The Los Angeles Watts Summer Games are back! After a one year hiatus the largest high school athletic competition in the nation has returned with an expanded program that includes an Educational Component! United States Representative for California’s 35th congressional district Maxine Waters is the honorary chair for the 2011 LA Watts Summer Games (LAWSG). The Games are scheduled to take place over two weekends: Saturday, June 11th, Sunday June 12th and June 18th at LA Southwest College, South Coast Soccer City and local area High Schools. One of the many highlights of the Program this year is that legendary NBA Basketball player and PGA Executive Director, Jerry West will be the Honorary Chair for Basketball attending the semi-finals at LA Southwest College on Sunday, June 12th @ 9am.
This event was created as a positive response to the Watts riots to “build bridges of understanding” in our communities, but it is much more than just an athletic competition it is really a “human relations” event. For the last 43 years the Games has brought high school athletes together from different communities to meet and build some common ground.
The inaugural L.A. Watts Summer Games were held in 1968 at Locke High School. Originally called the Watts Summer Olympics, the Games were modeled after the Olympic Games by Bill Sims and fellow members of the Los Angeles Junior Chamber of Commerce. This year the Games participants will compete in 6 boys and girls athletic events including basketball, football, lacrosse, soccer, softball and volleyball.
The Games Committee is excited that Congresswoman Maxine Waters will be the Honorary Chair of the 2011 LA Watts Summer Games along with acclaimed former NBA legendary icon Jerry West formerly of the World Champion Los Angeles Lakers as the Honorary Chair for Basketball.
“We have many Los Angeles community leaders to thank for helping us to bring the Games back this year. We have built a strong team of supporters and are pushing forward to have an even greater impact in the community”, says Delece James the current Games Chairman.
Celebrating over 200,000 participants to date, the LAWSG boasts a prestigious list of Alumni including Track & Field legends Kevin Young and Florence Griffith Joyner, WNBA star Lisa Leslie, and a host of other extraordinary NBA and NFL players including Tyus Edney, John Elway, David Greenwood, Roy Hamilton, Lucious Harris, Bill Lambier, James Washington and Jamaal Wilkes among many others
The L.A. Watts Summer Games were created by the L.A. Junior Chamber of Commerce (LAJCC) to promote the principles of sportsmanship, teamwork and positive achievement. It is the philosophy of the Games that all of the young men and women who compete are winners in their own right, because they do their best, and come together from different backgrounds to participate in the spirit of fair play. As the Games celebrate more than 40 years of achievement, the LAJCC is not only renewing their commitment to the community – they are standing strong and prepared to strengthen it.
For further information on how you can help out by volunteering, sponsorship or through making donations, as well as a full schedule of events please visit www.lawsg.org.
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