FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 17, 2007

Contact BASOC:
Kristin Kasper Glickman 415.218-0798
Anne Cribbs 415.264.2067

United States Olympic Committee and San Francisco Bay Area Sports Organizing Committee Continue Community Partnership

Summer Programs for Bay Area Youth Showcase the Partnership

SAN FRANCISCO, CA. - The Bay Area Sports Organizing Committee (BASOC) announced today that it will continue as a partner with the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) as a member of the Community Partner Program. San Francisco and the Bay Area, represented by BASOC, is one of a select group of U.S. cities/regions working directly with the USOC to increase public awareness and support for Olympic and Paralympic sport, as well as to collaborate on local Olympic sport programming, such as training camps, research and sporting events.

“We're very excited to have been selected by the USOC to help promote Olympism in the Bay Area,” said Anne Warner Cribbs, Olympian and chairman of BASOC. “San Francisco and the Bay Area, with its many world-class sporting venues, is already recognized around the world as one of the top locations for sport. The partnership between BASOC and the USOC will continue to reinforce that image and - more importantly - provide tremendous new opportunities to support youth and the Olympic Movement.”

“The San Francisco Bay Area and its tradition of producing many Olympic and Paralympic champions, combined with BASOC's extensive experience and leadership in the Olympic Movement, are precisely the attributes the USOC was looking for in selecting the organizations and cities that are a part of our Community Partner Program,” said Jeff Howard, Director of USOC Education and Outreach Programs.

As an officially designated USOC Community Partner, San Francisco and the Bay Area - under the auspices of BASOC -- will assist with the distribution of USOC education and outreach materials to Bay Area schools and community youth centers.

The summer programs include:

F.L.A.M.E. (Finding Leaders Among Minorities Everywhere) Session one will be held in San Francisco on Saturday, June 23, 2007 - celebrated world-wide as International Olympic Day.

The program is targeted toward high school minority student-athletes. The goal is to expose student-athletes to the unique opportunity to be mentored by Olympians and Paralympians. This will be a one-day free program focused on teaching leadership skills and lessons in the Olympic Ideals (Vision, Persistence, Commitment, Discipline and Focus). Nominations for minority student-athletes will be accepted until May 30, 2007.
Session two is in its 14th year. It is an intensive four-day experience designed for college sophomores and juniors. This session is held at the U.S. Olympic Complex in Colorado Springs, Colo. Selected participants learn from Olympians and Paralympians, participate in Olympic and Paralympic sport demonstrations and attend a series of leadership building workshops.

Olympians In Life - National Olympic Curriculum
This 12-month program (with a focus on Beijing) will provide web-based monthly curriculum installments for grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12. This national Olympic Education initiative will be introduced in July 2007 and is expected to reach 5 million students nationwide.

“The Northern California Olympians board pledged its full support to this community partnership,” said Greg Massiallas, three-time Olympian and current President of the Northern California Olympians. “As Olympians, we know how important community support is in producing elite athletes and Olympians and we congratulate the USOC and BASOC for an exciting partnership to support Olympic sports.”

For more information, please contact Kristin Kasper Glickman at BASOC at 415-218-0798 or the USOC Media & Public Relations Division at 719-866-4529. This press release is also available on the BASOC's media specific website at www.basoc.org.