SUMMER 2009 EDITION
COMMUNITY»
Show-Me State Games could see fewer participants
COLUMBIA — As the phone rings constantly in his office, Ken Ash sits at his cluttered desk.
Donning a Show-Me State Games hat and shirt, Ash, the event’s executive director, prepares for the Olympic-style amateur sports festival for Missourians of all ages.
Although he's eager to get the games started, Ash is a realist. He knows that this summer’s festival will be slightly different.
The event will run the final three weekends in July, as in the past. And with 39 sports being contested, it should be busy. It just won’t be as busy as in years past; because of the recession, the number of preregistered participants has declined.
“We have taken a bit of a hit but not as great as it could be,” Ash said. “In the years past, the numbers would have been finalized.”
As of July 16, the day before the event began, Show-Me officials were receiving registration forms.
“None of the numbers can really be finalized right now,” he said.
If last season is any indication, those numbers will have dropped. The event had 26,352 participants last summer, down 1,700 from the previous year.
“This affects the whole community,” Ash said. “It affects hotels and restaurants.”
Stoney Creek Inn hasn’t suffered, however.
“We have not seen a difference,” said Mike Kelly, Stoney Creek Inn’s public relations director. “We have the same number of (participants staying) as last year.”
The games, which are hosted at MU, were created in 1985 to provide Missourians with opportunities to participate in activities that promote physical health and fitness. Through the years, it has blossomed into the largest state games in the nation. ESPN.com recognized the games as one of the “101 Things All Sports Fans Must Experience Before They Die.”
Soccer, basketball and baseball were last season's most popular events.
This summer, soccer was the only sport that had a larger turnout than last year, Ash said.