The Bay State Games are an Olympic-style athletic event for amateur athletes in the state of Massachusetts, which includes several divisions and allows athletes of all ages to compete. The Games are divided into Summer and Winter Games. The Summer Games include 25 sports and are usually held in late July. The Winter Games include three different sports and are usually held in late January or early February. The Bay State Games is a member of the National Congress of State Games. Kevin Cummings currently serves as executive director.

Overview

The Massachusetts Amateur Sports Foundation (MASF), organizer of the Bay State Summer and Winter Games, provides Olympic-style athletic competitions and developmental programs for Massachusetts amateur athletes of all ages and abilities. The MASF operates statewide and year-round to promote personal development, education, physical fitness, teamwork, sportsmanship, and mutual respect. The MASF is a member of the National Congress of State Games, which comprises 35 states nationwide that conduct State Games events.

In 2019, the Bay State Summer Games celebrated its 38th anniversary. In 2020, the Bay State Winter Games enjoyed its 35th year. From a modest beginning of four sports and 300 athletes, the Games have grown to include almost 6,000 athletes in 35 different sports from more than 300 Massachusetts cities and towns. Each sport is organized according to national governing body rules. Age and skill divisions have been created to allow medal opportunities for a broad range of athletes.

The Bay State Games is one of the largest amateur multi-sports organizations in the state of Massachusetts. This non-profit organization is a member of the National Congress of State Games, associated with the United States Olympic Committee and its Affiliated Organization Council. The Bay State Games' mission is to promote personal development, education, health, physical fitness, teamwork and sportsmanship through recreational and educational programs. Over 6,000 Massachusetts residents ranging in age from 6 to 86 participate in these programs each year. Each year, the Bay State Games has over 1,000 volunteer including coaches, referees, and medical staff.

History

The Bay State Games was founded by Dave McGillivray in 1982. McGillivray was on the Governor's Council of Physical Fitness and Sports and wanted to create a statewide summer sports festival for Massachusetts. He appointed Doug Arnot to pitch the idea of "Sportsfest" to the commonwealth of Massachusetts and to become the executive director (1982-1992). "Sportsfest" began with only four sports with 500 athletes. Peter Thomsen (1992-1996), Charlie Noonan (1996-1998), Linda Driscoll (1998-1999), and Kevin Cummings (1999-present) have all served as executive director.

The Games' breakthrough year came in 1985. Basketball became the Game's showcase event in both women's and men's divisions. That same year, Arnot developed the idea of creating a winter sports festival for Massachusetts athletes. The Winter Games took place in the Northern Berkshire region because of the facilities available to them. Four hundred athletes took part in the 1985 Winter Games with competitions that included figure skating, alpine skiing, cross country skiing, and speed skating. Figure skating is the only sport to be included in every Winter Games. Masters ice hockey, youth ice hockey, speed skating, ski orienteering, snowboarding, sled dog racing, and cross country skiing were added into the competitions as the Winter Games became more successful.

Winter Games

The Winter Games are usually held in the months of January, February, and March in the Northern Berkshire region of Massachusetts. Featured sports include figure skating, curling, masters ice hockey, and futsal. Each year, the Winter Games have featured the Bay State Skate Figure Skating Show. This show was created in the 1980s to display some of the best skaters in the Winter Games. The Bay State Skate has more than a dozen Olympic skaters from the national and world championships. Shows presented by the Bay State Games have included Olympians Nancy Kerrigan, Paul Wylie, Surya Bonaly, Linda Frattiani, Sylvia Fontana, and national competitors Mark Mitchell and Jennifer Kirk. The athletes in the Winter Games represent over 200 Massachusetts communities and participants range from ages 5 to 62.

Events (as of 2020)

• Curling
• Figure Skating
• Futsal
• Ice hockey

Summer Games

The Summer Games is Massachusetts' own Olympic-style athletic competition that has been held since 1982 and features more than 6,000 athletes in 30 sports. athletes represent over 300 Massachusetts communities, and participants range in age from 5 to 86. The Bay States Games reached it popularity in the 1990s when the number of participants increased to over 10,000 athletes. Over the years, the Bay State Games has expanded and focused more on individual sports such as swimming and track and field. Also, rugby has been one of the Games' fastest growing sports. Master divisions were created and recreational sports such as baton twirling, judo, table tennis, and badminton. The Summer Games span is six to seven weeks in June and July. Tryouts for the Summer Games are held throughout the month of June, with finals taking place in the Metro-Boston and central Massachusetts area in mid-July.

Events (as of 2020)

• Archery
• Badminton
• Baseball
• Basketball
• Baton Twirling
• Fencing
• Field Hockey
• 6 vs 6 Field Hockey
• Basic Skills Figure Skating
• Footgolf
• Ice hockey
• Judo
• Lacrosse
• Pickleball
• Rugby Sevens
• Shooting Sports - Pistol, Trap, Rifle
• Soccer
• Softball
• Swimming
• Synchronized Swimming
• Table Tennis
• Track & Field
• Ultimate
• Volleyball
• Weightlifting
• Wrestling

Programs

Bay State Games Hall of Fame

The Bay State Games Hall of Fame recognizes athletes, volunteers, coaches, officials, organizers and commissioners who have had an extraordinary impact on the people and communities that are a part of the Games. Inductees include former Bay State Games athletes who competed in the Olympics, NBA, NHL, or MLB.

Class of 2019

• Yvonne Chern – BSG badminton co-commissioner
• Beth Sopka – BSG badminton co-commissioner
• Orlando Vandross – BSG basketball athlete & coach, asst. coach Virginia NCAA Men Basketball National Champions
• Charlie Titus – BSG Board member

Class of 2018

• Samantha Livingstone – BSG swimming athlete, NCAA Champion, 2000 US Olympic gold medalist
• Tara Danielson – BSG field hockey athlete, US National Team, head coach Stanford field hockey
• Denis Reno – BSG weightlifting co-commissioner
• Dave Lussier – BSG weightlifting co-commissioner

Class of 2017

• Tom Thibodeau – BSG basketball coach. NBA head coach, Chicago, Minnesota, New York
• Chris Lane – BSG track & field officials coordinator
• David Blake – BSG fencing commissioner

Class of 2016

• Jim Carboneau – BSG lacrosse officials coordinator
• Tracey Gangi Johnson – BSG baton twirling commissioner
• Dr. Arthur Pappas – BSG board member & chair

Class of 2015

• David Harrison – BSG board member
• Joe LeMar – BSG track athlete, board member, Paralympic Games gold medal 1992, bronze 2000.
• Greg Derr – BSG shooting athlete, US 1996 Olympic shooting team member

Class of 2014

• Dr. Lyle Micheli – BSG medical team
• Dr. Pierre D'Hemecourt – BSG medical team
• Bill Cleary – BSG board member, Harvard athletic director, Olympic ice hockey silver medalist
• Keith Yandle – BSG ice hockey athlete, 15 year NHL veteran, 3 time all star

Class of 2013

• Katy Hayden – BSG figure skating commissioner
• Rich Hill – BSG baseball athlete, 18-year MLB player
• Jack Sordillo – BSG board member

Class of 2012

• Rick Meara – BSG judo commissioner
• New Balance – sponsor
• Elena Pirozhkova – BSG wrestling athlete, 2012 Olympic Team & world champion

Class of 2011

• Carlos Pena – BSG baseball athlete, MLB player & All-Star
• Ted Neill – BSG wrestling officials coordinator
• Carol Kronopolus – BSG field hockey officials coordinator

Class of 2010

• Jim Fanning – BSG softball commissioner & officials coordinator
• Patty Flanagan – BSG synchronized swimming commissioner
• Jack Aborn – BSG archery commissioner

Class of 2009

• Bill Guerin – BSG hockey athlete & gold medalist. NHL, two-time Stanley Cup Champion
• Ann Welch – BSG volunteer
• Bob McCorry – BSG shooting commissioner
• Peter Buxton – BSG board member

Class of 2008

• Sarah Behn - Second leading scorer in Massachusetts girls basketball history, All-American at Boston College, leading scorer in Big East Conference women's basketball history.
• Mike Burns - College soccer All American, member of 1992 US Olympic Men's Soccer Team, member of 1998 US World Cup Soccer Team, 7-year player for MLS Soccer
• Joe Chirico - diving commissioner
• Rachel Woo - Bay State Games soccer officials coordinator

Class of 2007

• Nancy Kerrigan - Participant in first BSG figure skating event in 1985. Two-time Olympian.
• Dave Marcus - table tennis commissioner.
• Joe Cacciatore - baseball umpire commissioner
• Bruce McAndrews - Member of Winter Games organizing committee for over 20 years.

Class of 2006

• Dana Barros - Two time BSG basketball medalist. 13-year NBA veteran and NBA all-star.
• Doug Arnot - Founded Bay State Games in 1982 and served as executive director from 1982 to 1992
• Athletic Trainers of Massachusetts - Supported BSG since 1982 for medical coverage.
• Rich Moran - 20-year Summer Games volunteer.

Class of 2005

• Kelly Dostal - BSG field hockey athlete, 3 time NCAA champion and player of the year.
• Jim Maher - Wrestling commissioner
• Louise Wing - 22-year synchro swimming athlete, National State Games Athlete of the Year.
• Diane Wilcox - 24-year volunteer

Class of 2004

• UMass Boston - Host of Summer Finals for 20 years
• Jeanne King - 20-year volunteer from Verizon
• Jimmy Pedro - Bay State Games wrestling athlete, 4 time Olympian in *Judo

Class of 2003

• Tom Lynch - Ice hockey officials coordinator
• Jim Underwood - Soccer commissioner
• Rebecca Lobo - Two=time BSG basketball medalist, Olympic medalist & NCAA champion.

Class of 2002

• Reggie Lewis - Two-time BSG basketball medalist, former member Boston Celtics.
• Leda Levine - Field hockey commissioner
• Barb Cece - Figure skating commissioner

Class of 2001

• Charlie Butterfield - Track & field commissioner
• Rob Garon - Swimming commissioner
• Melissa Mulloy-Mecozzi - shooting athlete, member Olympic shooting team

References

https://www.baystategames.org/

External links

• Official website