The Gay Games legacy for LGBT sport in host cities

Ted Cappas was sport co-chair for Gay Games VII, and is now a leader in the host organization of the Gay Softwall World Series this summer in Chicago. In this extract from a story from the Windy City Times, he speaks of the impact of hosting the Gay Games on LGBT sport in Chicago:

"The World Series is another chapter in the ongoing legacy of Chicago's gay and lesbian sports community. Our ability to succeed is built on the strength of our numerous sports leagues and our past successes in hosting various sporting events and tournaments. We hope to raise awareness in the community, outreach to new sponsors and build on our sports communities prior successes, so that the next generation of leagues, tournaments and events can continue to flourish and succeed."

Cappas, 39, has played in six past Series (Toronto, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Dallas, Portland and Fort Lauderdale), and his biggest fear for Chicago is out of his control: the weather.

"With any outdoor sporting event, weather is always the biggest concern," he said. "We are working [with] our facilities to build in schedule contingencies to adjust as needed."

The eight-member executive board for Series 2011 also includes: Jack Neilsen (founder and director), Joe Cappelletti (director of finance), Aaron Brost (director of marketing and special events), Brian Redar (director of operations), Bob Moore (director of volunteers), Larry Kuhn (director of sponsorship) and Olin Eargle (director of fundraising events).

"The 2006 Gay Games [in Chicago were] very influential in shaping our decision-making," Cappas said. "Two of our board members were executive board members of Chicago 2006 Gay Games and a third [Series 2011] board member ran the softball competition during the Gay Games. Having that experience and being able to capitalize and learn from the successes and failures [of] the 2006 Gay Games and the other sporting events we have all been part of is very beneficial."

Read the full article HERE.