Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, July 5, 1990 TAG: 9007050259
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JACK BOGACZYK SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
In February 1989, Fonder started Virginia Amateur Sports as a non-profit corporation, with its goal to bring State Games amateur athletic competition to the Roanoke Valley.
When rifle and target shooting started at 7 this morning, the first Virginia CorEast State Games began at venues crisscrossing the valley. By Sunday night, competition will be completed in 29 sports.
"What pleases me is that we're going to reach the goals we set for ourselves," said Fonder, a swimming coach-turned-organizer as the VAS president and executive director of the CorEast Games. "All 29 sports are go. And, in 20 of the 29 sports, we will meet or exceed our projections.
"For the first year, that's what we wanted. I wasn't so much concerned about selling tickets as I was in getting participation. We wanted people from around the state to come to the Roanoke Valley, and, for the most part, they are."
Competition began today in archery, basketball, cycling, shooting, tennis and volleyball. On Friday, gymnastics, handball, racquetball, roller skating, soccer, swimming and table tennis will join the competitors.
At Victory Stadium on Friday evening, opening ceremonies are scheduled, with the torch lighting about 9 p.m. Roanoke fitness guru Artie Levin, who was to ride in the cycling competition today and run in the road race Saturday, will carry the torch into the stadium, the last leg of its two-week trip from the State Capitol steps.
The other sports in the festival open Saturday. With rare exceptions, most notably gymnastics on Saturday night, most competition should be completed each day by 6 p.m.
More than 4,100 athletes will participate, and more than 1,200 volunteers will work the Games. Fonder had been concerned about losing athletes to the competing Virginia State Games, held last weekend in Richmond. In a few sports a lack of top state competitors is noticeable.
"In a couple of sports, we could have a better field," Fonder said. "But we have people competing, and that's what this is supposed to be about. Our track and field isn't what it could have been, but we'll have some people competing for medals who in future years might not have a shot at them. They'll be able to say, `I won the first one.' There's something neat about that.
"We wanted to have competition that every athlete could have a chance in, and we wanted to have the elite people, too. We've been able to do that."
Swimming, with two meets and more than 550 competitors, is the largest competition. Fonder and Bob Hartman, VAS games director, said other top competitions will include gymnastics, shooting, fencing, synchronized swimming, men's open soccer and men's open tennis.
The State Games also lost some of its best potential competitors to the U.S. Olympic Festival in Minneapolis-St. Paul, but Fonder knew that would happen.
Fonder began building toward this weekend with $175,000 in state funding from the 1989 General Assembly. Then, he received a three-year, $500,000 commitment from CorEast Savings Bank. By putting on a good show this weekend, Virginia Amateur Sports hopes to receive Gov. Douglas Wilder's endorsement as the State Games recognized by the commonwealth.
"More than six months ago, zero out of 10 people on the street probably knew about this event," Fonder said. "About three months ago, maybe five of 10 had heard of us. After we're through this weekend, I'd say about seven out of 10 will know what's happened here.
"The economic impact will be felt. We have hotel and motels tied up around the valley. Usually, on the Fourth of July weekend, everybody around here is going to the lake or away on vacation. A lot of people have stayed here or are coming here for the Games.
"And we have the potential to be better."
The final hours before the Games have brought more furor and frazzle to the VAS offices in downtown Roanoke than anyone could have imagined.
"At 10:05 Monday night, we had five phones lit up," Fonder said. "I went in the office at 5:30 Tuesday morning, hoping for some quiet to get some work done. By 6 o'clock, three people were on the phone, holding."
One of Fonder's employees berated him for leaving the office Tuesday morning, leaving the staff with too few hands to answer phones.
"I went out to unload gymnastics equipment from a tractor trailer," Fonder said, shrugging his shoulders.
No matter what happens in the State Games, Fonder already can smile about one triumph. Fonder bet Hartman that the State Games would attract at least 4,000 athletes. "If we got 4,000, Bob said he'd shave his head," Fonder said.
Hartman's hair has been clipped to about three-fourths of an inch on top.
"That doesn't look like a shaved head to me," Fonder said.
by CNB