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Join today and recieve local restaurant gift certificates! As a Sports Commission member, you'll receive a $25 & $50 gift certificate in return for your membership! Your membership support is 100% tax deductible as a charitable or business expense. Join today!
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April 2007 Newsletter
New Faces in KC will affect our Sports Landscape by Mr. Kevin M. Gray, President On March 27, several changes took place; one closer to home and one made a splash not heard around these parts for quite some time. It seems like only yesterday, but after four years with our organization, our very own Jess Blubaugh is off to much bigger opportunities. Jess has accepted a position with the Women's Sports Foundation in New York. We like to promote from within around here and Jess was our former intern who earned a full-time job. As she grew professionally and personally, we enjoyed having her as a solid associate and team player. We will miss Jess around here and most assuredly wish her well.
Welcome to our new mayorJust in case you missed the news, we now have a new Mayor for Kansas City, Missouri - Mark Funkhouser.
We had the good fortune of knowing our current Mayor Barnes before she was elected, and she has done an outstanding job for not only our city, but has supported this organization enthusiastically and for that, we are most grateful.
Mayor-elect Mark Funkhouser will also be a very solid and enthusiastic supporter of our organization because I know he respects our highly entrepreneurial efforts to work on behalf of our city. We look forward to working with Mayor elect Funkhouser and will work to assist him and his staff as they transition into their new roles at City Hall.
Game on!From our perspective, the major facilities work in Kansas City, Missouri is done with the exception of the Wizards Stadium, which we enthusiastically support. The Truman Sports Complex transformation and its new 25 year leases, the Sprint Center and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame will open later this year. In addition, historic Municipal Auditorium has been upgraded dramatically and is one of the finest mid-sized arenas in America. We have turned our attention to landing top-tier events and we are anxious to have an opportunity to bid soon on the Big 12 Men's and Women's Basketball Championships, as well as the Big 12 Football Championship. Our organization has great respect for these three marquee events and has worked tirelessly over the years to that end the very best way we could given some of the limitations. Our staff does a great job, our volunteers are outstanding and now our facilities are and will be second to none when completed. While we never guaranteed the return of these events to our community, we knew that if we upgraded our facilities (and we have hit it out of the park!) we would be in a position to compete – and compete we will. With the help of our bid partners with the City, the CVA, Cordish and the Chiefs, our bid will rival any city left standing.We appreciate the support of the citizens of Jackson County and throughout this region as we begin the process to secure major events for our metropolitan area - Game On!
An assist to UMKC’s basketball programThe new UMKC Athletics Director, Tim Hall, asked me to serve on the committee to select the new men's basketball coach. We have had several meetings and numerous calls amongst ourselves, not to mention the endless calls from coaches lobbying for their guy to get the job. You name it, I've heard from them. I've had the good fortune of attending several Final Fours in conjunction with our NABC project and have seen the coaches congregate in the lobby of the hotels to mingle, jockey for position and ultimately, keep up with the various musical chairs job vacancies in college hoops. Tim was in Atlanta pounding the pavement, meeting with folks to best determine the very best coach to lead the UMKC men's basketball program. The process has been fun, well-organized and most importantly, has the full backing of Chancellor Guy Bailey.
Playing ball at Kauffman StadiumLastly, the Dayton Moore era has begun in earnest and you can certainly feel the buzz around town. The excitement of the Royals’ win on opening day and the great performance by our new, young players was thrilling. The Royals have made rather dramatic changes on and off the field and it is so exciting to see our baseball franchise moving in the right direction. Be patient and optimistic because I do believe that our baseball team is heading in the right direction.
Isn’t it nice that we are no longer bickering amongst ourselves about the best stadium plan for our two major league franchises? We can now focus our attention on the product on both fields which is really what it is all about -- you the fans! ________________________________________________________________ Sign up today for Camp WIN 2007, scheduled to run from 9am to 4pm daily, June 25-28th at Rockhurst University in Kansas City, MO. The camp is open to girls ages 6-12, who will learn 14 new sports in 4 days. All campers will be put on a team led by a high school female athlete, acting as their Team's Captain. All teams will take part in sports like soccer, softball, handball, rugby and much, much more! Participating girls from our community will receive a t-shirt, a daily goodie, as well as lunch and snacks. In addition, all attendee’s will have the opportunity to meet University of Kansas Women’s Basketball coach Bonnie Henrickson and take part in a Radio Disney Dance Party. If you’re a parent looking for a fun activity for your daughter this summer, Camp WIN is the place to be. And for the Ladies… By popular demand, WIN is hosting a shortened version of our flagship event, Camp WIN, with a new twist – it’s for WOMEN 21 and older. Don’t miss the opportunity to join the fun in the First Annual Camp WIN for Women, May 11th @ Rockhurst University. This camp is conveniently held on a Friday afternoon, featuring four sports: basketball, yoga, lacrosse and tennis, as well as a networking social at the conclusion of the day. The fee is just $50 which includes all four sports; as well a complimentary t-shirt and (2) drink coupons. The camp runs from 1:00pm to 4:30pm, and the day ends with a social from 4:30pm to 6:00pm. Space is limited, so call your friends and get registered now! Click here to sign up for both Camp WIN events online today! ________________________________________________________________ Register Today For The Trolley Run! For the second year, the Kansas City Sports Commission & Foundation is proud to be the exclusive provider of online registration and fundraising for the Sabates Eye Centers Trolley Run, to be held on April 29th, 2007. The Trolley Run is one of Kansas City’s largest events, and is a fun and exciting 4-mile run/walk benefiting the Children’s Center for the Visually Impaired. This event attracts nearly 10,000 participants each year, and has quickly gained recognition as one of the fastest four-mile courses in the country. The route is fast and mostly flat-to-downhill, giving every participant a good chance at breaking their own personal record while, finishing in front of Brush Creek on the Country Club Plaza. Online registration is held through SportKC.org, and is available until April 24th. Everyone who enters the Trolley Run/Walk will be entered into a drawing to win a 2007 Pontiac Solstice! Sign up today! For more information about how your event can benefit from our online registration and fundraising services, contact Dan Regan at 816-474-4652 x232 or regan@sportkc.org ________________________________________________________________ 2007 KC Classic Basketball Tournament
The 4th Annual KC Classic Basketball Tournament is coming up. The KC Classic will run from June 29th-July 1st for Boys and Girls Grades 4-8th and High School Girls. The tournament is hosted by the Greater Kansas City Basketball Coaches Association and the Kansas City Sports Commission. A portion of the proceeds goes to the GKCBCA. Registration is currently open for this great event, but don’t wait until the last minute, as the teams and participants fill quickly. The registration deadline is June 15. For more details, check it out at www.sportkc.org ________________________________________________________________ Sports Law Symposium to be held at Bartle Hall
National sports industry leaders Myles Brand and William Rhoden, will headline the Inaugural Sports Law Symposium April 13th at Bartle Hall in Kansas City, MO. The event is sponsored by the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law. Brand, president of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), will deliver the luncheon keynote address at the Symposium. New York Times Columnist Rhoden will present the evening keynote address. Along with keynote speakers, seven panels of leading sports law experts and sports industry professionals are planned for the symposium. Topics revolve around the theme, Amateur and Professional Sports: Emerging Legal Issues and include performance enhancing drugs, Title IX, economic and legal issues impacting the coaching profession, and the public-private financing of sporting facilities. Panelists will include Timothy Davis, J.D., from Wake Forest University School of Law, Matt Mitten, director of the Sports Law Institute at Marquette University, Jill Pilgrim, general counsel for the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), Gary Roberts, director of Tulane Law School’s Sports Law Program, and more. Local panelists include Wayne A. Cauthen (City Manager, Kansas City, MO), Shane Mecham (Stinson Morrison Hecker) and Judy Heeter (Shughart Thompson & Kilory). According to Professor Ferguson, “the Symposium will create opportunities for Kansas City’s government and cores business leaders to develop unparalleled synergies with nationally renowned public figures, legal scholars, and sports industry professionals including practicing sports law attorneys, athletic directors, coaches, and others employed in the sports and sports related industries. “ The symposium will begin at 7:40 a.m. with opening remarks from Ellen Suni, dean of the law school and Professor Kenneth Ferguson, Symposium Chair. Panels will begin at 8 a.m., with the luncheon keynote speaker Myles Brand scheduled for 12:15 p.m. and the evening keynote speaker, William Rhoden, scheduled for 6 p.m. Various pricing options are available. For a detailed list of prices, click here. The symposium is a Continuing Legal Education opportunity.
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