Welcome Philadelphia Falcons

The Philadelphia Falcons Soccer Club, a member of Team Philadelphia and IGLFA, has just joined the Federation of Gay Games as an associate member.

Welcome Falcons!

20 July 2012 / First Philadelphia GLTA tennis tournament!

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is a city of many firsts in the nation; first daily newspaper, first stock exchange and the first bank were all founded here! It was only a matter of time until it also held its’ first GLTA tournament.

Philadelphia Liberty Tennis Association will host the first ever Philadelphia Open July 20 through July 22, 2012. It will be hosted at the Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis & Education Center – a USTA national tennis facility winner. Many East Coast players will recognize the facility as the same one that hosted the 2011 Atlantic Cup. This is a truly amazing indoor/outdoor facility so there are no worries about weather! And if you’re not lucky enough to make it to the later rounds, Philadelphia’s Gayborhood is one of the most happening gay areas in the country! They boast a three to four square block area of over twenty gay bars and restaurants to celebrate with your friends! The city’s tourism board recently launched a campaign geared towards the LGBT community; “Get Your History Straight and Your Nightlife Gay! 

Philadelphia Liberty Tennis looks forward to hosting athletes from around the world to celebrate togetherness and sports! Registration for the event is now open HERE and we are limiting entries for the first year; so we encourage interested players to register early!

11 March 2012 / Team Philadelphia goes to the Circus School

Team Philadelphia goes to the Circus School - March 11, 2012

5900 Greene Street, Philadelphia, PA 19144
(215) 849-1991


Philadelphia School of the Circus Arts will introduce Team Philadelphia members to new, exciting forms of working out and training during a special "Intro to Circus Workshop." PSCA faculty will help Team Philadelphia members get their feet off the ground and turn their workouts upside down - literally! Members will be broken down into groups of six participants to learn aerial skills (rope, trapeze, fabric), tightrope and juggling. Team Philadelphia members discover creative ways to build upper body and core strength. Program: 5:15pm sign-in and waiver review, 5:45pm circus workshop with warm up, 7:00pm social hour, networking, snacks/drinks provided by Team Philadelphia. NOTE: The price for this event is $35 per person ($25 for the school at time of registration and $10 for the Happy-Hour when you arrive.) Team Philadelphia is the umbrella organization for LBGT Sport in the Philadelphia, PA region and an official delegate to the Gay Games.



Register on line: REGISTRATION LINK: HERE.

For more information contact Bob Szwajkos.

Team Philadelphia runner in Warsaw marathon

Bob Szwajkos, Marketing Director for Team Philadelphia, the umbrella organization for the LGBT athletic teams and clubs of Greater Philadelphia completed his 16th marathon in Warsaw, Poland on 25 September 2011, representing Team Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Front Runners.

Bob was a silver medalist in the Marathon at the 2011 Gay Games in Cologne, Germany.

Team Philadelphia will participate at Outfest on 9 October 2011.

8 October 2011 / Philadelphia wrestling tournament

Saturday October 8, 2011
 The Spartan Wrestling Club of Philadelphia Fall Wrestling Tournament

First Unitarian Church, Basement

2125 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia 
The tournament will run from 1PM – 4 PM
Weigh-ins starting at noon
Spectators admitted at 12:30 PM
Wrestling beginning at 1 PM

 Wrestlers $20.00
Spectators $10.00

9 October 2011 / Team Philadelphia at Outfest

This weekend in Philadelphia
11th Street to 13th Street, Walnut S. to Spruce St
Sunday, October 9, 2011 Noon to 6 p.m.
OUTFEST IS A BLOCK PARTY, BUT THE BIGGEST AND MOST INTERESTING BLOCK PARTY YOU HAVE EVER SEEN.

Traditionally, every community group has a booth or tent at Outfest. We have at least 25 core vendors selling everything you can imagine and more. We always have a flea market. Every bar and restaurant in the Gayborhood has some sort of event, usually outside. There are fun and games. There is a children's zone. There are food and libations. There are circus events. There is a main stage at 13th and Locust. There is a dance area at 12th and Spruce. There is no end to people-watching. Most of our elected officials will pay us a visit. Mayor Nutter will be speaking from the main stage. AND, OF COURSE, ABOUT 40,000 ATTENDEES!

 FGG member organization Team Philadelphia will be part of it!

Gay Games Ambassador Brian Sims and other LGBT sports figures on list of who's who in gay Philadelphia

In Philadelphia magazine's list of who's who in gay Philadelphia, the "jocks" page features Joanna Lohman, a starting player with the Philadelphia Independence, a professional women’s soccer team that surprised everyone by placing second last year in the national championship; Wayne Knaub, commissioner of the Greater Philadelphia Flag Football League (GPFFL); and Meegan Coll, a member of the Flying Phoenix Dragon Boat team.

And Gay Games Ambassador Brian Sims, who recently nnounced a run for the Pennsylvania state legislature, appears on the "Legal Eagles" page:

Sims started his advocacy by helping elect Judge Dan Anders to the Court of Common Pleas. “Dan was trying to join Ann Butchart on the bench, and it was really important to me that he was running as a member of the LGBT community,” says Sims, an attorney who’s now running for the State House in the Democratic primary against Babette Josephs who’s held the seat for almost three decades. The ex-football- star—a Division II champ—is a former Army brat who lives in the Gayborhood with his 170-pound Newfoundland. He credits his dad with teaching him to be a leader. “He’s shown me my entire life that a strong, intelligent, capable man can also be compassionate and empathetic,” says Sims. “He was a career Army officer who has a doctoral degree, has traveled the world, has been married to the same woman his entire life, and is loved by all of his children. There’s a lot to look up to there.”

Fourth annual Liberty Classic football tournament in Philadelphia

Photo: Scott A. Drake

From Philadelphia Gay News:

LGBT soccer club Philadelphia Falcons [a member of FGG member organization Team Philadelphia] celebrated Memorial Day weekend with its annual Liberty Classic Tournament May 28 at Edgely Field.

The fourth-annual event brought together several dozen co-ed LGBT and ally soccer players who braved Saturday’s heat for the day-long tournament. The final standings, in order, were the lime, pink, blue, orange, jade and yellow teams.

Team Philly homecoming party!

Team Philadelphia will be honoring our Gay Games participants with a Homecoming Party on Tuesday, 21 September 2010 starting at 7:30 PM at Brauhaus Schmitz on South Street. This will be a great place to celebrate our winnings and share our Cologne and Gay Games experiences. Brauhaus Schmitz has offered us their mezzanine level which provides a fantastic, semi-private area for our group to convene (and party). This will be a great opportunity to show off your medals for the local paparazzi. Oh – and yes – the Kölsch will be pouring!!

PROST!

21 September 2010, 7:30PM
Brauhaus Schmitz
718 South St
Philadelphia, PA 19147

Please send Kurt D. a small selection of your favorite GG VIII photos so that we can share them with other participants. We are especially interested in capturing medals being awarded. Email to kdoug331@gmail.com

Live from Cologne - Open softball ends despite downpours

It rained. And then it rained some more. And then it rained even more. But it didn't dampen spirits of the teams, officials, fans or grounds crew on the final day of Gay Games open softball. In the consolation bracket, Philadelphia Fusion defeated San Francisco One Knighters to advance to the gold medal game. Philadelphia had to beat the champions of the winners bracket, the Indianapolis Sluggers, twice to win the gold, and they did just that.

Between the first and second game there was more than an hour's delay with heavy downpours. The rain would stop, the great Cologne Cardinals baseball facility grounds crew would get the field in playable condition and the rain would come again. The final game finally got underway and though the rain came back, it was thankfully modest and the game was able to finish.

The Gay Games aren't all about winning medals, but it obviously feels good when it happens. Congratulations go to San Francisco One Knighters (bronze), Indianapolis Sluggers (silver) and Philadelphia Fusion (gold).

Live from Cologne: welcoming Seattle, Philadelphia and Chicago to Cologne

Teams Chicago, Philadelphia and Seattle got together Friday night, July 30, at the Hilton City Center around the corner from Cologne's famous cathedral for welcoming drinks and dinner.

Pictured bottom row Tim and Kelly from Seattle, top row Kyle, Tom, Kevin, Drew and Dick from Chicago.

Photos from Team Philadelphia send-off

Visit Nightlife Gay for more photos of this fun event!

City Teams receptions

Team Chicago, Team Seattle and Team Philadelphia have come together to bring together a "Welcome Reception" on Friday, July 30th and a "Wheels Up/Farewell reception" on Sunday, August 8th for anyone in town on those days. What better way to start and end your Gay Games VIII experience to meet and greet some other athletes and participants from other U.S. Cities?? After our Welcome Reception, we will be "Night Owling" with additional city teams.

The City Teams Reception(s) are open and welcomed to everyone who purchases a ticket regardless of Gay Games registration type or city team affiliation.

For more info and to purchase your ticket, click HERE.

Team Philadelphia supported by Mazzoni Center

Team Philadelphia thanks the Mazzoni Center for its in-kind donation. Team Philadelphia and the Mazzoni Center share the Games Cologne “Safe and sound through the Gay Games VIII Cologne 2010” objective. The Mazzoni Center’s donation allows Team Philadelphia to include ‘stay healthy’ packs in with the uniform sets.

Established in 1979, Mazzoni Center provides quality comprehensive health and wellness service and is the only health care provider in the Philadelphia region specifically targeting the unique health care needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities. Mazzoni offers a full array of outreach, prevention, education, direct medical and care services, psychosocial services, legal services, and support groups, and is dedicated preserving the dignity and improving the quality of life of the individuals it serves. It is the oldest AIDS service organization in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the fourth-oldest in the U.S. With over 30,000 individuals benefiting annually from its services, Mazzoni Center is a leader among community-based organizations in the greater Philadelphia area, with a reputation for excellence and innovation in service delivery to its constituents. More information HERE.

Team Philly bon voyage party

Gay Games VIII Cologne is fast approaching. Team Philadelphia would like to invite you to attend our "Bon Voyage" party on Thursday, 22 July 2010, at Stir Lounge.

We are gathering the athletes for a send off bash - to include a 'fashion show' of the Opening & Closing Ceremony uniforms. This will serve as a chance to interact directly with the athletes attending Gay Games. This will be a great time to wish our local athletes well on their journeys and competition. Team Philadelphia GG VIII trading pins will be on sale for trading in Cologne.

United we will stand! Go Team Philadelphia!!!
Please RSVP HERE.

Philadelphia Falcons prepare for IGLFA world championships at Gay Games VIII

From The Temple (click HERE to read the full article):

This local, nonprofit amateur adult league is a member of the International Gay and Lesbian Football Association. Started in 1992, the IGLFA currently heads soccer involvement at the Gay Games in Cologne, Germany, where the Falcons are headed for the sixth year.

Founded in 1980 to recognize the athletic talent and dedication of the LGBTQ community, the Gay Games are modeled after the Olympics. Games are held once every four years and feature numerous sports and events with thousands of athletes in participation.

While the Falcons were largely founded and are currently coordinated by gay athletes, the team comprises members of all ages, genders, ethnicities and sexual orientations. Aside from an array of demographics, the team’s most distinguishing attribute is the family that’s been formed through the Falcons’ love for the game.

“I like soccer, but it is also a community,” Pepe Gimenez, a calculus professor at Temple, said. “You belong to a group of very nice people. We go out and travel together. They are very much my second home.”

Team Philadelphia travel package

For any Philadelphia-area Gay Games participants who aren't aware of it, Team Philadelphia has put together an interesting travel package to Cologne.

Find it HERE.

Team Philadelphia supports Pride Games

Penn Awareness Week at the University of Pennsylvania takes place from Monday, March 22nd to Sunday March 28th

Pride Games is a giant field day that PATH (Penn Athletes and Allies Tackling Homophobia) puts on to bring the LGBT and athletic communities together. It's happening at 3pm Sunday March 28th at Hill Field (33rd and Chestnut).

Team Philly needs 10 volunteers to compete in a variety of games. Registration is $10 per participant with a t-shirt. Emale kdouglass@gaygames.org with your tshirt size -- stat!

March 24: Team Philadelphia Gay Games VIII/Brian Sims event

Team Philadelphia and local gay and lesbian sports teams invite you to join them as hosts of Our Night Out being held at Ladder 15 (1528 Sansom Street, Philadelphia) on Wednesday, 24 March 2010 from 6 to 9 pm. Learn about LGBT sports opportunities as well as Team Philadelphia’s participation in the 2010 Gay Games in Cologne.

Special guest is Brian Sims (www.brianksims.com), a Philadelphia area attorney and former openly gay Bloomsburg University football quarterback who is a new Ambassador for the international Federation of Gay Games.

Athletes from area LGBT sports leagues are encouraged to wear team uniforms and mix with the crowd to help with recruitment and orientation. Team Philadelphia representatives will be on hand to talk about the 2010 Gay Games in Cologne, Germany, 31 July to 7 August 2010 including registration, travel, lodging and more.