WG History : Washington Games

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History

National Congress of State Games

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Evergreen State Amateur Athletic Council & The SUBWAY® Washington Games

Origin of the Washington State Games
The first Washington State Games came at the onset of the State's Centennial celebration in 1989. At the time, the Games were under the direction of Washington State Games Foundation. Accordingly, the organization structure of the event was ran by director Pat McGlashan. Over the course of 1989, the summer version of the State Games was held in Spokane, Washington while winter form of the Games occurred in Wenatchee, Leavenworth, and Chelan Washington.

The Washington Summer Games, "A Games for All People," provided amateur athletes an exciting and valuable experience. Participants who encompass all ages learn such traits as putting forth the highest level of sportsmanship, rising to peak physical condition, and entertaining friends, families, and foes through the competition of sport.

In 1991 the games moved to Bellevue, Redmond, and Kirkland Washington. During that time period, those involved in the organizing of the games included, Faris Taylor, chair of the Summer Games Organizing Committee, Dolly Armstrong, President of the volunteer committee, and Steve Spitzer the Marketing Managing Director of the games.

Throughout the early part of the 1990's the games were held on an annual basis. Governor of Washington, Booth Gardner supported and promoted the Washington State Games as part of his wellness program, the Washington Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Amateur Sports. His backing gave the Games statewide recognition. A typical template for the games included a winter and summer competitions offering various sports. However, the games were discontinued after the 1993 rendition. The games would lay doormat for ten years until 2003 when the Evergreen State Amateur Athletic Council (ESSAC) revived the Washington State Games.

Evergreen State Amateur Athletic Council (ESAAC)
The ESAAC is a non-profit organization under Section 501©(3) of the code. It is a nonmembership Corporation with a mission to foster amateur sports within the state of Washington. Its goal is to encourage participation in athletic exercise and competition in order to enhance the physical and mental health of the residents of the state of Washington.

To meet its goal, the ESAAC will oversee the restoration of the Washington State Games by affording athletes of all ages and skill level the challenge of advanced competition in an atmosphere of camaraderie and sportsmanship. These annual games, which are held in 40 other states, are "mini-Olympics" open to all ages and abilities.

Washington State Games 2003-2006
Towards the end of 2003 the ESAAC hired Tom Kelleher as the Executive Director of the Washington State Games. Keller spent more than two decades as the physical director of the Walla Walla YMCA before moving to Yakima. In attempts to spread the word of the games statewide, Phil and Steve Mahre former Olympic skiers were brought on board as event spokesman. Furthermore, Governor Gary Lock pledged his support the games in January of 2005 as way to celebrate the value of exercise and improve health and well being of Washington residents.

Organizers planned to hold the Games in the city of Yakima while utilizing local facilities such as high school football fields and gymnasiums. First year participation was expected to be around 1,500 to 2,000 people. The event wanted to be a stage for elite athletes but also to bring out the athlete in all of us from young to old. In 2004 confirmed sports for play were golf, softball, cycling, soccer, volleyball, gymnastics, tennis, track and field, basketball, swimming, baseball, and archery. Expectations and optimism were based on the Big Sky State Games of Montana which had been ongoing for 18 years and regularly draw tens of thousands competitors. The directors of the Games believed that eventually the Washington version would grow to such high level of interest and participation.

Coinciding with the Washington State Games, a partnering component was introduced called Lighten Up America. This weight loss program focused on the team concept. In the summer of 2006, over thirty teams and 300 participants benefited from the programs first year of existence.

The first Games were held July 7-9 and 14-16, 2006 in Yakima, Washington. Events such as Archery, Gymnastics, Track and Field, Table Tennis, Tennis, Fencing and Volleyball were many of the sports the 500 participants enjoyed. Out of the 500 participants, 50 of these athletes won the right to compete in the State Games of America. Those athletes are also eligible to participate in the inaugural State Games of the West, held in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

In October 2006 after hosting these events in Yakima Valley, the National Congress of State Games granted the Washington State Games Full Membership. Along with the revival of the Washington State Games and Lighten Up Washington, the ESAAC introduced the Washington Fit Kids program. These were created to promote its goal of enhancing the physical and mental health of the residents of the state of Washington.

Future of the ESAAC & SUBWAY® Washington Games
The ESAAC and the SUBWAY(R) Washington Games have completed a transition from the event in Yakima. In addition to dropping the "State" in the Washington State Games, the operation of the ESAAC and the Games has fallen under the supervision of the Seattle Sports Commission (SSC).

Since 2008, the SUBWAY® Washington Games fall under the direction of the SSC, led by Executive Director Ralph Morton. A successful 2008 Games has been completed, with 23 different sports and over 6,000 participants.

A goal of every SUBWAY® Washington Games contestant is to advance to the State Games of America, an Olympic-style event featuring featuring competition between State Games medal winners from across the nation. Members of the State Games of America reside under the organizational command of the National Congress of State Games (NCSG). The NCSG is a membership organization comprised of 37 Summer State Games and 14 Winter State Games.

Competitions are both recreational and competitive and have been the first step for many Olympic and professional athletes. In addition to staging multi-sport athletic competitions each year, the State Games also has a social purpose in support of various campaigns such as tobacco prevention, drug awareness, health and fitness, and numerous scholarship programs. The SSC introduced the Powered By You fitness movement, which promotes a theme aimed at lowering child obesity rates in Washington while improving overall youth fitness.