On Our Board:
Dave Cortese

Olympic gateway selection is highlight of a long relationship

Our community's selection by the U.S. Olympic Committee to be its team processing site for next summer's Beijing Olympics is the latest and largest in a series of steps the Sports Authority and the USOC have taken in a relationship that dates to the beginning of this organization.

In our 16 years, the Sports Authority has partnered with the USOC and its national sports governing bodies to host a wealth of events. They range from meetings such as the USOC Athlete's Advisory Council to the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in 1996, Olympic trials in rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline, taekwondo and judo in 2004, numerous Junior Olympic and senior national championships, and the Visa Championships, the national gymnastics championships, to be held here in August.

In its announcement coverage, the San Jose Mercury News said: “SJSU was selected to host the U.S. delegation because of its location, weather, security and the city's standing with the Olympic committee. The USOC considered Washington, Chicago and Los Angeles, but committee official Steve Roush said the group's longtime relationship with the San Jose Sports Authority brought a 'level of comfort.'"

We look forward to hosting the USOC and our Olympic team next summer.

Patricia Ernstrom
Acting Executive Director

San Jose will be the gateway to the Beijing Olympics next summer for all U.S. athletes and coaches.

Jim Scherr, chief executive officer of the U.S. Olympic Committee, announced at a joint press conference with San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed, Patricia Ernstrom, executive director of the San Jose Sports Authority, and President Don Kassing of San Jose State University that San Jose State will be the U.S. Olympic Team Processing Center for the 2008 Games.

More than 600 athletes and 200-plus staff and officials of the U.S. team will receive team uniforms, receive final medical clearances, undergo media training and other briefings during their stay at the university before departing for Beijing, China. Because the entire team will not travel to and from China in a group, the processing center will operate for nearly a month beginning in July. The Olympic Games will be held Aug. 8-24.

Past team processing sites for the Summer Olympics include the University of Tampa (Florida) for the 1992 Barcelona Games, Atlanta, Ga. for the '96 Atlanta Games, San Diego for the 2000 Sydney Games and the American College of Greece for the 2004 Athens Games.

Tickets for the Aug. 15-18 Visa Championships – the U.S. national gymnastics championships – in HP Pavilion at San Jose and the McEnery Convention Center have been selling at record pace.

Those in the gymnastics community, including friends and supporters of the Sports Authority, have a special opportunity to purchase tickets before Monday, June 18, when sales to the general public begin. Simply go here and purchase tickets using the password FLIP.

This important meet will include every men's and women's gymnastic discipline and will be a prelude to next summer's Olympic Trials.

Here's the event schedule for what is sure to be an exciting four days of gymnastics:

At HP Pavilion

• Wednesday, Aug. 15: 1 p.m. Junior Men All-Around and Individual Events; 7 p.m. Senior Men All-Around and Individual Events Day 1.
• Thursday, Aug. 16: 1 p.m. Junior Women All-Around and Individual Events Day 1; 7 p.m. Senior Women All-Around and Individual Events Day 2.
• Friday, Aug. 17: 7 p.m. Senior Men All-Around and Individual Events Day 2.
• Saturday, Aug. 18: 1 p.m. Junior Women All-around and Individual Events Day 2; 6 p.m. Junior Women All-Around and Individual Events Day 2.

At McEnery Convention Center

• Thursday, Aug. 16: 9:30 a.m. Junior Rhythmic All-Around; Senior Rhythmic All-Around.
• Friday, Aug. 17: 10 a.m. Acrobatic Gymnastics Elite Prelims; 2 p.m. Acrobatic Gymnastics Elite Prelims.
• Saturday, Aug. 18: 10 a.m. Junior and Senior Rhythmic Event Finals and Acrobatic Elite Finals.

The United States Golf Association (USGA) has awarded a $42,000 grant to The First Tee of San Jose, the life skills and golf instruction program of the Sports Authority. It is the second of a planned three USGA grants to help establish the program.

The grant is one of five received by the San Jose chapter as seed money for the program, which includes CordeValle, a Rosewood Resort, World Golf Foundation, the Northern California Golf Association and the PGA/Nicklaus Grant administered by the Northern California section of the Professional Golfers of America.

The First Tee of San Jose Invitational, the major fund-raiser for our chapter, will be held Monday, July 16 at CordeValle.

Now is the time to enter and prepare for the second running of the Rock 'n' Roll 1/2 Marathon – San Jose, which will wind through a street course Sunday, Oct. 14 beginning at 8 a.m.

You can enter as a friend of the Sports Authority and receive a $10 discount off the $75 entry fee (the fee goes up to $85 on Aug. 1) by going here and using the password SJSA.

If you want to get into the spirit now, join fellow runners at one of two Rock 'n' Roll 1/2 Marathon Kick-Off Parties: from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, June 27 at the Sports Basement Presidio at Crissy Field in San Francisco and the same time Thursday, June 28 at the Sports Basement in Sunnyvale at 1177 Kern Ave. The parties will include complimentary refreshments, a 20% store discount until closing that night, a New Balance shoe clinic, an info session on Accelerade, the race's official on-course drink, a chance to ask training and medical questions of the Rock Doc and more.

Five Santa Clara County high school seniors were awarded REACH Youth Scholarships at the program’s annual breakfast May 11, which honored 53 local students who overcame adversity to excel in both academics and athletics. The breakfast was hosted and underwritten for the fourth consecutive year by the San Jose Marriott.

This year's winners were (L-R): Julianne Grosso of St. Francis High, Bethany Nollette of Leland High, Julie Galli of Archbishop Mitty High, Mia Williams of Overfelt High and Bernard Anthony of Gunn High. You can read more about their individual achievements here.

NFL Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott and women’s soccer star Brandi Chastain, honorary co-chairs, gave out $9,000 in scholarship awards on behalf of presenting sponsor Bridge Bank, with support from Hewlett-Packard, San Jose Sharks, San Jose Convention & Visitors Bureau, Team San Jose, National Tennis Championships, Cal-Hi Sports Bay Area, Southwest Airlines, San Jose Giants and Mike and Christy Akatiff. REACH is an acronym for Recognizing Excellence, Adversity, Courage and Hard work, in its 11th year as a program of the San Jose Sports Authority.

This is a gymnastics year for the Sports Authority. Santa Clara University's Leavey Center was the site of USA Gymnastics' Level 1, Region 8 championships in April.

When the Perry Siu, chair of the NorCal Women's Gymnastics Association, and the Sports Authority bid for the three-day competition with athletes from California, Nevada, Arizona and Utah, he planned for about 350 participants, the recent average for this annual competition.

But when the three-day competion was held, the flood of more than 400 athletes sent organizers scrambling for extra hotel space. The competition's first-ever stop in the South Bay was a rousing success.

"We were very pleased," Siu said. "We got a lot of positive comments from athletes, coaches and judges. They loved the event and the facility at Santa Clara."

Dave was first elected to San Jose City Council from District 8 in 2000 and reelected in 2004. In January he was unanimously appointed vice mayor. He grew up in San Jose as part of a family that has been active in civic, cultural and business activities for generations. His strong ancestral roots and love for this city fuel his passion for public service.

Prior to joining the City Council, Dave served two terms on the East Side Union High School District board of trustees. During that time he also practiced law and served as the general manager of several family-owned ranching, real estate and retail businesses that were first established in the Valley in 1917. He has been a strong supporter of reestablishing the San Jose Earthquakes soccer team and Major League Baseball in San Jose. He was directly involved with the Evergreen, East Hills, Alum Rock and Berryessa Little Leagues and was one of the founders of East Valley Girls Softball (PAL).

Dave was educated at Bellarmine College Prep, Santa Clara University, the University of California, Davis, and Lincoln University Law School. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a Juris Doctorate in Law. He lives with his wife Pattie and four children, David, Jr., Gina, Angela, and Matthew in the Evergreen area of San Jose.