Competition continues to evolve after 30 years
by MATT KRUEGER Reporter

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, the Empire State Games should be blushing like a June bride.

Since the Games' inception in 1978, 36 other states have followed suit by creating their own form of mini Olympics.

As the other states in the union emulate New Yorkers, the organizers of the Empire State Games get to feel rather proud of the creation they have worked to grow and preserve for the past three decades.

"I think it's flattering," Empire State Games director Fred Smith said. "It's a testament to New York's commitment to sports and recreation."

But a trip to some other competitions would show worlds of difference. The California State Games feature junior lifeguarding, surfing and roller skating. The Iowa Games have adventure race, skateboarding and water skiing. The Sunflower State Games in Kansas showcase disc golf, flag football and ultimate Frisbee. Minnesota has something called a basketball hot shot. The Big Sky Games in Montana have Brazilian Ju Jitsu. And many states feature sports not seen in the Empire State Games like baton twirling, BMX biking, dodgeball, figure skating, handball, kick ball, rock climbing, table tennis and wiffle ball.

The Empire State Games have continued to grow in the past 30 years and will host more than 6,000 athletes from across the state next week. But it leaves the question of how the games can continue to increase its popularity.

"I think we'll continue to grow, but it's a controlled growth," Smith said. "We're pretty maxed out in some venues as far as beds and rooms for the athletes. Any growth now will probably be at the cost of something else."

There have been talks among Smith and the regional directors about adding new competitions to the Empire State Games. After all, if the Show Me State Games in Missouri can hold 40 events, including cross country, darts, dressage and flag football, why can't New York update its competition list?

"We might replace some sports down the line," Smith said. "We'll take a look at new sports that generate a lot of interest. We have no plans to make any sweeping changes, but you could see something in the future."

Sports have changed over the years. Open baseball, open field hockey, handball and water polo have been discontinued at the Games, while men's and women's rugby transferred from open to masters in 2004. Fencing and shooting were cancelled for the 2003 ESGs in Buffalo, but brought back for the 2004 Games in Binghamton.

Beyond the growth aspect though, Smith said his focus for the coming years is to keep some perspective on the competition. He wants to make sure nobody is excluded.

"I think sometimes we fall victim to our own success," he said.

"The games have been perceived as the state's best athletes. That's good, but we don't want to discourage athletes from trying out. I've heard that before, that someone didn't want to try out because he wasn't all-state in high school. We encourage all people to try out and give it a shot. We used to have a poster here in the office that read 'On any given day, anyone can win.' We still believe that."

e-mail: mkrueger@beenews.com