Summer tradition kicking off Annual Houston Street Olympics get under way on Friday
Lighting the flame: The 23rd Harris County Street Olympics kick off Friday with the lighting of the Olympic flame. More than 80 boys and girls who will show off some of the Summer Games’ sports and activities at Mickey Leland Memorial Park, 3701 Cavalcade St. Action gets under way at 10 a.m., with the opening ceremonies starting at 10:35 a.m.
Reaching Houston’s youth: More than 5,000 youth are expected to participate in this year’s free, eight-week Summer Games, which will take place at 95 venues overseen by more than 40 area agencies such as the Houston Parks & Recreation Department and local YMCAs and Boys and Girls Clubs.
For more information: Call 713-741-0851 or visit www.streetolympics.org.
Craig Thomas has enjoyed plenty of success as an athlete, starting at defensive end for his high school football team.
But the recent Lamar High graduate said some of his fondest memories occurred as a youngster during the annual Harris County Street Olympics.
“I always had a great time,” said the 17-year-old Thomas, a Street Olympian from age 6 until his early teens. “I loved hanging out with my peers. It made the summers go by fast.”
Thomas said he participated in Street Olympics events such as the 3-on-3 basketball tournament as well as Summer Games favorites like the free throw and dribbling competitions, jacks and track and field.
Thomas now will get an opportunity to give back, serving as an events coach. It’s a role he wholeheartedly embraces.
“Now it’s my turn to be a big kid,” Thomas said. “I want to be a role model and show them how much fun the Street Olympics can be.”
The 23rd annual Harris County Street Olympics kick off on Friday morning with the lighting of the Olympic flame at Mickey Leland Memorial Park, 3701 Cavalcade Street. Eighty boys and girls from the Lincoln Park Summer Program and Finnigan YET Center will practice kickball, jump rope and basketball dribbling skills prior to the opening ceremonies, which officially start at 10:35 a.m.
Also, the Discovery Camp station will show off some the creatures kids will get to know this summer as part of the free eight-week program open to Harris County youth.
Brian Rego, who works in the office of Precinct One Commissioner El Franco Lee and has served as the Summer Games’ program director since its inception, said the multi-sport competition, open to boys and girls ages 6 to 15, has become a summer tradition.
“It’s all about getting the kids involved in recreational activities and teaching them skills in a fun, safe environment,” Rego said. “The Summer Games are designed for any boy or girl. They don’t have to be athletes.”
Rego said that’s part of the appeal. The Street Olympics and Summer Games are loosely modeled after the Summer Olympics. However, they include non-traditional sports such as jacks, hopscotch, kickball, free throw shooting and the 50-yard dash.
“Most of them are games that young people typically play on the street,” Rego said.
More than 5,000 youngsters will participate in a total of 11 events at sites across Harris County throughout the summer. Between now and July 24, youngsters will be taught skills at venues overseen by the various sponsoring agencies. Summer Games coaches eventually will choose qualifiers for the Final Games and Bright Futures Fair to be held Aug. 7 at Reliant Center.
Rego said Final Games qualifiers will be limited to only one morning and afternoon event.
“We want to keep a level playing field and ensure that as many kids as possible have the opportunity to make it to the Final Games,” Rego said.
Rego said a 3-on-3 basketball tournament also is planned July 9-10 at the Fonde Recreation Center.
“We have a very busy summer planned,” Rego said.
Rego added that the Street Olympics, founded in 1987 by Lee, is just one of the many programs available to youngsters.
Others include the Harris County Aquatics Program, a year-round swim program; the Northeast Adolescent Program, a collaborative effort between the Houston Independent School District, Baylor College of Medicine, Harris County Hospital District, Harris County Precinct One and the March of Dimes that addresses the problems of teen pregnancy and infant mortality; and the Discovery Camp, a naturalist program that teaches youth about living creatures and their roles in preserving the environment.
The community-based, year-round Street Olympics program is overseen by the non-profit Harris County Street Olympics Inc., with an 11-member board of directors and a 10-member advisory board.
For more information on the Street Olympics, call 713-741-0851 or visit www.streetolympics.org.