BAY STATE GAMES NEWS

WOBURN – Bay State Games is excited to announce a new partnership with Mass Youth Soccer. Bay State Games Boys and Girls Soccer has a long history of showcasing some of the best high school players in Massachusetts in an event well attended by college coaches from dozens of New England area schools. Many high school coaches across the state have supported Bay State Games by volunteering to serve as team coaches or providing their players with information on the competition. The partnership will help ensure that all high school players and coaches across Massachusetts are aware of the valuable opportunities available through the Bay State Games soccer competition and the outstanding programs provided by Mass Youth Soccer including District. This also allows Bay State Games and Mass Youth Soccer to coordinate their event schedules to avoid conflicts and allow players to be part of both the events. "We are pleased to collaborate with the Mass Youth Soccer Association and coordinate our tournament schedules," said Kevin Cummings, Executive Director of the Bay State Games. "We hope that this collaboration will allow Massachusetts soccer athletes to participate in and reap the benefits of competing in both the Bay State Games Soccer Showcase and Mass Youth Soccer’s Districts Program." “Mass Youth Soccer is excited to collaborate with the Bay State Games and provide opportunities for athletes across the state to participate in exciting soccer programs and events through calendar alignment and shared communication,” said Rob Holliday, Executive Director, Mass Youth Soccer. “We hope to expand the partnership with Bay State Games in future years!” Registration for the 2024 Bay State Games Boys and Girls Soccer Showcase competition is now open. The showcase tournament will take place July 11-13 at Game On in Fitchburg. Athletes can register to try out for one of six regional teams based on where they live and/or go to high school. For additional details on the competition and a link to registration, go to www.baystategames.org/girls-soccer or www.baystategames.org/boys-soccer . For additional information on the Massachusetts Youth Soccer Association, go to https://mayouthsoccer.org/ .

Woburn, Mass. – Bay State Games has been selected as a beneficiary of the Stop & Shop Community Bag Program for the month of April. The Stop & Shop Community Bag Program, which launched in May 2019, is a reusable bag program that facilitates community support with the goal to make a difference in the communities where shoppers live and work. Bay State Games was selected as the February beneficiary of the program by store leadership at the Stop & Shop located at 2 Elm Street in Woburn . Bay State Games will receive a $1 donation every time the $2.50 reusable Community Bag is purchased at this location during February, unless otherwise directed by the customer through the Giving Tag attached to the bag. “Bay State Games is honored to be selected as a beneficiary of the Stop & Shop Community bag program,” said Kevin Cummings, Executive Director of the Bay State Games. “Funds raised through this program will help support the recreation, education and personal development programs annually produced by the Bay State Games that impact thousands of participants of all ages and abilities.” Bay State Games is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that was established in 1982 to host the first sanctioned State Games of the Commonwealth. Bay State Games operates with the mission of promoting personal development, education, physical fitness, teamwork, and sportsmanship to Massachusetts and surrounding New England states citizens of all ages and abilities through athletic competitions and scholarship programs. Learn more about Bay State Games by visiting www.baystategames.org For more information on the Stop & Shop Community Bag Program, visit stopandshop.2givelocal.com .

The Bay State Games Jacket returns thanks to Marathon Sports

WOBURN, MA – Registration for the 42nd annual Bay State Summer Games is now open. The 2024 Summer Games will include thirty sports with competitions from May 11 – July 27 at venues throughout eastern and central Massachusetts including Game On in Fitchburg, Boston Sports Institute in Wellesley, Union Point Sports Complex in Weymouth, and North Star Ice Sports in Westborough. Bay State Games participants range in age from 5 to over age 75 and represent more than 300 Massachusetts communities as well as surrounding New England States in some sports. From grassroots participants to accomplished amateur athletes, the Bay State Games provide opportunities for the athlete in all of us. Seven high school showcase sports will take place for a variety of sports, including baseball, basketball, field hockey, ice hockey, soccer, softball, and volleyball. Athletes currently in grade 8-11 who live or go to school in Massachusetts are eligible to attend regional tryouts during the month of June. These tryouts will determine teams representing the various regions of the Commonwealth that will compete against each other in July. Check each sport page for specific eligibility requirements. The Summer Games include a wide variety of individual sports including swimming, track & field, figure skating, pickleball, wrestling, weightlifting, badminton, and more. These sports are open to a wide range of ages and skill levels from youth participants to masters-aged athletes. Adaptive sport divisions in archery, swimming, and track & field are offered, as well. Bay State Games also organizes tournaments for pre-existing teams in rugby, and 6v6 field hockey. Returning in 2024, Table Tennis will take place on June 1 at PingPod in Boston after a 5-year hiatus from the Summer Games sport lineup. New venues include Babson College , which will host the Girls Basketball Showcase, and NorthStar Ice Sports , which will host Figure Skating and the Girls Ice Hockey Showcase. Game On in Fitchburg will serve as a hub venue for eight sports. Bay State Games expects 1,500 athletes and their families to attend competitions at Game On during the second week of July. Bay State Games is pleased to announce a new partnership with Marathon Sports to provide athletes, officials, and volunteers with a special, traditional Bay State Games gift. Details will be released later in March. “We are excited to present the 2024 version of the Bay State Summer Games where Massachusetts amateur athletes of all ages and abilities can have their ‘Time to Shine,’” said Kevin Cummings, Executive Director of the Bay State Games. “This year will feature the addition of table tennis and ultimate as well as several new host venues including Babson College in Wellesley, Howard Park and Maplewood Park in Malden and NorthStar Ice Sports in Westborough. We look forward to welcoming athletes from across the Commonwealth as we celebrate the 42nd year of the Bay State Summer Games.” An additional feature in 2024 is that in over a dozen sports, athletes who win a gold, silver, or bronze medal at the 2024 Bay State Games will qualify to participate in the 2024 State Games of America in San Diego, California . The State Games of America features more than 8,000 athletes from over 25 different state games programs nationwide. To see the list of qualifying sports, please visit www.stategamesofamerica.com. In addition to sports programming, Bay State Games offer college scholarships, a sportsmanship initiative, college internship opportunities, and a High School Ambassador program. For more information on all sports in the 2024 Summer Games, links to online registration, and information on other programs, go to www.baystategames.org. For questions, email info@baystategames.org or call 781-932-6555.

Pictured: Howard Herman (right) receives the Berkshire Hero award from Bay State Games Executive Director, Kevin Cummings (left) on Saturday, January 27, 2024. Photo by: Berkshire Eagle

Katelynn Leclerc is the head field hockey coach at Elms College. She previously served as an assistant coach at American International College, where she played field hockey for 4 years.

WOBURN (November 20, 2023) – The Bay State Games has selected six statewide scholarship recipients for the 2023 Future Leaders Scholarship Program. These student-athletes were selected from a large applicant pool after a process that included committee reviews of all applications and virtual interviews with selected applicants. These future leaders were selected based on their achievements and involvement in academics, community service, athletics, and leadership roles. The Bay State Games Future Leaders Scholarship program was established in 1989 and has since distributed nearly $400,000 in financial aid. Each of these high school seniors will receive a $1,000 scholarship. “Since its inception in 1989, the Future Leaders Scholarship Program recognizes outstanding high school students that excel in the classroom, in the community and on the field of play,” said Kevin Cummings, Executive Director of the Bay State Games. “We are proud that this program has provided nearly $400,000 in aid to support the continuing education of these well deserving student-athletes that represent all regions of Massachusetts and over 25 different sports.” This year’s six scholarship recipients are: