Here are some of my ideas for the Gay Games. I would like to know if anyone agrees.


1. Track and Field: I understand that the Gay Games want the competitions open to everyone, thus they do not have qualifying standards. However, here is a way to have both. Have two divisions of competition:

A.) A Championship Division. This division you'd have to qualify for by documenting certain scores in whatever event you'd want to compete in. For example, if you wanted to compete in the Men's 100M Sprint maybe you'd have to attain a time under thirteen seconds within eighteen months before the start of the Gay Games. Those who qualified for this division would get 50% off their entry fee. The winner of this division would get a Gold medal that would state the event (Men's 100 Meter Sprint), and would say "Gay Games Champion."

B.) Age divisions. You'd have the same age divisions you have now for those who don't qualify the Championship Division. Winners in each age division would receive a Gold Medal stating the event (Men's 100M sprint) and would state "Gay Games Age Division Champion" and state the age division.

What this would do for athletics in the Gay community: It would provide a goal to reach for for gay athletes, leading to better competition on the track. It would allow everyone to compete in their respective divisions, while rewarding the best athletes with an opportunity to call themselves a "champion."

For some team sports where there are a high number of participants you could also create a "Championship Division" in which teams would have to qualify. Those not desiring to qualify or not successfully qualifying would compete in a "club division". For example, in basketball, you could hold a pre-games tournament in each country, the top two teams in each country would qualify for the championship division. All other teams would compete in the club division. The winner of the championship division would be "gay games champion." What might this do?

This would lead to better competition at the gay games as the best faced off against the best in the championship division, raising the level of play. Making it more compelling for even casual fans. Of course, the competition to qualify for the championship division may lead to the creation of gay all star teams. How much better would the quality of play in basketball be, if say, the fifteen best players from California formed an all star team to attempt to qualify for the championship division? This would also give gay athletes motivation to work harder.

Again, everyone who wanted to play, would still be able to play, they would simply compete in the club division.

Who agrees, who disagrees?

There has been dialogue over the years about this very topic. In some sports medals fly off the shelf like they are being given away, while in others you really have to earn one. Mostly it's a numbers game where medaling in something like swimming can be quite tough because of the huge number of participants >1200. Then there are sports like figure skating that have so many categories almost everyone gets something.

As far as running events go, something similar to what they do in most road races today would work. You have your top three overall and then the age group winners.

The problem with creating two divisions for a running event is that the good people may choose the division that will give them the best opportunity to medal. Think of this scenario, Ten elite people enter the championship division. Three take home medals while seven do not. The seven who did not place might have won their respective age groups but because of the division they chose, they come away empty handed. In real road races, if you come in fourth overall but 1st in your age group you still get recognized.

Well, in road race type events, it's easier to do the way you suggested (like as you stated for road racing).

But for sprint track events you can't really do that, because you can only have eight sprinters on the track at one time. So, unless, you have all the best sprinters sprinting in one race, then you don't know who really would win. This is why I propose a championship division. As for people who would back out of the championship division for fear of not getting a medal, well that should be frowned on. It's not very sporty. But if you do as I say, and give those qualified for the championship division a break on their entrance fee, then you'll lure anyone who has a real athletic drive to the championship division. Will there be some wimpy types who will only go for the medal and be afraid of tough competition? Sure, but perhaps you could start a tradition of booing such people.

And by the way, I used to be a runner. I always cared more about my times than a trophy. I always cared more about where I finished overall, than winning an age division trophy. If I had stayed healthy and were qualified for a tougher race, I would always take the tougher race than the easier one.

The Gay Games were founded with a very different mission than any other major international competitive event. They do not exclude athletes on the basis of talent or achievement: there are no 'qualifying' events to get into the Games.

Hence the trademark mission of 'Participation, Inclusion and Personal Best.'

The moment you start separating out the athletes based on merit, you start deviating from that unique mission. Yes, you may gain something as far as the competitive experience for the participants and the spectator value for fans, but you will lose that quality that makes the Gay Games unique.

You also would shift the emphasis away from Participation and Personal Best.

There are other avenues ion which you can compete in elite or recreational brackets. No need to duplicate them in the Games.

Consider that there was serious consideration in the first Gay Games in 1982 not to have any placement medals at all. That would really have blown people's minds. Personally, I think the opportunity we get in the Games -- for recreational athletes to pit their best efforts directly against the best efforts of elite athletes -- is well worth the current setup. How much better to do your best against the best there is then a subpar effort not pushed to the limit going against recreational athletes.

roger