 9:30-11:30 a.m.

Meadow Cliff Parks & Recreation Center,  1256 Pinn Road
Tuesdays 2-4 p.m., Wednesdays 2:30-4:30 p.m., Thursdays 2:30-4:30 p.m., Fridays, 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Call 210-820-2113 or 210-820-2116 for more information.

Salute to Coaches

Six deserving coaches have been honored with the San Antonio Sports Foundation’s Salute to Coaches award.  Each is not only successful, but goes the extra mile, is a model of sportsmanship and is a positive influence on his or her athletes.  The following nominators’ quotes say it well.

Junior High School:
Jody Ridgewood has been a PE teacher and coach at Keystone School for 19 years.  Currently, she coaches volleyball, softball and basketball.  She voluntarily organizes leagues with other local private schools and assists with coaching and organizing games above and beyond her formal commitment to coaching.   “She has led the “nerds” of Keystone to many league tournament championships.  There is quality despite the quantity of hours she has devoted to Keystone students.”
Raul Servin coaches at Kingsborough Middle School.  “Coach Servin is not only a coach out to win, but a teacher out to teach athletes skills in playing on the field and in life.  He is always looking out for the athletes overall welfare.”

High School:
Laura Rodriguez coaches girls’ softball at Antonian High School.  “Her only task is not necessarily to teach the catching, hitting or sliding of the bases, but also to teach them to persevere, to be determined and to relish the love of the ‘dirt.’  To love the game, to accept defeat humbly, to gain victory modestly are all characteristics that describe Coach Rodriguez.”
Jasen Anno is the head coach of the boys’ and girls’ cross country teams and the girl’s soccer team at Antonian High School.  “…he has exemplified the true calling of an individual and coach which is to teach young people the value and virtue of giving all they have and going to the limit.  Coach Anno taught them (student athletes) well, had them believe in themselves and taught them to go to the next level.” 

The winners of the Salute to Coaches award for community programs will be profiled in the next issue of Sidelines.

Introducing Michelle Rodriguez 

In April 2006, Michelle Rodriguez joined the Sports Foundation team by taking on the role of Volunteer Coordinator. Michelle comes to the Sports Foundation after working for 11 years in the finance world. With four children (Zachary, Chase, Addison, and Darren) all under the age seven, Michelle felt that working with the Sports Foundation would be a good fit for her family.

“My husband is a club soccer coach, so I knew that sports would always be a part of my life. I like that the Sports Foundation offers unique sporting opportunities for children like the Dreams for Youth program that includes fencing, team handball, and badminton.”

Michelle is excited to work with volunteers to make events like the Tournament of the Americas and NCAA Final Four great successes.

“I truly appreciate how dependable our volunteers are because without them our events would not happen. Our volunteers have been so welcoming and helpful. It’s a good feeling to work with people who want to make a positive impact in the community.”

Champions Club
Individual Members at $1,000+

Gary & Shelia Arthur; Morton Baird; Sam Barshop; Ed Benninger; James Blackwood; Susan Blackwood; June Bratcher; Tim Brierty; Howard Burris; Jim Callaway; Jeff Clark; Ross Davis; James Doyle; Jim Dublin; Charlie Ebrom; Steve Edlund; Donald Engelhardt; Dr. Frank Fichtel; Pat & Kelley Frost; Dr. Jamie Garza; Claude Gilmer; William Greehey; Joe Guinn; Bill & Marcia Hanson; Cheryl Haywood; Peter Holt; Michael Imbimbo; Scott Hefner; Scott Helbing; George C. Hixon; Steve Isom; Stacey Johnson; Michael Jourdan; Greg & Leigh Ann King; James Mickey; Phil Miner; Bob & Laura Raymond; Tom Reardon; Marty Roos; Dr. Robert Schnitzler; Dr. David Schmidt; Dr. Earl Smith; Steve Souter; Neill Walsdorf, Jr.; Carri Wells; Jeff Wentworth; Paul Young

Corporate Champions

City of San Antonio; AT&T

$50,000

Creative Link; IKON Office Solutions; San Antonio Express-News; Valero Energy Corporation

$20,000

Langley & Banack; Pepsi Bottling Group; San Antonio Coca-Cola Bottling Co; Whataburger, Inc.

$10,000

Budget Car & Truck Rental; Cingular Wireless; Maverick Video Production; NuMedia: Oak Farms Dairy; Paladin IT Services; Spectrum Health Clubs; Sports Medicine Associates of San Antonio, The Dominion Country Club

$5,000

George Becknell; Bender & Associates; BudCo., Inc.; The CE Group - Communication & Events; ChapmanSchewe Benefits Consulting; Comet Neon Advertising; The Darmstetter Company; Ernst & Young; Frost Bank; H-E-B Grocery Company; The Gambrinus Company; Hertz Corporation; KPMG; Marriott Plaza San Antonio; Merrill Lynch; Methodist Healthcare System; Miner Corporation; The Plaza Club; Security Service Federal Credit Union; Sterling Bank; SWBC; US Global Investors; Walton Signage; Wells Fargo Bank; Zachry Hospitality, Inc.

$2,500

Allegra Print & Imaging; Bank of America; Broadway National Bank; Catering by Don Strange; Colonial Supplemental Insurance; Cox Smith Matthews Incorporated; Ear Medical Group; FIRSTMARK Credit Union; First Rate Investment Systems; GLI Distributing; Halo Distributing; Marriott Plaza San Antonio; Marriott Rivercenter/Riverwalk; Mission Pharmacal; Pape-Dawson Consulting Engineers, Inc.; San Antonio Economic Development Foundation; Sterling Foods; Tesoro Petroleum Companies; Yantis Company

Grants/Foundations

The Alfred S. Gage Foundation, Bexar County Health & Human Services CDBG; Bexar County Women's Bar Foundation; Brown Foundation; Charity Ball Foundation; Coleman Foundation; Criminal Justice Division JJDP Grant; Criminal Justice Division Safe and Drug Free Schools Grant; GAC Halff Foundation; Light Foundation; Myra Stafford Pryor Charitable Trust; The Sequor Foundation; David & Betty Sachs Foundation; Smith Barney; Women’s Sports Foundation

Founding Sponsors

City of San Antonio; H-E-B; USAA Foundation, A Charitable Trust; Valero Energy Corporation