Sportsmanship - Here, there, and everywhere

Happy Monday everybody! Usually people say that because they don't like Mondays and want to get a negative response out of you. However, as the Sports Commission's resident contrarian - I happen to like Mondays. As a matter of fact, Monday is my favorite day of the week. Today may not be your favorite day of the week, but this week is chock full o' stuff in the life of the St. Louis Sports Commission and its Sportsmanship Initiative. I even have to separate this stuff by topic. So, pay attention to the headings.

Olympic Day
Our second Olympic Day with the Disabled Athlete Sports Association (DASA) was a tremendous success. The local media here in St. Louis even took notice. Click on the following link for our story in the Eureka-Wildwood Patch. The group shot is featured in this post and you can enjoy other pictures from Olympic Day 2011 in our photostream in the upper-right hand corner of this page.

Make a Splash! Tour
The USA Swimming Foundation is on a mission to teach every kid in America how to swim - particularly minority children - where the youth drowning rate is more than double the national average. Tomorrow, a community breakfast will be held at the Missouri Athletic Club-West here in St. Louis to launch this summer's tour. Olympic Gold Medalist Cullen Jones will be on-hand and the Make a Splash! program will be presented to community and business leaders. I'll be there too. You know I've never turned down anything but my collar. Tomorrow afternoon, Jones will visit the Mathews-Dickey Boys & Girls Club to introduce the program to a group of about 350 kids. He'll be giving a swim lesson or two as well. You know the big man will have pictures. So, stay tuned.

HBO Premiere
Yes, that HBO. The gold-standard of cable television descends upon the Gateway City for the HBO Sports documentary film - The Curious Case of Curt Flood at the Missouri History Museum beginning at 6 p.m. tomorrow night. Flood is widely regarded as the father of modern free-agency and HBO always does an outstanding job on its sports documentary films. You know what. Since you're all my friends, I'm inviting you and a guest to attend the premiere tomorrow night for a special, one night only price - FREE. That's right, you and about 300 of the Sports Commission's closest friends will be in attendance. You only need to RSVP. Call my good friend, Tim Ryan at 314-345-5101 or email him at tryan@stlsports.org. Space is limited so get to it. Tell Tim that Big Sol sent ya.

Coach It Right! Soccer Clinic
Make sure to check your inboxes for information on the 2011 Coach It Right! Soccer Clinic. The premiere youth soccer coaching clinic returns Tuesday, August 2. Details to come.

Free Friday
I don't know about you, but this Free Friday stuff gets me going. Serena Muhammad was last week's winner. She'll receive a $30 Quik Trip gift card in the mail this week for her outstanding definition of sportsmanship. Here's what she had to say. "Sportsmanship is maintaining the conduct and attitude of civility and respect towards teammates, opponents, spectators, officials, etc., win or lose. It is also about not "winning at all costs." Winning shouldn't come at the expense of someone else's dignity." I couldn't have said it better myself. Thanks, Serena. Now, I know some of you think you can do better. Well, your shot is comng this Free Friday. Let the brainstorming begin! Until next time...

Be a Good Sport!

-Sol