ESG cutbacks may bring end to open women’s hoops
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- January
- 8
Because of the recent economic downturn, everyone is pinching their pennies, hoping to survive until a better day. As you’ve probably read recently, New York state’s financial woes have left new Gov. David Patterson to reassess the budget. One of many struggling agencies is the state parks department, which, trying to decrease its budget, appears close to dramatically altering the Empire State Games’ program. Some believe the ESG’s will never be the same again.
I wrote a story about some possible changes today. They are not official, but some organizers believe it’s all but a formality.
Among the changes bandied about are:
— Scholastic-age athletes having to pay $300 to participate
— A merging of the open and masters divisions into an “adult” division
— No more team sports at the the “adult” level
The last, of course, would bring an end to open women’s basketball, meaning former LoHud stars would have to search for sanctioned competition. Some people don’t know this, but the NCAA is very strict about where it’s athletes play over the summers. Few leagues/events are sanctioned competition, meaning, as Brittany Shields says in today’s story, the former members of the open team would have nowhere to play this summer.
The trimming of the ESG’s would impact the scholastic athletes as well. Some of you may not think $300 is a big deal, but it will be to some competitors. Hudson Valley regional director Frank Intervallo told me the Games will never be the same because of it.
As I said before, none of this is official but trust me it’s far more than just a dirty rumor.
This entry was posted
on Thursday, January 8th, 2009 at 3:13 pm by Josh Thomson. 
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Josh Thomson has done some of everything since joining The Journal News in March 2003. He began working for the Gannett weeklies during the winter of 2002 as a freelance writer. He joined the daily staff soon after and has since covered various high school and pro sports. Away from sportswriting, Josh lives in Westchester and spends his free time either with his fiancee, Sarah, or expertly managing his various championship-winning fantasy sports teams. He's visited 21 major-league baseball stadiums and insists that Fenway Park and Wrigley Field are the best by far. Josh graduated from Carmel High School in 1998, then went to Boston University, where, in 2002, he received a degree in communications with a minor in history.
What a shame recessions come and go…budgets will have a deficit and surpluses…they want to limit girls games and do a geography based schedule all this as gasoline prices plummet…cut something else having a young mind focus on teamwork and athletics should be a priority…we don’t need more text messaging couch potatoes…let these kids wholove to play the sport an opportunity to play against the best the state has to offer
How Lame
I think the changes are a shame … they are going to lose sooooooo many high school aged athletes from all over the state … I know I wouldn’t shell out the $300 when I competed in Empires back in the day … plus lots of those kids don’t have the funds put towards it. I think they’ll also lose Masters athletes too due to the fact that the level of competition is no longer as fair as it used to be since now they’ll have to compete against people like half there age (not that means they’ll win) but I think this hurts the ESG more than some people think.
There will be tons of talent missing from this years games!!!
.....And with all of the cuts to the number of competitions that will be played in HS sports to save money on transportation costs, it really is dumbfounding to pull into the parking lot at school at 4:30 only to find that the giant schoolbus of the visiting team is sitting there with the engine running while the game is going on inside the gym. Where is the savings in that?
Yes, this just happened the other day. Please busdrivers, shut off your engines and go into the school if you are cold!!!!
What is amazing to me is the front page news today that Westchester County is going to spend in excess of $9 million to demolish Memorial Stadium in Mt. Veron only to rebuild a new facility. The article notes that the facility will be run by the Mt. Vernon Parks and Recreation but “will also be available to neighboring communities”. Are they kidding? This is the same county that must “rent” the County Center to Section 1 and because Section 1, in its infinite wisdom, will not come up with the $15,000 the County is insisting on, there will only be championship games at the County Center this year. Who let the lunatics run the asylum???