Youths Participate in First Local Jr. Olympics
Girls basketball participants line up before competition begins Local youngsters between the ages of 8 and 13 participated in the Junior Olympic Skills Competition last Thurs-day at the John Malone Center in Ber-gen Beach.
The grassroots program allowed scores of boys and girls, who competed separately, the opportunity to showcase their athletic abilities in basketball, soccer, tennis and track & field. The program encourages youth participation in sports while promoting sports-manship.
Champions from this qualifying event will advance to one of the Regional Competitions across the country in hopes of advancing to the National Finals. The event was sponsored by both Millennium Development and its partnering organization, the Bergen Beach Youth Organization.
"It may not have been the real Olym-pics, but it was definitely a miniature version and we're honored that our local youth had a chance to compete," said Greg Janvier, Regional Coordi-nator. "It gave the youngsters a strong sense of teamwork and brought out the spirit of the real-life Olympic arena." Photos by Sonny Maxon
9-year-old Matthew Lieberman shoots for the hoop
 Youngster takes a swing at whiffle ball Seven-year-old Nailah Bernard is into her own racket Boy and girl get a kick out of soccer Millennium members and volunteers ran the event |
