Queen of the Beach 2008. Photos by Ross Forman.
The 12th annual Queen of the Beach volleyball tournament, held June 28 near Montrose Beach, was the biggest ever—41 two-person teams and six four-person teams.
'We're very happy with the turnout,' said Chad Carroll, who has been the tournament director for seven years. 'We had a cookout [ at the beach ] this year and I think the players really enjoyed that.
'The competition [ level ] was up to past years.'
Jake Conrad and Paul Romano claimed the championship in the top-tiered Queen Division, followed by Tony Akers and Scott Parachek—who are partners on and off the court and were silver medal winners at the Gay Games in Chicago in 2006.
Kreg Helgoth and Luis, who chose not to release his last name, finished in third place in the Queen Division.
Ryan Nunez and Chris teamed to win the Princess Division, followed by Ferdie Medrano and Paul Dolatowski. Romero Hernandez and Lance Wahl came in third place.
'There were a lot of new faces [ playing ] this year, which was good to see,' said Carroll, 37.
The tournament attracted about 120 players, including four females. Players ranged from 20 to 45. There was a team from Columbus, Ohio, and a player from Washington, D.C.
Pride Bowl goes smoothly
The inaugural Pride Bowl flag-football tournament featured a thrilling, albeit soggy, championship game in the Competitive Division.
San Diego surprised tournament favorite Los Angeles 39-35 in the finals of the two-day, 12-team event, held June 27-28 at Foster Beach.
'I thought things went very well throughout the tournament,' said Marcia Hill, president of the Chicago Metropolitan Sports Association ( CMSA ) , which ran the event under the direction of Chipp Collins and Shawn Albritton.
The tournament, played on three fields, featured only three Chicago-based teams. Additionally, several locals—such as Brian Walker, James Platt and Ty Law—joined out-of-state clubs, playing for the runner-up Los Angeles team. There were about 150 overall players, including a female from Phoenix and a trans quarterback from New York.
'Not every [ out-of-state ] team brought their top team, and there were a lot of combined teams, but the overall level of play was very good, especially in the [ Competitive Division ] championship game, which was back and forth throughout. It really was an exciting, highly-contested game.
'We had the opportunity with the Pride Bowl to show the nation that, yes, Chicago can host a great flag football tournament. And I think we did just that,' Hill said.
Registration for the CMSA flag-football season will be in early August, with games starting in mid-September.
Force gets playoff win
The Chicago Force scored its biggest win in team history June 28, coming from behind to defeat its archrival, the Detroit Demolition, 8-7, at North Park University. The win was the Force's first playoff victory since 2003 and ousts the defending national champions.
Dawn Adams returned a punt 75 yards in the third quarter as the Demolition grabbed a 7-0 edge. Melissa Smith answered for the Force with 2:55 remaining, rushing in from seven yards out. Smith then scored the two-point conversion and the hosts triumphed, pushing their 2008 record to 9-0.
'We made it a little too exciting for my liking, but this definitely was a memorable win,' said Linda Bache, one of the original Force players and a standout on defense. 'I dreamed and visualized this win for weeks. This is fantastic.'
The Force's second playoff game is Sat., July 12, at North Park University. They face the Pittsburgh Passion, with the winner of that game advancing to the national championship game, set for Sun., July 26, at North Park University.
'Girlz Got Game' stresses
sports and health
By Ross Forman
The inaugural Girlz Got Game 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament, set for July 26-27 inside the Billie Jean King Recreation Hall at the Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted, is the first event of its kind that organizers hope will become an annual summertime tradition in Chicago.
And it's not because of the hoops action.
Yes, there will be plenty of net play. The tournament will feature about 25 five-person teams competing in four divisions, based on players' age. There also will be a three-point shooting contest with, hopefully, 35 local ballers competing, organizers said.
However, there will also be a two-day health fair, with free screening for HIV, diabetes, cholesterol, high blood pressure, body mass index and more.
'We want to create a fun, safe environment for women to play basketball against other women and also have a chance for free health services,' said Anna Rainey, 24, of Chicago, one of the event's directors. 'People still are not getting tested, so they don't know their [ health ] status. We wanted to put two things together: basketball and a health fair.
'There are health fairs all the time; people often don't go just because it's a health fair. But, packaging [ the health fair ] around a women's basketball tournament will, hopefully, attract more people.'
Rainey, a lesbian, predicted that about 50 percent of the players will be lesbians, and that players will range from 18 to 60.
Although men will not be playing in the 2008 tournament, Rainey said men can get tested at the event. And the event's three-year plan does include expansion into a men's division. Plus, the long-term goal, she said, is to have regional events in Las Vegas, Atlantic City and Chicago in 2009, with the national finals in Chicago.
'I can't encourage people enough to come out … watch the games, get tested and have fun,' Rainey said.
Admission is $5 for one day or $8 for both.
For more information, contact Rainey at 773-428-0095.
