Chicago Games, Inc. and the Federation of Gay Games announced July 1 that online registration for Gay Games VII, scheduled for 15-22 July 2006 in Chicago, has begun.
Individuals interested in participating in any of the 30 sports plus band and choral events can register online at www.GayGamesChicago.org . Select the 'Registration' button from the home page and, after reviewing some preliminary guidance, register for Gay Games VII.
'The Gay Games VII online registration system is an extremely sophisticated system built by Gay Games VII and Federation of Gay Games sports, culture, technology and marketing volunteers working in a database environment created by Afficient, a Chicago-based firm that provides registration technology architecture to large international multi-sport events,' said Jefferson McCarley, co-chair of the Gay Games VII Technology Committee. 'In addition to the extra work performed by the dedicated professionals at Afficient, dozens of volunteers put in hundreds of hours to bring the registration system to the world in record-breaking time.'
'The online registration system is designed to do much more than just 'reserve' a spot in a Gay Games VII sport with just basic contact information,' said Tracy Baim, Gay Games VII Board Co-VP and co-chair of the Gay Games VII Technology Committee. 'The system guides the athlete or artist through a series of questions that are critical to ensuring the proper placement of the participant in his or her sport or cultural program, enhances the organizational and financial success of Gay Games VII through key demographic questions, and uses technology to emphasize the high priority the FGG and Chicago organizers place on the health and safety of the athlete or artist.'
To illustrate how the system's sophistication will enhance the athlete's experience, CGI Co-VP Kevin Boyer gave five examples from the online registration system:
— Swimmers are asked to identify the events in which they would like to compete and provide entry times, guiding tournament directors as they schedule swimming heats.
— Softball players are asked to identify their competitive division, and, if female, whether they will be playing in fast pitch or slow-pitch softball. Men aren't asked this question since there is no men's fast-pitch softball—a testament to the sophistication of the online database.
— Martial artists are asked to identify their experience—from beginners (white belts) on up to black belts—essential information to plan for a safe and inclusive martial arts competition.
— Tennis players are asked to place themselves in a competitive level, whether they'll be playing singles or doubles, and are given hints on how to determine their competitive level with eight countries' rating systems provided as examples.
— And in each sport where a senior division is provided, athletes are given the choice to compete as 'seniors' or to compete in a division more suited to their experience level. Similar choices are offered to physically challenged athletes.
Team and partners/pairs competitions were incorporated into the database with the kind of flexibility desired by athletes and the organizations representing them. Individuals can register for a team or partner sport all by themselves and request to be matched with a team or partner. Teams can also register together, with team captains being provided Confirmation IDs that, once shared with teammates, link the individuals together as a team for the Gay Games. Teams can be built with a small core of athletes registering early, adding players as confirmed availability is obtained. Examples of team sports include softball, rugby, and ice hockey. Examples of partner sports include tennis (doubles), diving (synchronized diving), and beach volleyball.
'The result of all this hard work,' said Gene Dermody, Federation Board member and co-chair of the FGG Registration Advisory Group, 'is a complete registration system that has been tested and retested by FGG and Chicago sports experts for more than a month. The system has been built by experienced technologists, and has significant improvements gained from the collective experiences of the six previous Gay Games.'
Sam Coady, Gay Games VII Sports Co-Chair and co-chair of the Gay Games VII Registration Team, said, 'With still more than two years to go before the Gay Games VII Opening Ceremony at Soldier Field, this is the earliest that Gay Games registration has ever opened.'
In a letter to the Chicago team July 1, FGG Co-Presidents Kathleen Webster and Roberto Mantaci wrote: 'On behalf of the FGG Board of Directors, we thank each of you for your work, commitment and partnership in working with the FGG and our worldwide constituents to produce a great Gay Games VII Registration System.' The co-presidents will be able to deliver their thanks in person as they and about a dozen other FGG delegates travel to Chicago July 8-13 for an FGG Strategic Planning Meeting and Gay Games VII Site Visit.
The Gay Games were conceived by Dr. Tom Waddell, an Olympic decathlete, and were first held in San Francisco in 1982 with 1,350 participants. Subsequent Gay Games were held in San Francisco (1986; 3,500 participants), Vancouver (1990; 7,300 participants), New York (1994; 12,500 participants), Amsterdam (1998; 13,000 participants), and Sydney (2002; 11,000 participants). Gay Games VII will include 30 sports ranging from Softball to DanceSport, Swimming to Tennis. The Gay Games were last in North America in 1994, when New York hosted Gay Games IV. Yankee Stadium was the site of that Closing Ceremony with a sell-out crowd of 55,000.
The Federation of Gay Games is the international governing body that perpetuates the quadrennial Gay Games and promotes the event's founding principles of inclusion, participation and personal best. For more information, visit GayGames.org .
Chicago Games, Inc. is the host of Gay Games VII and is led by people from Chicago's business, sports and non-profit sectors. See www.GayGamesChicago.org, e-mail info@gaygameschicago.org, or call (773) 907-2006.
Chicago Water
Polo Team Benefit
Chicago has a recent addition to the International Gay and Lesbian Aquatics (IGLA) circuit, the Chicago Riptide water polo team.
The Chicago Riptide made its debut at IGLA 2003 in San Francisco. 'When we defeated the Toronto Triggerfish in a close game at IGLA, it felt like all of our efforts paid off. This was a major victory to a team that had battled many obstacles and started with mostly newcomers to the sport,' the team said in a letter.
They practice Tuesdays and Thursdays at Gill Park from 8:30-9: 30 p.m. and at Harrison Park from 9-10 p.m.
They are hosting their second annual fundraiser to raise money for the team to compete at IGLA 2004. The event will be held Wed., July 21, at Sidetrack from 6-9 p.m. Tickets are $20 and include hor 'de vors, some drinks and a raffle entry.
See www.chicagoriptide.com .
