| ONTARIO -- With a rousing "Let the games begin" by
tournament director Jody Gmeineer, the 1998 American Youth Soccer Organization
World Games officially opened Tuesday night.
Chaffey High School was the site of the opening ceremonies for the
tournament, one of the largest of its kind in the country.
More than 3,000 boys and girls ages 10 to 19 from all over the country and
world will play in five days of soccer matches at eight locations in Ontario,
Upland and Rancho Cucamonga. The tournament host is AYSO Area G, which
encompasses Rancho Cucamonga, Fontana, Ontario, Montclair and Upland.
Among the 185 teams will be players from Illinois, Hawaii, Arizona and
Upland, Rancho Cucamonga, Montclair, Ontario, Pomona, Chino, Fontana, San Dimas
and Diamond Bar as well.
Tournament director Gmeiner expected the high turnout.
"It shows the up-and-coming growth of youth soccer in our country to see
teams raise their own funds and travel from New York or Hawaii to
participate," she said.
The national AYSO sponsors these games every two years. In 1994, AYSO
introduced the World Games and invited international teams. That year, the
tournament was hosted by Mission Viejo and Palo Alto, Kalamazoo, Michigan and
Oahu, Hawaii.
For the 1998 World Games, a central site was selected, said Lolly Keys,
public affairs director for the AYSO national support center in Hawthorne. The
inland Valley was selected because of its fields and dedicated
group of volunteers, Keys said.
Excitement was in the air Tuesday among the players, many of whom took photos
and waved multicolored flags.
"Great!" shouted the 12 boys who make up the South African team
when asked what they thought of being part of the World Games.
"It's great because of the experience," Clinton Dankworth, 11,
added.
Danny Mejia, 11, of the Rancho Cucamonga Flames was quietly enthusiastic. His
sister, Nikki, competed in the first World Games.
Players will participate in a "soccerfest" beginning at 9 a.m.
today. Players from each team are scrambled and reassigned to entirely new teams
during the event. Tournament play will run Thursday through Saturday.
Games begin at 8 a.m., with the last game of the day scheduled to start at
4:45 p.m. Game sites are Colony Park and Chaffey High School in Ontario;
Beryl Park, Alta Loma Junior High School, Carnelian Elementary School, Alta Loma
High School in Rancho Cucamonga, and the Upland AYSO soccer complex at Cabrillo
Park and Upland High School in Upland.
Semifinal and championship games will be held Sunday at all locations except
for Alta Loma Junior High and Colony Park in Ontario. Admission to the games is
free. |
