Tulsa Parks to Host Junior Olympics
Tulsa Parks announced the upcoming local Junior Olympic Skills Competition starting at 9 a.m. on Friday, March 20 at Hicks Park – 3443 S. Mingo Road. Athletes may start registering March 3. Admission is free.
The half-day competition provides boys and girls, ages 8 – 13, the opportunity to participate in an exciting multi-sport skills competition in basketball, soccer, tennis and track & field. “Fun” is highly encouraged throughout the competition as kids compete in any or all of the four areas, which have been broken down into three age groups. Boys and girls compete separately. Registration is free, but each participant must produce a copy of a birth certificate to compete.
Athletes may compete in each or all of the four sports. Age groups are 8 – 9, 10 – 11, and 12 – 13. The National Finals will be hosted by the United States Olympic Committee.
Basketball – scoring as many points as possible by making baskets from designated shooting areas and the free throw line in 45 seconds.
Soccer – testing the ability to dribble, shoot and score in the fastest time possible.
Tennis (Rapid Relay) – serving and continuing to hit a low-compression tennis ball against a wall, as many times as possible in 30 seconds.
Track & Field – competing in two fundamental skills events: The Sprint (50-meter dash) and The Jump (standing broad jump). Participants compete in both track and field events to receive the highest cumulative score.
The Champion in each sport, age group and gender will qualify for the Regional Competition in Broken Arrow. Regional Champions qualify to perform at the National Finals at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California – July 23 – 26.
Planned at a time when most schools are on Spring Break, this is a fun and free activity for kids to be involved in for a morning. Although sneakers and a copy of the Birth Certificate are required, no special equipment is needed.
Registration is available at any Recreation Center. For more information, contact Kevin Blair at 596-7851 or KevinBlair@CityofTulsa.org.