Summer 2008 in San Jose flashed by at a world record pace

The San Jose Sports Authority spent much of the summer working closely with the U.S. Olympic Committee and San Jose State University to prepare and process each of the U.S. athletes on their way to the Summer Games in Beijing.
I would especially like to  thank each of the organizations that came together on the Local Organizing Committee, which included San Jose State, the Mayor & City Council Offices, the City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services, Office of Cultural Affairs plus, San Jose Downtown Association and NBC Bay Area. Many thanks to all for their collaboration on the many activities leading up the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

I would also like to extend a special and heartfelt thank you on behalf of all of us in San Jose to the United States Olympic Committee for selecting us for this distinguished honor and for all of their extraordinary work in preparing an amazing Team USA for the world stage in Beijing.

One of our initiatives included the street pole banners, supported by the San Jose Redevelopment Agency, and designed to welcome and salute the U.S. Olympic Team -- you probably noticed them throughout downtown. 

San Jose also hosted the first-ever U.S. Olympian Reunion, and the Sports Authority joined NBC Bay Area and the City of San Jose Parks, Recreation, and Neighborhood Services to host the Bay Area's largest outdoor viewing celebration of the Olympic Opening Ceremonies on 8/8/08.

In addition to all the Olympic-related activities leading up to the 2008 Olympic Games, we welcomed the USA Fencing Summer National Championships, the North American Roller Hockey Championships, and the LIVESTRONG Challenge to San Jose, each for the first time.

The success of these events would not have been possible without the tireless support of the Sports Authority's volunteers. On behalf of the Sports Authority Board and staff, I would like to extend a sincere thank you to everyone who donated their time, talent, and energies – you are terrific!

Patricia Ernstrom
Executive Director

Members of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team arrived in Beijing in style, sporting their official games apparel and full of Bay Area goodwill after their stop at San Jose State for USOC Team processing.

Sports Authority volunteers logged nearly 6,000 volunteer hours, and along with the USOC and Sports Authority staffs spent nearly four weeks at the SJSU student union, greeting athletes, and serving as their one-stop-shop for official podium, opening/closing ceremonies, and casual apparel, as well as media, cultural, and security briefings.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed welcomed athletes during one day of processing, and the Governor wished the athletes much success, and thanked San Jose for hosting Team Processing and the USOC.

Successfully hosting the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team marks another milestone in a very successful relationship between San Jose and the U.S. Olympic Committee.  The San Jose Sports Authority is proud to stand with its partners at San Jose State and the City of San Jose, having established San Jose as a frequent host of Olympic sports events including national championships and Olympic Trials.

Over 150 U.S. Olympians reunited in San Jose July 25-27 for the first-ever U.S. Olympian Reunion, an event coordinated by the U.S. Olympians Association, in partnership with its Northern California Olympians Alumni Chapter and the Bay Area Sports Organizing Committee.
The theme for the weekend, "Once an Olympian, Always an Olympian - Never former, never past" was evident in the smiles and camaraderie shared by this special group of athletes.  

The weekend included a welcome reception at City Hall, a tour of the Team Processing Center at San Jose State University, a BBQ at Discovery Meadow, and other social events over the course of the weekend.

Photo by John Todd, ISI Photos.

The Sports Authority joined NBC Bay Area and the City of San Jose Department of Parks, Recreation, and Neighborhood Services to host an outdoor viewing celebration of the Olympic Opening Ceremonies at St. James Park on 8/8/08.

San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed, as well as members of San Jose City Council, welcomed attendees to the event. Members of the USOC Team Processing staff, as well as the Team Processing volunteers, were recognized for their efforts during a special ceremony prior to the outdoor broadcast.

The San Jose Sports Authority is helping support the Rock n Roll ½ Marathon happening right here in downtown San Jose on Sunday, October 5th, and we are seeking volunteers to join this energetic and fun event!

The San Jose Rock n Roll 1/2 Marathon is still in need of helping hands. Consider coming out for a memorable day of fun either on Friday at the health and fitness expo and help register runners from around the world or on Sunday downtown San Jose to work the start/finish line. All volunteers will receive a race crew t-shirt, a free ticket to the post-race headliner concert, featuring Creedence Clearwater Revisited and a race goodie bag.

To get more information and sign up online go to www.RnRSJ.com and look under the volunteer page... you'll see what shifts are available and what the volunteers do. You can sign up by clicking the blue icon labeled "race crew". We need all hands to make this event spectacular and volunteers are right in the heart of the action... if you've been looking for inspiration this event is not to be missed. We have perfect spots for individuals and groups, for questions, contact volunteersj@eliteracing.com.

The 2008 Class of the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame was announced at a special reception at the Silicon Valley Capital Club on August 13.

This fourteenth class, which will be inducted on November 19 at dinner ceremony at HP Pavilion at San Jose, includes:

• Dick Gould, legendary Stanford tennis coach, who won 17 NCAA team championships and coached 10 singles and 14 doubles champions;
• George Gund, sports executive and philanthropist, first owner of the expansion San Jose Sharks in 1990 and who set the tone for San Jose’s emergence as a world-class sports city;
• John Oldham, standout baseball player with Campbell High School and San Jose State, and longtime coach at San Jose City College and Santa Clara University;
• And Margaret Jenkins (in memoriam), Santa Clara County’s first female Olympian, who competed in discus in the 1928 and 1932 Summer Games and was a trailblazer for women’s athletics.

The event, presented by Hewlett-Packard, begins with a reception and raffle drawing followed by dinner and induction ceremony. Dinner tickets begin at $200 each and may be reserved by calling (408) 288-2936. Sponsorship packages range from $2,000 to $15,000.

The 2008 Class brings to 67 the number of South Bay sports figures in the Hall of Fame, which recognizes each honoree with a bronze plaque permanently installed on the concourse at HP Pavilion. The annual dinner is an event of the San Jose Sports Authority, San Jose Arena Authority, HP Pavilion Management/San Jose Sharks and the City of San José. The event benefits Special Olympics Silicon Valley Region and local high school sports programs.

For more information and for complete inductee bios, visit www.sjsa.org.

Before the U.S. Fencing Team traveled to Beijing for one of the most successful team performances in U.S. history, some of the athletes first fine-tuned their skills at the USA Fencing Summer National Championships in San Jose.  The world’s largest fencing tournament, the Summer Nationals event included 3,500 participants and stretched across all three exhibit halls of the McEnery Convention Center from July 1-10.

On July 13, Lance Armstrong joined nearly 3,000 cyclists, runners, walkers, and an army of volunteers in the first-ever LiveStrong Challenge in Northern California, with event headquarters in downtown San Jose.

The event raised well in excess of $1.5 million, the largest total for a first-time LiveStrong Challenge. The signature event of the Lance Armstrong Foundation, the Challenge is also staged anually in Portland, Austin, and Philadelphia.

“We are deeply, deeply grateful for your time,” said Lance Armstrong, founder and chairman of the LAF, in comments to event participants. “With your continued support, we have a chance to win what I believe is the most important war of this generation” – the war on cancer. In addition to speaking to the crowd before and after the rides and 5K, Armstrong participated in the 65-mile ride.

Although 2009 plans are not finalized, Challenge organizers expect to be back in San Jose next year. Throughout the weekend, Armstrong and other LAF officials recognized the City of San Jose for its support and got giving the Foundation the opportunity to hold the event in a prime downtown location.  In addition, Armstrong noted one of the key advantages of holding the Challenge in San Jose again: “There are a whole heck of a lot of generous people here!”

Learn how you can get involved with the Lance Armstrong Foundation at www.livestrong.org.

On July 20-21, the Sports Authority held The Applied Materials First Tee of San Jose 2008 Invitational Presented by SAP at the CordeValle Golf Club. The event is the primary fundraiser for the First Tee of San Jose. The SJSA has hosted the invitational since 2002, and the event has been held at CordeValle Golf Club since 2004. Led by Victor M. Arrañaga, Jr., Chair of The First Tee of San Jose's board of directors, the 2008 Invitational raised $100,000.

At The First Tee of San Jose's home golf course, Rancho del Pueblo, the 2008 summer season has come to a close with a registration of close to 300 participants.  

Over Labor Day Weekend, 15 year-old Ryan Rankin represented The First Tee of San Jose at the fifth-annual Wal-Mart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach presented by Nature Valley, a nationally televised Champions Tour tournament. Ryan is the first participant of the San Jose chapter to play in the event.    In addition to his dedication to The First Tee program, Ryan is a member of the Archbishop Mitty High School Varsity Golf Team and the Junior Golf Association of Northern California League.

Fall class information is available at www.thefirstteesanjose.org.

San Jose will again host the Amgen Tour of California professional cycling road race.  This year’s event will be on Tuesday, February 17, and San Jose will be the start city of race’s Stage 4 that will finish in Modesto.

The race will be expanded in 2009 and include stops in 16 host cities over the course of nine days from February 14-22. Already considered cycling’s most important and successful road race in the United States, the event’s fourth running will be expanded to cover more than 800 miles over the nine days. Traveling almost the entire length of California, the race will begin in Sacramento and finish in San Diego County (a new addition to the race) on February 22. Also for the first time, the riders will cross the Golden Gate Bridge at the beginning of Stage 3.

“San Jose is honored to host the Amgen Tour of California every year since its inception,” said San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed. “This world-class cycling race builds on San Jose’s rich cycling history and on the terrific Amgen Tour of California stages produced by San Jose during the past three years. As a city that encourages cycling as an alternative form of transportation, the Tour raises awareness about the environmental and health benefits of cycling," said Reed.

For more information, visit www.amgentourofcalifornia.com.

The San Jose Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon has issued a GET FIT Challenge to businesses and government agencies. Organizations, large and small, are encouraged to form a team of colleagues and start training for the third annual musical half marathon set for Sunday, October 5, 2008. 

The GET FIT Challenge is designed to motivate co-workers to step out of the office, get fit, have fun and work towards a goal together,” said Elizabeth O’Brien, the event’s general manager.

The GET FIT Challenge consists of four divisions – Small Company (99 or fewer employees), Medium Company (100-999 employees), Large Company (1000 employees or more) and Government (city, county and public agencies). Unique Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon trophies will be presented to the top three teams in each division, which have the greatest number of finishers, as well as the fastest finishing times. The fastest teams will be determined by combining the top three finish times per team.

Teams entering the GET FIT Challenge should choose a team name and select a team captain. To register, visit www.rnrsj.com and complete the “Team Request Form.”

Once the team is registered, all members can take advantage of the New Balance Active Trainer program. The Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon San Jose has teamed up with New Balance and Active Trainer coaches Jenny Hadfield and John "The Penguin" Bingham to provide complimentary online half-marathon and recovery training programs. These training programs offer a balance of aerobic, anaerobic and cross-training workouts built to get people of all levels across the finish line Visit www.rnrsj.com for complete details.