EVENTS & NEWS
EVENTS & NEWS
World Sport Chicago (WSC), USA Weightlifting and the Chicago Park District (CPD) have joined together to provide a series of Olympic weightlifting programs for boys and girls, age 12-18, in Chicago scheduled to begin in March 2010 and run through the Fall The program will provide local kids with a great foundation for fitness, offer them a competitive and energetic outlet and introduce them to the discipline and dedication it takes to maintain regular weight training.
Two Paralympic Sport Clubs in Chicago—Adaptive Adventures and Northern Suburban Special Recreation Association (NSSRA)—partnered with World Sport Chicago to host a Paralympic Experience in wheelchair curling. The day consisted of a “train the trainer” session for members of the host venue, the Chicago Curling Club, as well as therapeutic recreation professionals.
World Sport Chicago (WSC) has selected 56 student athletes as its inaugural 2010 WSC Scholars class. The winning students have demonstrated a high level of commitment to athletics, academics and Olympic values. They will all receive Kaplan ACT tutoring and participate in the Chicago Scholars Mentoring Program to help them successfully prepare for their post-secondary education.
On Thursday, February 11, World Sport Chicago and the Chicago Cubs hosted a Winter Olympics Kick-Off and Youth Sport Event at the Rink at Wrigley, providing kids of all ages the opportunity to watch and experience a variety of Olympic and Paralmypic sports.
World Sport Chicago is proud to support First Lady Michelle Obama's call to action to address child obesity. WSC commits to facilitating information to parents and families on the importance of making healthy choices. Further, WSC will commit to developing avenues to increase the access and availability of sport for urban Chicago youth and will encourage active participation and sustained involvement in sport.
World Sport Chicago held a variety of Olympic and Paralympic sport demonstrations on Sunday, December 27th and Monday, December 28th at Mayor Daley’s Chicago Sports Fest 2009. Thousands participated in this free annual event held at McCormick Place and hosted by the Major’s Office of Special Events. The Fest itself offered interactive zones, tournaments, and demonstrations of all kinds, from the traditional sports of baseball, basketball and football to new and less mainstream sports such as s
World Sport Chicago and US Paralympics partners with over a dozen Chicago area local service organizations to advance sport opportunities for people with physical disabilities. Gesi is just one local athlete benefiting from this partnership.
This 2-day free event, hosted by the Mayor's Office of Special Events, annually gets over 80,000 visitors.This year, WSC is expected to host sports such as fencing, badminton archery, table tennis, team handball, rowing, kyacking, hand-cycling, judo and track & field in over 18,000 square feet of interactive zones. We will also host tournaments in over 8 different sports featuring Chicago area youth from around the city.This is not an event to be missed, share the holidays with World Sport C
As the wrestling season gets underway with grueling workouts at high and elementary school programs throughout Chicago, more than 150 young wrestlers came out to Wright College on Sunday to watch the 2009 Chicago Cup hosted in alliance by World Sport Chicago (WSC) and USA Wrestling. The event pitted Team USA vs. Team Russia in a freestyle event with a full slate of matches. WSC worked with Chicago the Wrestling Coaching Association (CWCA) to provide tickets to CPS and Park District coaches and
On Sunday, November 15, 2009 World Sport Chicago, in partnership with USA Wrestling, hosted the 2009 Chicago Cup at Wright College in Chicago. The event featured a strong US team versus the number one ranked Russian Mens Free-Style Team.
The Championship Track Meet was held on August 16th at Eckersall stadium. While the weather was cool and cloudy that morning, everyone was excited to get started and hoping the rain would stay away. This meet was the culmination of all previous meets held during the summer, with winners in each event being announced at the finish and awarded medals.
Alderman Cochran had a dream. He wanted to create a program, a track and field program that would engage kids and “help build strong talent.” Before the Mayor’s Summer Track Program began this summer, Alderman Cochran had been holding track meets all summer for kids in his ward for the past six years, with the final meet ending in a big picnic at his house.
In Mexico City in 1968 Bob Beamon won the gold medal in the long jump at the Summer Olympic Games. Beamon jumped 29 feet, 2.5 inches, a record that still stands today. The oldest record in the Olympic books to date, with each new group of young Olympians still trying to beat it.
While coupled together, the competition this past Monday and Tuesday the 22nd and 23rd of June, was completely separate from that of the Chicago Cup that occurred the four days previous. The competition that took place Monday and Tuesday was the USA Gymnastics Junior Olympic Optional Championships. While still performing rhythmic gymnastics, the girls competing in this tournament are younger than those who competed in the Chicago Cup. Many not over 3 feet tall and yet still performing beautiful
Mary Sanders has always been involved in gymnastics, whether it was rhythmic or artistic. Sanders started competing in artistic gymnastics as a little girl and was coached by her father. She competed in artistic until she was 12 years old and her father passed away.
For the first time, Chicago is hosting the Chicago Cup, a major rhythmic gymnastics tournament. The tournament takes place Thursday the 18th through Sunday the 21st at the Broadway Armory. A Junior Olympic rhythmic gymnastics competition will then be held on Monday and Tuesday the 22nd and 23rd at Trinity International College. While rhythmic gymnastics is not one of the more popular Olympic sports, it is incredibly beautiful to watch, requiring an unparallel level of perfection and precisio
Wednesday June 4th, 4:30 pmAfter interviewing a number of athletes who had already arrived for the competition today, one thing is for certain; they all are a little chilly. But going beyond that they all are so excited to be in Chicago, many of them visiting the United States for the first time. Asking about their goals and hopes for the tournament
It was day four, the last day of the Pan-American Weightlifting Championships. The first group out was the men’s 105 kg weight class. With their first lift starting between 141 kg and 160 kg (between 311 lbs and 353 lbs) the day started with terrific lifts.
The day started out with some great competition in the women’s 69 kg Group A, as competing were two 4th place finishers from the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games, Leidy Yessenia Solis Arboleda from Colombia in the 69 kg weight class and Christine Girard from Canada in the 63 kg weight class. Girard has now switched to the heavier weight class and thus the women are pitted against each other.
It was the first day of competition for the Pan-American/Ibero-American Weightlifting Championships and U.S. National Championships, and competition there was. The day started out strong, as because of technical problems, one of the top women weightlifters in the 48 kg class was competing in the B group, which started out the tournament along with Group B of the women’s 53 kg class. Carolina Valencia Hernandez from Mexico blew the competition away, lifting 83 kg in the snatch and 97 kg in the
Matt Grevers didn’t disappoint. It was a great event on May 26th, as Grevers talked to some Chicago Park District kids about goals and swimming. Grevers grew up in Chicago, attending Lake Forest High School, and went on to swim for the Wildcats at Northwestern University in Evanston.
Every year the Diversity Select Camp is held in Colorado Springs for talented young athletes to help them increase diversity where they teach swimming as well as to improve upon their own swimming abilities.
What little kid, especially little boy, doesn’t love basketball, and dream of playing for the NBA? On Tuesday, April 14th, 17 college basketball coaches visited 19 elementary schools around Chicago in order to talk with the students. Not only did these coaches talk about their basketball experiences both on and off the court, but also spoke about the importance of education, even for those planning to be NBA basketball players.
Over a thousand kids arrived at Washington Park on April 7th, ready to play sports and show pride for their communities. They came to participate in Spring Into Sport, a program put on by World Sport Chicago in conjunction with LISC/Chicago, Chicago Park District, and the Chicago Public Schools.
It was a full house on March 28th at Marquette Park for the second Train the Trainer session, this time focusing on the sport of boccia. More chairs had to be brought in to accommodate everyone who came to learn, and the coaches could not have been happier.
WSC is currently celebrating a great success story as earlier this year they donated a wrestling mat to Howe Elementary school, helping their wrestling program immensely. There had never been a wrestling program before at the Howe Elementary school, and the donation of the mat allowed for a new sport to be added to their roster and a new opportunity to be provided to their students.
On February 17th, six female and six male gymnasts arrived at O’Hare airport from Guangdong, China. It was the first time the team had ever been out of China, and that first trip was to the great city of Chicago. These gymnasts belong to the Guangdong Institute of Sport in China and are training for a chance to compete in 2012 at the summer Olympic Games in London.
Saturday was truly a good day for the United States and Germany. With those two countries claiming all six top spots in both the women’s and men’s all around competitions in the Tyson American Cup, being held at the Sears Center in Hoffman Estates, IL.
Jordyn Wieber, the 2009 Tyson American Cup Champion, is only thirteen years old; born on July 12th 1995 in DeWitt, Michigan. Jordyn still lives in DeWitt and is currently a full time 8th grader at DeWitt Junior High School. Competing in her fist major competition at the age of 11, Jordyn was the youngest gymnast at the 2006 Visa National Championships. She finished 9th overall and was named to her first national team.
David Sender, 23, hails from nearby Arlington Heights, IL, and has been doing gymnastics since the age of 3. He has competed in five Junior Olympics, winning numerous medals and acclaim. David also competed at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Anaheim, Calif., in 2004, and the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Philadelphia, PA, in 2008, but suffered a sprained ankle and had to pull out from competition. Sender was being looked at to join the 2008 men’s Olympic gymnastics team, but that injury definit
400 kids were bused to the Sears Center in Hoffman Estates on Saturday February 21, to watch the Tyson American Cup, and the world’s premier gymnasts compete for the prestigious title. 400 free tickets were given out to kids from the Chicago Park District and transportation provided to the event, to make sure everyone would be able to attend.
It truly was a Celebration of Champions as seven previous Tyson American Cup winners attended this year’s competition. Vitaly Scherbo ’93 and ‘94, Trent Dimas ‘91, Stella Zakharova ‘79, Peter Vidmar ’83 and ‘84, Mary Lou Retton ’83, ’84 and ‘85, Nastia Liukin ’05, ’06 and ‘08, and Kerry Strug ’96, all talked about their experiences in the competition at the Celebration of Champions brunch before the event.
It was pouring rain outside, but that didn’t stop people coming all the way from Rockford and Geneva to attend the first “Train the Trainer” clinic put on by the new Chicago Paralympic Development Program.
On February 21, the Tyson American Cup is coming to the Sears Center in Chicago, and with it, four extraordinary USA athletes. Jordyn Wieber, Bridget Sloan, Joseph Hagerty, and David Sender are all competing for the top spot, previously held by the likes of Nastia Liukin and Jonathan Horton.
WSC has launched “Coach for Chicago” (CFC) to address the lack of coaches and people with sports knowledge to support local sports programs. Coach for Chicago matches schools, parks and social service organizations with enthusiastic volunteers who are committed to helping the youth of Chicago!
On Saturday January 10, even with the brutal weather, The Salvation Army Red Shield Corps Community Center and Rush Medical Center offered free health care to all Englewood neighbors, as well as providing them a chance to sign up for Keep it Fit Chicago, a new state of the art program developed by the above team of organizations.
After a short hiatus, as World Sport Chicago once again teams up with USA Wrestling to present a return of the Chicago Cup in the Fall of 2009.
World Sport Chicago teams with USA Weightlifting to present the 2009 Pan Am Championships and the United States National Championships in weightlifting. From June 3rd to 7th, an expected 200 athletes from over 25 nations will converge on Chicago for this world-class weightlifting competition.
At the Mayor’s Holiday Sports Fest, this past December 27, 28, and 29, the archery exhibit was filled with kids and their parents throughout the three days. The archery exhibit allowed kids and grown ups alike to step up and use Olympic quality bows and arrows to try to hit a perfect bullseye on one of the few targets set up. Every participant had their own professional archer to coach and teach them helping them to learn how to best shoot an arrow.
Positioned right as you walked into the World Sport Chicago area at this past December’s Mayor’s Holiday Sports Fest, held on December 27th, 28th, and 29th, was the fencing exhibit. Everyone who passed couldn’t help but stop and watch as kids and experts a like demonstrated their fencing abilities and tried their hand at the sport.
The Sportfit challenge, at this December’s Mayor’s Holiday Sports Fest, was enjoyed by approximately 2,500-3,000 kids. These kids participated in six sport challenges designed to test their skill level at different types of sport related fitness. These six sport challenges were: 30 meter spring, basketball throw, vertical jump, T-drill, curl-ups, sit and reach, and the stork stand. Each exercise was designed to measure a different talent, typically needed for certain sports.
CHICAGO (November 13, 2008) – Chicago 2016 and World Sport Chicago (WSC) on November 13th announced that USA Gymnastics will host the 2009 American Cup gymnastics invitational in metropolitan Chicago. The competition, which has a legacy of showcasing the top international gymnasts, will be held February 21, 2009.
(September 18, 2008) World Sport Chicago is partnering with the City of Chicago and the Chicago Public Schools to host Chicago's third annual Chicago Science in the City which will examine the science of sports. This one day interactive and hands on event for participants of all ages will give participants the chance to discover how science is at the core of every element of sports and will educate kids on how sports and science work together to make better athletes. With six main stages and mor
(September 27, 2008) On a beautiful September day in Chicago, athletes gathered on the shores of Lake Michigan to compete in the Second Annual Chicago Shoreline Marathon. World Sport Chicago partnered with the Chicago Shoreline Marathon to support the event which took place on September 27.
(September 26, 2008) Nearly 1,000 kids across the city are getting an introduction to competitive badminton through a partnership between World Sport Chicago, the Chicago Park District and USA Badminton. The program, which targets boys and girls ages 8-14, was launched this month in 38 park locations and provides an exciting example of the impact World Sport Chicago is having on the city's youth.
(September 10, 2008) USA Team Handball, the Salt Lake City-based National Governing Body for the Olympic sport of handball, today announced the first steps toward ensuring USA participation and success in the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, England. USA Team Handball Sets Sights on London 2012
World Sport Chicago is partnering with USA Volleyball to host The 2008 North Coast Open on August 2nd at Chicago’s North Avenue Beach. This event is part of USA Volleyball’s 2008 Jr. Beach Tour.
(August 1, 2008) Paralympic sailors, including Ken Kelly and John McRoberts who both represent Canada at the Games in China in August, will compete in the 2008 North American Challenge Cup Regatta (NACC) this Friday, August 1st through Monday, August 4th at the Chicago Yacht Club's Belmont Harbor Station. World Sport Chicago - the living legacy of the Chicago 2016 Olympic bid committee - is an event sponsor and will have volunteers skilled in sailing on-site to help with logistics and coordinati
(September 8, 2008) The Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer, along with Illinois Youth Soccer, put on a youth soccer clinic Tuesday in Addams Park as part of the festivities for the 2008 World Sport Chicago International Cup. In attendance were teams from Germany, Nigeria and Mexico, as well as many participants from the United States.
World Sport Chicago will be a presenting sponsor to the United States Olympic Committee’s 2008 Junior Olympic Skills National Finals, which will be hosted in Chicago from July 24th to July 27th.
Today the City of Chicago celebrated Olympic Day by hosting races for more than 450 day campers across the city. Olympic Day, which dates back to June 23, 1894, commemorates the day French educator Baron Pierre de Coubertin began to revive the Olympic Games, and also marks the formation of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
On June 21-28, Chicago's magnificent lakefront is the venue for the 2008 Etchells World Championship Regatta. The event is presented by World Sport Chicago (WSC), the "living legacy" of Chicago 2016's Olympic Games bid, and hosted by the Chicago Yacht Club.
On Tuesday, February 5th, World Sport Chicago, in conjunction with USA Wrestling, will host the Second Annual Chicago Cup at Northwestern University's Welsh-Ryan Arena in McGaw Hall. Tickets are available now.
World Sport Chicago will join the International Boxing Association (AIBA) and USA Boxing to host the 2007 World Championships from October 17 - November 1 at the University of Illinois-Chicago Pavilion, it was announced recently.
Taste Sports! feeds the athlete and fan in you. Interactive demonstrations, Olympic athletes, Chicago professional athletes and mascots representing the Chicago Fire, White Sox, Bulls and Sky, along with group workouts, Comedy Sportz and endless entertainment for the sports enthusiast. New this year, Taste Sports! is located on the southwest corner of the Buckingham . For a full schedule visit www.tasteofchicago.us.
(June, 2, 2007) The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, the Chicago Office of Tourism and Millennium Park present a special Friday lunchtime series featuring demonstrations of international and Olympic games as part of Art of Play: Summer in Chicago 2007. Games Galore takes places June 15 - August 17 in Millennium Park's Wrigley Square, Michigan Avenue at Randolph Street. Chicago area experts will demonstrate these games each week from 12:15 - 1 p.m. Games range from judo and wrestling to t
WHAT: Local elementary school students compete in events and demonstrate their athletic ability in Basketball, Soccer, USTA Rapid Rally Tennis and Track & Field as a part of the United States Olympic Committee Jr. Skills Competition. The competition gives potential future Olympians the chance to showcase their talent today.
World Sport Chicago, along with USA Volleyball and the International Federation of Volleyball (FIVB), will present its second major international sporting event with the U.S. men's national team vs. Italy, a 2007 World League Volleyball match on June 15-16 at the Emil and Patricia A. Jones Convocation Center on the campus of Chicago State University.
Windy City Weightlifting, in alliance with World Sport Chicago, WCS Physical Therapy and WCS/Gattone Sports Performance, will host the 2007 USA Weightlifting National Championship from May 11-13 at the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel & Convention Center. The 2007 National Championship is the primary qualifier for the 2007 World Weightlifting Championships, which will be held in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and is also the primary qualifier for the 2007 Pan American Games, which will be held in Rio de Jane
World Sport Chicago is teaming up with USG Sheetrock, 8 Count Productions and Corona to present the legendary Chicago Golden Gloves Boxing Tournament at St. Andrews Gym on 1658 W. Addison Street.
World Sport Chicago, in alliance with the New York Athletic Club (NYAC) and Illinois Water Polo (IWP), will host the Paul Wacker Invitational, a water polo tournament from March 16-18 at the Norris Aquatics Center on the campus of Northwestern University. World Sport Chicago is non-profit organization that was formed to promote the development of amateur sport and international competition in the Chicagoland area.
World Sport Chicago, in alliance with Chicago 2016 and the City of Chicago, will present its first major event on Feb. 6 with the 2007 Chicago Cup: USA vs. Russian World Champions, an exhibition wrestling match at the Welsh-Ryan Arena on the campus of Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill.
CONTACT US
Questions about sponsorships, programs or volunteer opportunities?
Call us today to find out how you can support sport participation.
Address:
World Sport Chicago
200 E. Randolph St.
20th Floor
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone:
312.861.4850