In the Spirit of the Armenian Summer Games

In the Spirit of the Armenian Summer Games

Posted on: 2009-06-08 by Aleksan Giragosian

On Friday, May 22^nd nearly 300 Armenian athletes converged on North Clovis High School to mark the beginning of a celebratory weekend. The cause for celebration was the cooperation and commitment the Western Armenian Athletic Association (WAAA) and the Central Council of the Armenian Church Youth Organization (ACYO) demonstrated in jointly hosting a tournament to better serve the Armenian youth of California. Together, they were able to organize a tournament that included 7 sports (basketball, volleyball, dodgeball, track and field, tennis, backgammon, ping pong) and 3 social events (Picnic, Youth Dance, Awards' Banquet). As a result of their efforts, nearly 21 ACYO teams and 1 Homenetmen team, including a number of individual athletes, were able to meet new Armenians, engage in the sports of their choice, and partake in a sense of community and belonging.

As a confirmation of our Armenianness, Friday's opening ceremonies began according to Armenian time and in the spirit of large Armenian gatherings. The opening remarks were made by Deacon Van Der Mugrdechian, and the ceremony was concluded with a prayer from His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian.  Following the opening ceremony was the High School and Open Division basketball games which ended around 10pm.

Saturday proved to be the busiest day of the tournament with nearly every sport being played within some corner of Clovis North High School. Between 12pm and 3pm, the games were halted as scores were tallied to organize brackets for the playoff portion of the tournament. Simultaneously, participants and parents were invited to enjoy a bar-b-que as volunteers had prepared hamburgers and pilaf during the annual picnic. The playoffs commenced after 3pm and lasted till 6pm, after which players rushed to the hotels for a quick shower and nap before they began their night. At 9pm, players between the ages of 12 and 17 were invited to the Haig Berberian Hall of St. Paul for a dance. Saturday nights dance ended around 11:30pm as players left to prepare for the following days championship games.

After Sunday's Divine Liturgy, players assembled at North Clovis High School one final time to determine the champions of High School Division Basketball, Open Division Basketball, High School Division Volleyball, and High School Division Dodgeball. An intensely competitive tournament produced St. Gregory Pasadena as the champions of both High School and Open Division Basketball and St. Gregory Fowler as the champions of High School Division Volleyball and Dodgeball. At 7pm, participants and parents were again invited to the Haig Berberian Hall of St. Paul, but this time for the Awards' Banquet. The event was catered by Pardini's Catering Services and the musical entertainment was provided by DJ KozzMo. Deacon Van Der Mugrdechian conducted the awards' ceremony with the help of Fr. Avedis Abovian. A number of teams were awarded first, second, and third place trophies, but the real champions of the tournament were the players of St. Mary Costa Mesa who were awarded the Sportsmanship Trophy. The rest of the night was spent in dance as everyone celebrated their friends, their community, and their family in the spirit of the Armenian Summer Games.