As an old fart (Boomer) who still loves basketball, I discovered the World Senior Olympics in Saint George, Utah. I loved the experience of playing basketball, sometimes against ex NBA legends and sometimes just guys like myself trying to stay in shape. The games in Saint George, which offer over 27 sports, have been singled out as the biggest reason for Saint George's outstanding growth rate. Now in its 25th Year, the games attract nearly 15,000 athletes and bring in about $65 Million to the community and $20 Million to the host promoter. I tried to bring the professional approach of the Huntsman Games in Utah to the state of Washington, Fort Collins, Colorado and Demoines, Iowa, all who are entirely volunteer run. I also approached the National Organization as they obviously needed professional help to attract sponsors. We did a logo and web site for Iowa. The logo was exceptional but their BOD could not decide to grow the games beyond 400 participants. Colorado and Washington also showed tremendous lack of vision in adopting these games as a serious venue to attract Boomers everywhere and encourage healthier lifestyles. Saint George just smiles that they saw it early and secured a priority position in a rather lucrative venue. |