Stanford Report, June 15, 2005

Athletics to host youth sports festival for community June 25

The Department of Athletics will host a youth sports festival on Saturday, June 25, featuring student athletes, coaches and former Stanford All-Americans who have gone on to make their mark in the sports world. "Honoring the Game" is the theme, and the one-day community outreach event will include sports clinics hosted by Cardinal athletes and coaches for children ages 8 to 14.

The festival will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with clinics in baseball, softball, boys and girls basketball, and boys and girls soccer scheduled throughout the day. Two tennis "Play Days" will be held at the Taube Family Tennis Stadium, as well as an all-comers swim meet at the Avery Aquatic Center. The festival also will feature interactive exhibits for lacrosse, fencing, crew and other sports. All events are free and open to the public.

Two seminars will take a closer look at the role sports play in society, and a panel that includes current student athletes and three former Stanford All-Americans will discuss how sports have impacted their lives and what life lessons they have learned from participating in competitive sports.

The panel will include former Cardinal basketball player Mark Madsen, who won two NBA world championships with the Los Angeles Lakers; Troy Walters, current member of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise and Stanford's all-time leading receiver; and Tara Kirk, a 2004 Olympic swimmer, 11-time NCAA champion and the Woman Collegiate Athlete of the Year for 2003-04.

The first 1,000 children to register will receive a free Youth Festival T-shirt. To register or get more information on the day's schedule, locations or directions, go to http://gostanford.collegesports.com/genrel/stan-youth-fest-05.html. Online registration is open through June 21.