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I wanted to share with all of you the upcoming USOC site inspection visit plans. As I never like to reinvent the wheel … Kim Carlisle, 1980 Olympian, BASOC Executive Committee and Board member, and Northern California Olympians newsletter writer recently commented on the upcoming visit in the following excerpt from the NCO newsletter:
By Kim Carlisle, BASOC Board Member
It may have been said that all roads lead to Rome, but in the case of the Bay Area Sports Organizing Committee, all roads lead to the week of August 20 to 23, 2001 (yes, that's in less than three weeks!) when the USOC site inspection team will visit our region to assess the San Francisco Bay Area's capability to host the 2012 Olympic Games.
During those four critical days, BASOC will boil its 800-page bid document down to its essence, presenting its vision, touring USOC officials through key venues and facilities, and introducing them to experts and supporters from throughout the region's communities. All activities and events being planned will be in strict adherence to the USOC's no-frills policies, and to meet every request they have submitted to BASOC. Our aim is to let the region's capacity, beauty, weather, enthusiasm and ability be self-evident, and to show how the selection of the San Francisco Bay Area will benefit the Olympic movement long after the flame is extinguished.
The site visit is requiring Herculean organization and the involvement of a cross section of BASOC staff and volunteers, from the Board of Directors to Theme Leaders to venue committees. We'll provide a full report in the next issue. Stay tuned…
Some final comments from me….We'll also have Olympians every step of the way during the visit in keeping with the Bid's focus on the athletes. And, finally, the array of talent in the Bay Area that has been assembled to make this visit the very best is awesome. My thanks go out to all. We're excited to show off this wonderful place where we live and work!
-Anne Cribbs, CEO, BASOC
Sunday September 9, 2001, San Francisco
Come watch the greatest cyclists compete in the heart of San Francisco!
Three-time defending Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong and his U.S. Postal Service team will lead an international field of over 100 cyclists as they compete in the city's first-ever grand prix. Race director Frank Scioscia was responsible for designing BASOC's 2012 Olympic road racecourse, and this fall's race follows a similar route, shown below.
Putting on an event of this magnitude requires hundreds of dedicated volunteers. If you are interested in being part of the action, please contact Chris Spaeth at the race office (610) 676-0390 x113, or by e-mail cspaeth@thresholdsports.com.
Monday, September 10, 2001 - CordeValle Golf Club, San Martin (South Santa Clara County)
Join us for this exciting tournament played on the beautiful and challenging Robert Trent Jones Jr. designed course. Come meet your favorite Olympians and other professional athletes along with Bay Area celebrities who will be in attendance. The fee for an individual golfer is $1,250 and a foursome is $5,000. This includes golf, cart, forecaddie, lunch, dinner and prizes. The after-golf activities will include a hosted reception, live entertainment, live auction, and golf awards. Emmy Award winner Mark Ibanez, Sports Director of KTVU FOX, will emcee the evening event. This event is a fundraiser for BASOC and we need your support to make this event a success. To date, fourteen foursomes have signed up and our goal is to have 25 foursomes.
Your company can become a special BASOC golf tournament sponsor! Sponsorships start at $1,000. For reservations or further information call Helen Mendel, Director of Marketing for BASOC at (925) 426-5339.
Sunday, October 28, 2001, San Jose
Start training now and participate in the 'Fastest Marathon in the Pacific Region,' according to the Ultimate Guide to Marathons. Race Director and BASOC supporter, Tom Bradley, expects about 6,000 competitors, so why not join in the fun! If you don't feel like completing the entire marathon, take part in the half marathon, the four-person relay marathon, or enter a child in one of the kids' races! For more information about this great Bay Area event, check out www.svmarathon.com.
Saturday, November 3, 2001, Treasure Island
The inaugural 2000 Olympic triathlon, with views of the Sydney harbor and Opera House, boasted perhaps the most scenic triathlon course yet devised. On November 3, this standing will be put to the test when Tri-California, in collaboration with BASOC, stages the Treasure Island Triathlon!
With incredible views of Marin, Alcatraz, both bridges, and the San Francisco Skyline, come watch some of the world's fittest athletes compete! BASOC is hosting this event, so support our 2012 Olympic bid by volunteering your help at this event! For information about volunteering, please contact James Raybould, BASOC Volunteer Coordinator, at (650) 856-2234, or via email to james@basoc2012.com. To find out more about the event itself, or to register on-line, check out http://www.tricalifornia.com/treasureisland/2001/index.htm.
Thursday, November 15, 2001 - The Tech Museum of Innovation, San Jose, 7:00 pm
the pure pursuit of athletic excellence
yourself on joining a winning team
in world acclaim for Bay Area Olympic Games
Unwind after a hard day at work at a reception where you will be joined by Northern California Olympians and other celebrity guests. Follow this with a private screening of 'Olympic Glory,' an IMAX salute to the Winter Olympic Games. End the evening with a private exploration of The Tech, a silent auction of Olympic and sports memorabilia, top this off with dessert and coffee and what do you have? An evening that you can't miss! Individual tickets are only $125 for this one of a kind event.
For reservations or further information call Helen Mendel, Director of Marketing for BASOC at (925) 426-5339.
By Kim Carlisle, BASOC Board Member
In keeping with the pioneering ways of Northern California, the Bay Area CyberRays, the womens' professional soccer team, joined forces with BASOC and the Northern California Olympians and Paralympians to salute our region's Olympic spirit on Sunday, July 8, during their winning game against the New York Power.
During halftime, Northern California Olympians and Paralympians were honored on the field. Half-time festivities also included a relay race by students participating in BASOC's Training for 2012 fitness program. Thanks to the generosity of the CyberRays for a wonderful event!
By Berta Lim, BASOC Administrator
On July 20, 200 BASOC supporters were part of this amazing sold out event. Our special guests, members of the Bay Area CyberRays and the Washington Freedom, women's professional soccer league, joined us for a buffet dinner, all the while signing autographs for the lucky guests. By the end of dinner, two lucky BASOC supporters walked away with a team autographed Giants baseball bat and a team autographed CyberRays soccer ball.
Immediately after dinner, a sold out crowd of Giants fans watched the CyberRays' Tisha Venturini and the Freedom's Mia Hamm throw out the first pitch. Previously in the evening the two had fun during batting practice with the Giants. Thanks to everyone who helped make the evening a success. See you next year for the third annual BASOC Night at Pac Bell Park!
By Ilene Trossman, BASOC Volunteer Writer
The George F. Haines International Swim Center in Santa Clara is a symbol of the Bay Area's long and successful involvement in International Swimming. It is only fitting that with a rich tradition that includes Coach George Haines training more than fifty Olympians, and with numerous Olympic Swimmers on the current BASOC board, that this facility should host the swimming, synchronized swimming and diving events of the 2012 Olympic Games.
First built in 1964, the George F. Haines International Swim Center is a perfect example of how a world-class sporting venue can positively impact the local community. An all-around facility that includes a 50-meter solar-heated pool, racing pool, training pool, and diving pool, the Swim Center has programs for all levels of swimmers, synchronized swimmers and divers. From adult swims and scuba diving lessons to elite competition, the Swim Center brings together kids and families to enjoy swimming. It is home to numerous swim clubs and coaches that develop local talent, and is a major player in hosting national and international events.
BASOC is working with the City of Santa Clara to coordinate improvements to the Swim Center to meet the short-term needs of the local community and the long-term vision of hosting the Olympic Games. According to Larry Wolfe, the Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Santa Clara, 'The City of Santa Clara is committed to having a world-class facility.' The Santa Clara City Council has committed seven million dollars in the current budget and is already working with architects to design upgrades that will include requirements for hosting the Olympic Games and will result in a state-of-the-art facility. Some examples in the planning stages are an additional 50-meter pool (the Olympic Games requires two), adjusting diving tower heights, and a flexible fabric-structure roof designed to provide a permanent cover to competitors and spectators. As an Olympic Venue, a temporary cover and seating will be built to allow 15,000 people to attend the events.
In just the last year, Santa Clara has hosted the pre-Sydney Olympics Synchronized Swimming Exhibition, the U. S. Masters National Swimming Championships, and the world-class Santa Clara Swim Club Invitational. The Far Western Diving Championships will take place at the Swim Center over Labor Day weekend this year. This is one venue that, without a doubt, is tested and recognized by the international sporting community.
The San Francisco Bay is not the only famous water in the Bay Area; ask anyone involved in swimming and you are sure to hear about the George F. Haines International Swim Center.
By Elizabeth Faletti, BASOC Volunteer Writer and Editor
Three-time Olympian Marilyn King is a woman of passion, vision, and action. While preparing to compete in the pentathlon in her third Olympic trials, King was injured in a car accident that left her debilitated and unable to train physically. She spent the four months prior to the trials for the Moscow Games 'watching video tapes and standing on the track when I couldn't jog or run or jump and visualizing all five events. I had an injection in my back for the pain and I placed second in the Olympic trials - all through mental training.' The experience transformed her life. Marilyn has spent the past twenty years as a highly respected business consultant, inspirational speaker, and corporate trainer teaching others about ‘Olympic Thinking' and the power of our thought processes.
Marilyn was born in Boston, Massachusetts and moved around the United States as a 'military brat.' She began competing in the pentathlon as a junior in high school in Staten Island, New York. She moved to Northern California to train with Coach Ed Parker and attended Cal State Hayward to study Kinesiology. Her 20-year athletic career includes five national titles and a World Record, two Olympic Games (Munich in 1972 and Montreal in 1976), and three Olympic teams (1972, 1976, and 1980).
Marilyn is a newly appointed member of BASOC's Ethics Committee and a long-standing board member of the Northern California Olympians. She resides in Oakland and travels frequently with her business, Way Beyond Sports. She took a few minutes to share what's on her mind in a recent BASOC interview.
So much of the work you have done has been regarding the strength of the mind and our thought processes. When did you first become involved with this style of training?
There was very, very little of that at that time in which I was competing (late 1970's). As a matter of fact, after I retired after the 1980 Games, I attended the first ever sports psychology conference and they were still trying to determine what the definition was and what the educational requirements were for sports psychology. So, it was not even a field at that time.
Could you explain what your business Way Beyond Sports emphasizes?
I placed second in the Olympic trials all through mental training. That was 1979, and in 1980 we boycotted the Games. That experience had me giving up my coaching position at U.C. Berkeley where I was the head women's track coach. I started exploring the whole field of exceptional human performance. You cannot compete at the level that I did in the trials without physical training and I had done it and that's when I came to discover the whole world of visualization and mental rehearsal. I then got a grant to learn how to teach people what I had done. I found out that it didn't work, that you didn't turn people into high achievers just by giving them this skill. So, I wound up creating the three-part scenario of Olympic Thinking which says three things are always present in sustained exceptional human performance: it is passion-powered, it is vision-guided, and it is action-oriented. It's very much related to what your daily practices.
I then moved into the corporate world where they are very appreciative of techniques that work and this technique works! So, I've spent the last twenty years (in the corporate world), and my list of clients includes companies such as IBM, Ford Motor Company, and General Motors.
How did you get involved with BASOC?
Through Anne Cribbs. I believe that our alumni association is important so I've been on the board of the Northern California Olympians for a long while.
What is your role in with the Northern California Olympians in regards to BASOC?
Anne has asked me to be on the Ethics Committee. I'm a new member. There are a number of lawyers on the committee and Anne wanted to make sure there was an Olympian representing the athletes' point of view.
Why, from an athletes' point of view, do you think the Bay Area would be a perfect place for the 2012 Games?
Let me counts the ways! One of the most important in terms of the Bay Area is that it is such a fabulous destination. People from all over the world want to come to San Francisco and the Bay Area. So, the number one reason is the attraction for other people. I also believe that having the Games here in the Bay Area, in Northern California, will have a tremendous positive ripple effect for our residents and, specifically, for young people. I believe that it will mobilize Olympians, particularly our Northern Californian alumni, to be more proactive. I also believe that there's a sensibility here in Northern California that's very important for the future of the Olympic Games that has to do with the real purpose of the Olympic Games.
What was your favorite pentathlon event when you were competing?
The long jump. I was a sprinter- jumper so I always placed very high nationally in the hurdles and the long jump.
What are your thoughts of women now competing in the pole vault?
We should have been doing it ten years ago. It was such a silly notion that women couldn't pole vault when you would look at what Mary Lou Retton could do.
Do you ever think the pentathlon will ever be reconfigured to include the pole vault?
Yes, I believe I will live to see the day when women will do the decathlon just as men do. Women do all the events, except that we didn't pole vault and now we do. I used to joke around and say if they ever started the women's decathlon that I would go back into training but now I'm too old!
What's your most memorable Olympic experience?
Walking into Olympic Stadium in my very first Olympics in Munich in 1972.
Thanks Marilyn, for taking time out of your busy schedule to speak with me.
By Lauren Brock, BASOC Volunteer Writer
Hundreds of thousands of people come to a host city to take part in one session of the Olympic Games: from the athletes, coaches and officials; to government leaders, food vendors and spectators. For two busy weeks the police have the daunting role of maintaining peace in a city that has effectively doubled in size. Under the watchful eye of the world's media, not only must they ensure the general safety of the Games for the Bay's population and its guests, but they must also help protect high security, international dignitaries and almost the entire world population of elite athletes. Every detail must be checked twice because any small disturbance can tarnish the legacy of the Games.
Planning for this kind of situation could be viewed as undesirable at least, and frightening at most, but Burnham 'Burney' Matthews, the Alameda County Chief of Police, sees it as an honor and a challenge. Originally from Illinois, Burney chose California as his home and began his career with the Oakland Police Department after graduating with a degree in criminal justice from Michigan State University.
In 1991, after 24 years in Oakland, Burney accepted leadership of the East Palo Alto Police Department, at a time when the city was statistically the murder capital of the United States. In only two years, he managed to reduce the number of yearly homicides in East Palo Alto from over 25, down to six, and in April of 1994 he was appointed Chief of Police in Alameda, where he had resided for the past 20 years. He is also actively involved with BASOC, serving as co-chair of the security theme team with Jim Molinari, Director of Northern California High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, while also a member of the Board of Directors. We were recently able to steal a few moments of Burney's busy, crime-stopping time to learn more about his involvement in BASOC.
How did you first become involved with BASOC and what is your current role?
While working in East Palo Alto, I was introduced to BASOC CEO Anne Cribbs, who helped me with several fundraising events for the Police Athletic League. I worked with her again during the initial stages of planning for the World Cup Soccer at Stanford Stadium while still in EPA, but moved up to Alameda before the event took place. When an article appeared in the paper talking about BASOC, and stating that Anne had been appointed CEO, I wrote her a letter to say congratulations, and offered my help with anything she might need done in the East Bay. Little did I know where the offer would take me! I worked with Jim Molinari on the security section of the bid document and am now busy planning for security arrangements for the visit of the U.S. Olympic Committee later this month.
What experiences with the Police Department, both in general and specific, have helped in your work with BASOC?
While I wasn't able to remain involved with the World Cup through to the end, the initial planning stages were similar to planning for an Olympic Games. Also, when I was a junior detective in Oakland I worked on the baseball World Series and the baseball All-Star game held at the Coliseum. Working for the Police Department, I have liaised with other federal, state and local agencies such as the CHP, FBI and the Secret Service, so I have made good contacts in those departments. There are some very intelligent and hard-working people in Bay Area law enforcement with whom I have been privileged to work! The USOC visit in August will be my first exposure to the Olympic family while serving as Police Chief.
What role would the Alameda police force have in an Olympic Games?
The Alameda Police would essentially become part of a Bay Area-wide security and police force made up of all the officers from all of the counties, and we would be positioned wherever BASOC and the government decide that our resources would be best used. We would be working hand in hand with the FBI, the State Department, the California Highway Patrol, the Secret Service, Cal Trans, BART, and even university police from Stanford, San Jose State and Berkeley. Our officers would also work on emergency response teams that roam the area.
Why do you think the Bay Area would be an ideal host region for the Olympic Games?
We have all of the factors necessary to ensure a successful Olympic Games. Obviously, the Bay Area has the ideal summer weather for Olympic sports, and almost any athlete who has competed here will support that claim. The Bay Area has consistently been ranked the number one tourist destination in the country, and has so much to offer in terms of the nearby National Parks and recreational facilities. Additionally, I think that our governmental structure is very solid and has proven that it can solve problems using the cooperation of different agencies. The initial talent that BASOC has drawn from government and business leaders is remarkable! Our bid has proposed spreading the Olympic venues over a wide area, which will lessen the impacts of traffic and crowding on the individual cities. Finally, the technological dominance of the region will enable us to provide top of the line service to the media, athletes and spectators alike.
Where do you see yourself in 2012 and what will be the first event you'd like to attend?
Well, I expect to be retired from the police force by 2012, but I may still be serving BASOC in some capacity or working in the community on other issues. I'd be thrilled to have the Olympic Games here, and I'd definitely try to get tickets to the swimming events. I'm a Masters swimmer and I have competed in the Alcatraz swim in the Bay. Oh…and I ‘d definitely like to attend the soccer matches. I have been a referee and a fan for many years, so if world-class soccer comes again to Stanford Stadium, this time I won't miss it.
Thank you Burney, and we look forward to your continued contributions to BASOC.
By Teka Thomas, BASOC Volunteer Writer
In August 2001, BASOC is shifting into high gear in its quest to host the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in the San Francisco Bay Area. This month, representatives from the United States Olympic Committee will be touring our region to envision how we can host the world's greatest sports festival. The following company profile is the first in a series of profiles highlighting private organizations working to make our dream a reality. This month's focus is on our legal eagles, the law firm of Thelen Reid & Priest LLP.
Thelen Reid is a bi-coastal firm, with hundreds of attorneys here in the Bay Area. The firm, as current constituted, was formed in July, 1998 in a merger of two established firms and comes from a legacy with extensive experience in international law and developing public infrastructure. With a diverse staff and legal office technology that is recognized as cutting edge, Thelen Reid symbolizes the best of the Bay Area's economy and way of life.
The firm's involvement with BASOC began in 1999 when one of their lawyers, Rob Weikert, read a Chronicle article about the effort to bring the Olympic Games to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2012 . BASOC CEO Anne Cribbs, and her bid effort in general, struck Rob as 'a remarkable person and a remarkable issue.' From there, the San Francisco branch office of Thelen Reid agreed to take part in the legal effort. The firm not only provides BASOC with legal work but its office at 101 Second Street also serves as the meeting place for many of BASOC's major business meetings.
John Heisse is the Managing Partner of Thelen Reid's San Francisco office and is committing his organization to BASOC's Olympic bid. He says the San Francisco Bay Area would be ideal for the Olympic Games 'because of its history of diversity, tolerance, and inclusion. Also, its incredible natural resources and technological sophistication are uniquely suited to staging an event of this magnitude and importance.'
Rob Weikert and Jim Hendrick have served, along with Jack Bair of the San Francisco Giants, as the lead attorneys for BASOC's legal issues. Together they have worked on such issues as drafting memorandums of understanding with the various venues, creating a BASOC Code of Ethics, and creating the legal structure for a future Monterey Horse Park for Equestrian events.
In short, BASOC looks to the firm to be our interface with the law. BASOC CEO Anne Cribbs says, 'support from Thelen Reid is readily available to BASOC and (is) provided with enthusiasm, commitment, and professionalism.' Thelen Reid has provided facilities and counsel since the genesis of the San Francisco Bay Area bid and BASOC looks forward to a long future with the firm.
Thank you Thelen Reid for your commitment to BASOC!
By Elizabeth Faletti, BASOC Volunteer Writer and Editor
Native Californian Shawn Oatey has a talent for organizing people, events, and information. As a valued team member, Shawn provides web-related services and event coordination for the BASOC effort. He is the National Accounts Manager for Audio Visual Headquarters (AVHQ) in San Francisco where he is responsible for the strategic sales efforts of live event audiovisual production services to AVHQ's national clients which include Microsoft, Oracle, Hewlett Packard, Intel, NBC, and Fox Television. He is currently enrolled in the University of San Francisco Sports and Fitness Masters Program where he will be graduating in December, 2001.
In his spare time, Shawn enjoys traveling to foreign countries and experiencing different cultures. He is an avid triathlete and outdoor person and is looking forward to his first full post-injury triathlon in Malibu this September after a successful ACL reconstructive surgery last December. Shawn lives in San Francisco's Marina district with his fiancé Denae Honey and will marry in July 2002 in Sun Valley, Idaho. We had the chance to talk with Shawn about his involvement with BASOC in the following interview:
How did you get involved with BASOC?
I met Anne Cribbs through a mutual friend, John Boesch. Anne was a guest speaker at the University of San Francisco (USF) last fall. I entered the USF Sports Management program to direct my future towards international sports management. I have always looked forward to working with the Olympic movement and major international sporting events. I entered my graduate program with plans to do my internship with the Olympic Committee or some Olympic organization. As soon as I heard about BASOC, I knew that I could help and get some great experience at the same time.
What has been your role with BASOC thus far?
My initial project with BASOC has been organizing and operating the BASOC/Grassroots Online Advocacy Program. This is a partnership between BASOC and a San Francisco company called Grassroots. Grassroots has developed a web-based software program that allows organizations such as BASOC to reach out to its members and supporters through customized e-mail and web pages.
I have also been assisting Anne, Bob Stiles, and the rest of the BASOC Bid Team with the upcoming U.S. Olympic Committee site visit. I have been able to use much of my experience in live event production to help with the presentations that will be given. Anne has drawn together a great group of people and everyone is really working hard, but most of the time it is so much fun you forget its work. People are involved because they love sports, the Bay Area, and the Olympic Games. It is something really special.
What can supporters expect to see in the future regarding the BASOC website and use of the Internet?
Technically, the BASOC website and the BASOC/Grassroots Online Advocacy Program are two separate entities. The BASOC website (www.basoc2012.com) is a great website that has recently been updated with some new bells and whistles. It is the web presence for BASOC and the BASOC Olympic movement.
The BASOC/Grassroots Online Advocacy Program is on the web and is made up of many different web pages and e-mail notices but it is run and operated via a proprietary software interface that Grassroots owns. The great thing that the BASOC/Grassroots Online Advocacy Program allows us to do is to easily communicate to everyone in our database on a regular basis, keeping them updated on BASOC news (such as this monthly newsletter) as well as calling people to action by requesting support at events, involvement in BASOC issues, etc.
Why do you feel the Bay Area is the perfect host for the 2012 Games?
The San Francisco Bay Area is not only an international destination but it is also a leading region in today's global economy. Everything that the world is today can be found or experienced at some level here in the Bay Area. Competition, technology, recreation, travel, sport, service, hospitality, cultural diversity . . . it's all here! What better place could there be to host the global community's biggest and most important spectacle!
Please send comments, suggestions, and questions to: BASOC E-Newsletter, 1900 Embarcadero Road, Suite 102, Palo Alto, CA 94303 info@basoc2012.com
BASOC e-newsletter writing provided by dedicated BASOC volunteers and writing and editing provided by Elizabeth Faletti of The Write Stuff! - Berkeley, CA (510) 486-1843.
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