On July 19,1996, the eyes of the world will be on Atlanta for the opening ceremonies of the Centennial Olympic Games.

As 10,500 athletes from almost 200 nations prepare for competition, more than 80,000 spectators will enjoy the magnificence while two-thirds of the world's population will watch on television. Over the course of 16 days, the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (ACOG) will make history by implementing 271 medal events in 26 sports while hosting more than two million visitors. On August 4, the closing ceremonies will conclude the world's greatest sporting event and the torch will be passed to Sydney, Australia, for the next summer Olympic Games in 2000.

The Olympic tradition will move to another country, but the effect on parks and recreation in the United States will continue into the 21^st century. The public will become more aware of new sports and be ready to participate. Consider the following facts.

• More than 3,700 women are scheduled to compete in the Centennial Olympic Games, which is the largest number ever and about 600 more than the number of women who competed in the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona. Women will be competing for the first time in football (soccer) and softball and new women's events have been added to swimming, athletics (track and field), track cycling, road cycling, fencing, gymnastics, rowing, and shooting.

• Men and women will be competing for the first time in beach volleyball. Sponsorship dollars and television coverage have already greatly increased for this sport during the last five years.

• Since 1985, mountain bike sales have tripled. As a new Olympic sport in 1996 for men and women, mountain bike racing is one of the top growing sports in the United States and rising steadily in Europe.

• After synchronized swimming solo and duet events were introduced at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, youth programs increased by 80%. The team event has replaced the solo and duet events for 1996 and the United States team is a reigning world champion.

• For the future, the 2000 Olympic program in Sydney, Australia, has added two new sports to date: taekwondo and triathlon.

• In order to be considered for the summer Olympic program, a sport must be widely practiced by men in at least 75 countries and on four continents and by

Illinois Parks & Recreation • January/February 1996 • 21

women in at least 40 countries and on three continents. Sports are admitted seven years before specific Olympic Games. To be successful, events have to have mass appeal and a strong base of development programs.

Parks and recreation play a role in the long-term success of a sport by becoming aware of new sports and being ready to take advantage of the opportunities they offer. Preparation must be made to provide the appropriate services and facilities. For example, the interest in mountain bike racing has already impacted the use of park trails, creating a necessary cooperative effort between riders, hikers, and horseback riders. Restricted passive park areas have become a challenge for riders to discover and conquer.

Quality programs, facilities and services complement long-term planning. This is the time to prepare and become involved in the Olympic movement. Several possibilities include:

* Host an Olympic-style road race, perhaps in conjunction with the United States Olympic Committee, which may co- sponsor the event and split the profits.

* Get involved with the United States National Governing Bodies for specific sports (i.e., U.S. Swimming Inc.) to develop youth development programs and to work together on grant sponsorships. Find out the appropriate contact from each organization and see what services they can provide including equipment, curriculums, coaching certification, facility specifications, and other valuable resources.

* Support a sport by volunteering as a timekeeper, club leader, or official. Ask the specific U.S. National Governing Body about committees that promote or develop the sport on a local, regional, national or international level. For contact information, call the U.S. Olympic Committee.

* Create a mountain bike racing course in one of your parks. The National Off-Road Bicycling Association (NORBA), which is housed with the United States Cycling Federation (USCF) in Colorado Springs, can provide course design assistance and ideas on "how to start this hot new sport" program. Contact NORBA at 719-578-4717 and USCF at 719-578-4581.

* Contact the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (ACOG) for information on the Olympic Day in the Schools program, targeted for students in kindergarten through eighth grade, which includes curriculum guides and sports training manuals for teacher and classroom use. This could be utilized for after-school or year-round school programs.

* Be ahead of the game and start a synchronized swimming club program.

* Take a proactive approach in supporting a new local sports

22 • Illinois Parks & Recreation • January/February 1996

commission to facilitate the scheduling of area resources and to create the necessary network and funding for bidding on major sporting events.

* Initiate a partnership with your local sports commission or convention and visitors bureau to bid on and host Olympic-style sporting events in your community.

* Start your own Olympic cultural experience and teach international customs to both youth and adults. Learn about the food, music, and cultural differences and even include a contest to identify the 200 flags in these Olympic Games. Contact the ACOG for flag information.

* Develop a summer Olympic-style athletic program with youth camps and sports leagues to increase awareness and to increase physical and mental skills.

* Implement a World Games Day with participants representing different countries and marching in a pre-competition parade with their country's flag. Introduce Olympic fanfare music and close the day with an official awards ceremony.

* Contact an Olympian in the area to speak to your community on the training and discipline it takes to compete at that level. Include the nutritional aspects of calories consumed and proper diet, training schedules, sacrifices made, etc.

In 1960, there were 150 events in 17 sports on the program in Rome, Italy, compared to the 271 different events in 26 sports for the Centennial Olympic Games.

The Olympic movement will continue to expand and will facilitate the popularity of sports. Tennis, for example, was approved on the Olympic program in 1896, was discontinued in 1924, and was approved again in 1988. With increased programming and marketing efforts, this sport will continue to rise again in popularity.

Parks and recreation must take advantage of the Olympic movement and its many opportunities including new programs, potential revenues, and increased community spirit. Who knows, you may develop the next Mary Lou Retton, Bonnie Blair or Michael Jordan! And don't forget, the 2002 winter Olympic Games are just around the corner in Salt Lake City!

Jayne Turpin DeLuce is the director of aquatics for the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games. Joe DeLuce is the executive director of the Macon (Georgia) Sports Commission. Together, the authors have more than 30 years experience in parks, recreation and sports management.

Olympic Games Contacts United States Olympic Committee (USOC) 4615 Foreign Trade Zone Boulevard Colorado Springs, CO 80925 (719) 390-8900 Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (ACOG) 250 Williams Street, Suite 6000 P.O. Box 1996 Atlanta, GA 30301-1996 (404) 224-1996 (4040 224-1997 (fax) U.S. National Governing Bodies Call the USOC, Public Information and Media Relations Division for specific sports and contact information.

Important Note: Unauthorized use of "Olympic" symbols, emblems, trademarks and names in promoting athletic and cultural events is prohibited by the United States Olympic Committee. Caution should be used when promoting local events in conjunction with the Olympic Games. For further clarification of this law, contact the United States Olympic Committee.

Illinois Parks & Recreation • January/February 1996 • 23