Dear Friends:

The San Jose Sports Authority continues its extraordinary success in attracting and hosting great events in San Jose. We are delighted to share recent news about a wide variety of events with you in this newsletter, from national and international competition to ongoing community focused activities of the Sports Authority.

In the past three years, the Sports Authority has attracted, hosted and co-hosted events that will deliver more than $200 million in estimated economic impact to San Jose.

As you may know, the Sports Authority is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization. We are proud to work on behalf of the City to bring world class sporting events to Silicon Valley, as well as continuing to produce and enhance our ongoing programs such as the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame, The First Tee of San Jose, and the REACH Youth Scholarship program.

These events and programs are made possible through the generosity of the community supporters and patrons who prioritize and value the Sports Authority's ongoing success, growth, and mission. In addition to the essential support from the City of San Jose, we are grateful for our major corporate champions Adobe, Applied Materials, Cisco Systems, and Hewlett-Packard.

As our fiscal year comes to an end, we are asking for your continued support by becoming an individual or corporate patron of the San Jose Sports Authority.

In addition to a myriad of benefits, including event sponsor opportunities, VIP hospitality at select SJSA events, priority ticket opportunities, and invaluable networking access, your contribution is tax-deductible and helps to ensure that San Jose continues to be a premier sports destination on the West Coast.

Please contact me at patricia@sjsa.org for more information, or go to www.sjsa.org to donate now. We look forward to having you on our team.

Patricia Ernstrom
Executive Director

For the third time since 1997, San Jose hosted one of America’s premier annual sporting events when March Madness returned to the Silicon Valley.

With host institution San Jose State University, the Sports Authority and HP Pavilion partnered to welcome the NCAA and eight participating institutions to San Jose; University of New Mexico University, Marquette University, University of Washington, University of Montana, Vanderbilt University, Butler University, University of Texas El Paso, and Murray State University.

Fans were treated to incredible games at HP Pavilion. The first days' games were summed up with the San Jose Mercury News headline “Upset City”. San Jose saw the tournament’s first upset as #13 Murray State’s last minute buzzer-beater over #4 Vanderbilt aired coast-to-coast and was ESPN SportsCenter’s top play of the day. #11 Washington gave PAC-10 fans a thrill with an upset over #6 Marquette.

Emerging from the all of the games in San Jose was the tournament’s clear-cut Cinderella story Butler University, which rode victories over UTEP and Murray State in San Jose all the way to the Championship game in Indianapolis against the Duke Blue Devils.

“It’s a great location for our fans, and the building is fantastic,” Greg Shaheen, who oversees the tournament as the NCAA’s senior vice president, told the Mercury News. “It says a lot that it’s not a basketball building day-in and day-out but it feels like that when we’re there ...we get the feeling that whole area embraces the NCAA Tournament, which is all we could ask for.”

Based on a primary independent study in 2007, it is estimated that the tournament delivers approximately $20 million in economic impact each time it lands in San Jose.

San Jose will host the tournament again in 2013, when the West Coast Conference, in conjunction with the HP Pavilion and the San Jose Sports Authority, will host first and second-round games on March 21-23.

The 2013 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship will mark the 75th Anniversary of the championship.

The largest cycling event in America, the 2010 Amgen Tour of California, presented by AEG, again featured cycling icon Lance Armstrong, now in his second year since returning to professional racing in North America.

The Tour covered more than 800 miles of beautiful California terrain. It all kicked-off with the first ever visit to Nevada City, CA, which was also celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Nevada City Classic, in which many notable riders got their start. The eight-day race traveled through some of the state's most scenic landmarks, with the overall finish taking place in title-sponsor Amgen's hometown community of Thousand Oaks, where Michael Rogers and Team HTC-Columbia won the overall title.

The Stage 4 Start festivities opened at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday May, 19 at Park & Almaden in downtown. A special thanks to Peggy Fleming (founding board member of the San Jose Sports Authority and Chair of the 2012 U.S. Figure Skating Championships) who fired the start gun at 11 a.m. in support of the Tour's "Break Away From Cancer" initiative. The race continued through the downtown core to begin the Sierra Road climb—one of the most challenging sections of the race—before finishing the day in Modesto, where Francesco Chicchi (Liquigas-Doimo) was the first across the finish line, and Dave Zabriskie (Garmin-Transitions) held a 4-second lead at the race's halfway point. The Sports Authority managed a team of over 250 volunteers who were stationed across the Stage 4 route.

Peggy Fleming fired the starting gun to begin Stage 4 of the Tour in San Jose.

The 16-team field was comprised of a collection of the world’s best international professional cycling teams, along with a selection of top North American-based teams. The teams were led by prominent UCI ProTour and Pro Continental teams, such as the three-time defending champion Levi Leipheimer and seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong’s team RadioShack.

For further information on the 2010 Amgen Tour of California, visit www.amgentourofcalifornia.com.

In conjunction with the Tour of California, the City of San Jose hosted the second annual San Jose Cycling Classic, May 15 - 20.

The San Jose Cycling Classic is a multi-discipline cycling event for domestic professional, amateur and members of the vibrant Bay Area cycling community.

New this year was the inclusion of the Mattson Technology San Jose ViaVelo which joined the Classic’s popular SunPower King of the Mountain Ride (KOM) with a Webcor Builders Executive Challenge.

The Mattson Technology San Jose ViaVelo transformed San Fernando Street in Downtown into a car-free promenade to bike, walk, dance, stroll, play games, and enjoy a sunny May day. The event included a family fun ride, a geo caching scavenger hunt, community booths, demonstrations, live music and other free activities. The Office of Economic Development, the Office of Cultural Affairs and the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition (SVBC), in conjunction with STREETFILMS/STREETSBLOG, produced a short-film showcasing the inaugural event. Watch it here.

The SunPower King of the Mountain Ride is an individual challenge for skilled adult cycling athletes who can successfully take on ultra steep climbs and tough terrain. KOM cyclists crossed a timing point at the base of Sierra Road to activate timing chips and began their ascent up Sierra Road - a challenging 3.7-mile, 1,830-foot, gradient of 10 percent. At the summit, riders were invited to attend a reception and watch as competitors from the Amgen Tour of California completed the climb and continued their ride to Modesto.

The Classic also featured an exciting week of ancillary activities, with something for everyone.

On May 18th, the City of San Jose’s Bicycle & Pedestrian Program Coordinator – John Brazil – led a “Get Back on Your Bike!” free lunchtime presentation at the MLK Library.

On Thursday, May 20th, The Classic capped off a week of great activities with the King of the Mountain Awards Ceremony and a free showing of one of cycling’s most popular and timeless movies, Breaking Away, at Camera 12 Downtown.

Funds raised from the San Jose Cycling Classic events supported health, fitness and cycling. Beneficiaries include the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training, the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition and Fit for Learning, an initiative—provided by the Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE) in cooperation with Healthy Silicon Valley—that will increase physical activity and encourage healthy nutrition among elementary school students in Santa Clara County. In addition, the San Jose Cycling Classic provided a platform to raise awareness about green mobility and the San Jose Green Vision.

For more information, visit www.sanjosecyclingclassic.com.

The 14th Annual REACH Youth Scholarship Awards were presented on April 22 at the San Jose Marriott to eight remarkable young student athletes, who have used sports as a catalyst to overcome major hardships in their lives.

REACH, an acronym for “Recognizing Excellence, Adversity, Courage and Hard work,” awards scholarships to students who overcome adversity to excel in both academics and athletics. College-bound seniors from any Santa Clara County high school are eligible for the scholarship. To apply, students submit essays sharing their personal stories and achievements.

A 14-member selection committee reviews each essay and announces the scholarship recipients at an awards breakfast each Spring. The Sports Authority launched the REACH program in 1996.

The 2010 REACH program was presented by Cisco Systems, with support from Adobe, American Airlines, Cal-Hi Sports Bay Area, Corporate Printing Resource, eBay Foundation, Gilbane Building Company, Golden State Warriors, Hewlett-Packard Company, San Jose Marriott, Mouse Ink Creative Design Services. National Tennis Championships, San Jose Earthquakes, San Jose Giants, San Jose Sharks, and San Francisco 49ers.

REACH Chairman Ronnie Lott was joined by Co-Chair Brandi Chastain, as well as special celebrity guests Joe Cannon (goalkeeper from the San Jose Earthquakes), Bret Hedican (former NHL defenseman and current Comcast Sports commentator), Josh Morgan (San Francisco 49ers wide receiver), Mike Ricci, former San Jose Sharks player and current Development Coach), and Ronny Turiaf (Golden State Warriors forward). Cal-Hi Sports Bay Area host Robert Braunstein served as Master of Ceremonies.

Eight students were awarded a total of $15,000 in scholarships. The 2010 award recipients were Jonathan Martinez (Willow Glen High School), Darryl Sepulveda (Eastside College Prep), Ramya Kedlaya (Monta Vista High School), Linda Ajoku (Santa Teresa High School), Michael Condon (Saint Francis High School), Mauricio Munoz (Willow Glen High School), Maria Segura (Willow Glen High School), and Stephanie Weed (Archbishop Mitty High School).

In 2012, San Jose will host the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and deposits for All-Event Ticket Packages are now being accepted.

This is your chance to receive priority seating to this spectacular event. With an All-Event Ticket, you get the best seats to every championship session plus other special perks.

The deposit is only $50 per seat and All-Event Ticket Packages start as low as $225. If you haven't already placed your deposit to see the top U.S. figure skaters compete for the national title, click here for an order form.

To receive e-mail updates about the 2012 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in San Jose, click here to register via the event website.

Stayed tuned to SkateSanJose2012.com for all of the latest news and updates leading up to the 2012 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

Sign Up! Summer classes are just around the corner and begin on June 15th. Visit The First Tee of San Jose Home Page for links and complete information.

Mandatory pre-season meetings for parents and guardians of all new and returning participants are on June 5th for San Jose and June 12th for Palo Alto classes.

The First Tee of San Jose is pleased to be partners with the Frys.com Open tournament to be held at CordeValle the week of October 11th - 17th. We are encouraging anyone interested to volunteer and get involved! A volunteer application for the Frys.com Open is available here.

On July 10 - 11, the LIVESTRONG Challenge returns to downtown San Jose. The Center for Performing Arts will be home to the LIVESTRONG Village, a health and wellness expo with non-profit, local, and national vendors who provide samples of their products and previews of their new merchandise. On July 11, the multi-distance bike ride with 10, 20, 50, 65 and 100 mile options will start and end in downtown near the LIVESTRONG village.

In the spirit of LIVESTRONG's mission to inspire and empower people affected by cancer, they invite children in active treatment to participate in the LIVESTRONG Challenge via pedicab. Their enthusiasm is contagious as they ride among the riders, reminding us all what we're truly fighting for.

One of the highlights of the LIVESTRONG Challenge is the "yellow mile" where participants are welcomed home by friends and family, while being cheered on by volunteers and staff for their personal accomplishments. Surrounded by the color which has inspired and empowered Lance and millions of others, each cancer survivor is given a yellow rose when they cross the finish line to commemorate their survivorship. The LIVESTRONG CHALLEGE strives to make sure that each participant feels as recognized as the first finisher.

Afterward, finishers, along with their friends and family, are encouraged to hang out, enjoy the food and entertainment provided at the post-event party and share stories of your LIVESTRONG experience with other participants.

REGISTER TODAY!

This year, The LIVESTRONG Challenge has implemented the following registration window in San Jose:

• April 12, 2010—July 11, 2010: Registration Fee: $50

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series is taking the nation by storm, cultivating an entourage of running rockstars from across the country.

Get together with your Rock ‘n’ Roll roadies and hit the streets on June 2nd in celebration of National Running Day.

Whether you’re walking, running or rockin’ and rollin’, consider this your excuse to get movin’. In honor of National Running Day, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series is offering a $15 discount* off all races in the series for one day only! On June 2, register with online code RUNDAY to receive $15 discount.

This is your time to shine. We’ll see you on the road.

Looking for National Running Day events in your area? Check out the links below:

• Visit the National Running Day website.
• The Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series will be hosting runs in some of their event cities. Check back to the Rock 'n' Roll website for more information!

*Code is valid from 12:00 am PDT – 11:59 pm PDT. Code cannot be combined with other offers. Offer is only applicable to races with registration that is currently open and cannot be applied to premium packages.

Grab your Partner in Grime for a fun 6 mile trail ride and run on June 6 at the Columbia Muddy Buddy in San Jose! This dirty adventure has mud, suds (Redhook beer garden!), obstacles and a costume contest, and will be held at Joseph D. Grant Regional Park. Get more dirt at www.muddybuddy.com! Produced by Rock ‘n’ Roll San Jose Half Marathon organizers.