Athletic Prowess Tested at 36th Annual AYF Olympics
By Allen Yekikan
Asbarez
Dec 4th, 2009
SAN DIEGO – Nearly 150 members from the Armenian Youth Federation’s
Western Region turned-out on Thanksgiving weekend to compete in the
AYF’s 36th annual Olympic Games, hosted by the AYF’s Glendale `Roupen’
chapter, at the majestic seaside Paradise Point Resort in San Diego.
AYF chapters from all over the Golden State and Las Vegas attended the
weekend tournament to compete in soccer, basketball and volleyball.
`The AYF Olympics is a long-standing tradition that brings together
Armenian-American youth from across the Western United States for a
weekend of sports competitions and good times,’ said `Roupen’ chapter
chairperson David Arakelyan. `This event is very important in
fostering ties between AYF members from different corners of the
country, and it represents one of the many pillars on which our
organization is founded.’
The weekend kicked off Friday evening with a bonfire by the beach.
Games began the next morning, pitting chapter against chapter for the
gold. After a heated day of activity, Olympics goers enjoyed a night
of dancing and music at the hotel before they hit the pavement again
for semi-finals.
Chapter pride always runs high at Olympics. Every year, every team
comes to the games, with unique t-shirts, complete with graphics and
catchy slogans. Each comes with the intent on taking home the
championship in their niche sport.
`Olympics has always been my favorite time of the year,’ said Levon
Abrahamian, the chairperson of the Crescenta Valley `Zartonk’ Chapter.
`It’s not just the games we enjoy, but the lead up to the weekend; the
weeks of practice, the long nights behind Photoshop designing chapter
shirts and the hours of debate at meetings trying to agree on the
perfect slogan to display on the shirts.’
At the end of the tournament, the Fresno `Kevork Chavoush’ chapter
came out on top in Soccer, winning the gold and taking the glory. The
Burbank `Varak’ chapter came in first for Volleyball and the Hollywood
`Musa Dagh’ chapter took the winning position in basketball.
`We had more than 150 AYF members competing in this year’s Olympics;
the energy was great,’ Arakelyan exclaimed, adding how much he
appreciated the ability to connect and reconnect with members. `The
Olympics committee worked very hard all year, mobilizing our chapter,
to make this event a success and I think we were able to achieve
that.’
Next year, the Olympic games are set to be hosted by the San Fernando
Valley `Sardarabad’ Chapter, which has already begun planning and
preparation to ensure nothing short success for the 2010 games. On
Thursday, December 4, the chapter held their first fundraiser for the
games. Themed as a `Post Olympics Reunion,’ it was a resounding
success, attracting many to an event that has set the tone for a year
of fundraising.
For many in the AYF, the Olympics have never been just about the games
and competition. `There’s a lot more to it than meets the eye,’ says
`Sardarabad’ member Patil Aslanian.
`From start to finish, the Olympics represent every fabric of AYF
life, from the organization’s democratic culture and adherence to
team-work and social-unity, to the appreciation for the long, hard
work that goes into making any endeavour a success,’ explains
Aslanian. `At the end of every year, we vote on which chapter gets to
host the Olympics; then the chapter honored with the responsibility
unites around the goal and spends the entire year working together to
bring the chapters together for another weekend of fun and
competition.’
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
