California State Games Face Big Challenge

IRVINE — Coming on the heels of the Atlanta Olympics, which some dubbed the “glitch games,” the California State Games wanted to start off right.

But the Olympic-style festival, which features 17 sports competitions over four days this weekend in Orange County, stumbled in its first competition Thursday when one of the girls’ basketball teams didn’t show up for its first game.

Fortunately for California State Games executive director Sandy Hill, it has been smooth sailing since then.

“We’ve had no major problems,” Hill said. “Just little things.”

That’s pretty good considering the scope of the event.

In its eighth year, the festival features 5,500 athletes, two-thirds of them ages 11-18, participating in sports from basketball to taekwondo. There are also 13 cities in Orange County hosting events.

Today is the biggest day of competition and the festival concludes Sunday. Badminton, soccer, field hockey, fencing and boys’ basketball began Friday and the games’ opening ceremonies were Friday night at Cal State Fullerton.

Although the participants rave about the games, the festival admittedly has an identity problem.

“We have no problem attracting the athletes to come out to the games,” Hill said. “It’s the general public that doesn’t know about us. Our problem is California; it’s a big state.”

This year, the games have attracted some top talent--including Pasadena’s Obea Moore, who advanced to the semifinals of the 400 meters at the U.S. Olympic trials this year.

“We put these games together so more people could enjoy an Olympic-type experience,” Hill said. “The opening ceremonies are a big part of that.”

And it could open a new era for the California State Games.

“We’re trying to make Orange County the permanent site for the games,” said Brian McInerney, the vice chairman of the local organizing committee.

Hill, who has been with the California State Games since their inception, said the event could become a fixture in Orange County if a number of things occur. One proposal divides the state into eight regions to encourage local participation and serve as qualifying events for the California State Games. If the proposal is approved, a permanent site is a viable option.

Ideally, the festival wants to showcase some of the top athletic talent in the state, but Hill also said it shouldn’t deprive others from the “Olympic experience.”

Hill wants to share that type of experience with the masses. Because she helped plan the ’91 U.S. Olympic festival in Los Angeles, she understands the special feelings involved with the festival atmosphere.

Hill envisions the day when it is an established event, like New York’s Empire State Games.

“They started in the 70s,” Hill said. “So they had a big head start.”

Notes

The gold-medal basketball games for the 17-and-under girls (today) and boys (Sunday) are at Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate school . . . Other highlights today include judo (Chapman University, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.), synchronized swimming at Crown Valley Regional Recreation Center in Laguna Niguel (9 a.m.-5 p.m.) and fencing (Oak Middle School, Los Alamitos, 10 a.m.-noon) . . . Boys’ and girls’ soccer gold-medal matches are Sunday at 2:45 p.m. at San Juan Capistrano Sports Park and the top-level gymnastics finals are scheduled at 4 p.m. Sunday at Buena Park High.

Some of the top young amateur athletes from Orange County will be honored at the California Athletes of Distinction Celebrity Dinner tonight at the Irvine Marriott. Jerry Mathers is the master of ceremonies and Bill Walton is the featured speaker. The athletes are: Sheryl Anderson (Orange), Bree Denison (Dana Point), Jim Farley (San Clemente), Lauren Franson (Laguna Niguel), Jesse Graham (Irvine), Tim Haney (Los Alamitos), Isaiah Hicks (Cypress), Mike Jacob (Mission Viejo), Katie Lowes (Lake Forest), Kevin McLaughlin (Garden Grove), Tony Milo (Laguna Hills), John Morgan (San Juan Capistrano), Kendra Oakes (San Juan Capistrano), Amber Piece (Los Alamitos), Riki-Anne Serrins (Mission Viejo), Pat Summers (La Habra), Gretchen Thompson (Brea), Trevor Therio (Costa Mesa), Marissa Treinen (Laguna Hills), Rob Tuttle (Laguna Niguel), George Wagner (Garden Grove), Michelle Woiemberghe (Cypress), Rachel Ziemann (Huntington Beach) and Bianca Ziemann (Huntington Beach).