The Olympic legacy and parks and recreation.

On July 19, 1996, the eyes of the world will be on Atlanta for the opening ceremonies of the Centennial Olympic Games. Two-thirds of the world's population will join 80,000 spectators to watch 10,500 athletes from almost 200 nations compete. Over the course of 16 days, the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (ACOG) will make history by implementing 271 medal events in 26 sports while hosting over two million visitors. On August 4, the closing ceremonies will conclude the world's greatest sporting event and the torch will be passed to Sydney, Australia for the next summer Olympic Games in 2000.

The Olympic tradition will move to another country, but the effect on parks and recreation in the United States will continue into the 21st century. The public will learn about new sports and be ready to participate in all types of athletic endeavors. To fully understand the impact of the Olympic Games, consider the following facts:

* More than 3,700 women are scheduled to compete in the upcoming Olympic Games. This is the largest number of women ever and about 600 more than the number of women who competed during the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. This year, women will be competing for the first time in football (soccer) and softball. In addition, new women's events have been added to swimming, track and field, cycling, fencing, gymnastics, rowing, and shooting.

* Both men and women will be competing for the first time in beach volleyball. Sponsorship dollars and television time have already greatly increased for this sport over the last five years.

* Since 1985, mountain bike sales have tripled. One of every two bicycles sold is a mountain bike. As a new Olympic sport in 1996 for men and women, mountain bike racing is one of the top growing sports in the United States and rising steadily throughout Europe.

* After the synchronized swimming solo and duet events were introduced at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, youth programs increased by 80%. This year, the team event has replaced the solo and duet events.

* Since the women's world soccer championships were introduced five years ago in China, soccer participation levels have skyrocketed. In America, soccer has become one of the top two sports for both boys and girls, and has replaced football as the leading sport at the youth level.

* The 2000 Olympic program in Sydney, Australia has added two new sports to date, taekwondo and biathlon. The success of triathlon--the swim-bike-run sport--has gone from a handful of participants to over two million athletes in the last 20 years.

All of these statistics impact parks and recreation by reflecting the direction in which certain sports are moving. In order to be considered on the summer Olympic program, a sport must be widely practiced by men in at least 75 countries and on four continents and by women in at least 40 countries and on three continents. Sports are admitted seven years before specific Olympic Games and events are admitted four years before actual the Games.

For example, aquatics is a sport, swimming is a discipline, and men's 100 meter freestyle is an event. To be successful, events must have mass appeal, proven television marketability and a strong base of development programs.

Parks and recreation agencies play a major role in the long-term success of sports by becoming aware of them when they are new and being ready to take advantage of the opportunities they offer. Youth development programs, competitive leagues and multi-purpose sport facilities can help popularize new sports, but require extensive preparation.

For example, mountain bike racing appeals to the notion that anyone and everyone can participate. Therefore, it reaches a wide audience, including families. Increased interest in this sport has already impacted the use of park trails, resulting in a necessary cooperative effort between riders, hikers and horseback riders. In Florida, the Broward County Parks and Recreation Department facilitates discussion meetings between groups with various interests.

As interest in the sport grows, membership in organizations, like the United States Cycling Federation (USCF) and the National Off-Road Biking Association (NORBA) has increased almost 40%. A web page has even been created on the Internet which will continue to build awareness and to facilitate participation in the sport.

Another new sport with increasing participation is beach volleyball. It can be played on a beach, near a beach or on a sand-covered area nowhere near a body of water. Although marketed primarily to the 15-35 age category, this sport has mass appeal and will be an Olympic sport for the first time at the Games in 1996. Sponsorship dollars increase for beach volleyball as televised tournaments are seen on ESPN, NBC, and CBS. The sport enjoyed especially high television ratings during last year's baseball strike.

With more professional opportunities opening up, beach volleyball is attracting younger players at the local level who hope that they will advance to national and international levels of play. Women are rapidly gaining on men's participation numbers, and there are more volleyball scholarships for women than for men. Operational costs are minimal for youth development programs or competitive leagues, and a park of almost any size can host beach volleyball.

Olympic Spirit at Home

With the Centennial Olympic Games beginning next month, now is the time to become involved in the Olympic movement. Planning short- or long-term sports and Olympic activities will generate and build on enthusiasm for the Games. Here are some ideas:

* Host an Olympic Day road race, perhaps in conjunction with the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), who may co-sponsor the event and split the profits.

* Become involved with the U. S. National Governing Bodies (NGBs) for specific sports to create youth development programs and to work together on grant sponsorships. Call the USOC and ask for the directory that identifies the appropriate contact from each NGB. Find out what services they can provide including equipment, curriculums, coaching certification, facility specifications, and other valuable resources.

* Support a sport by volunteering as a timekeeper, club leader or official. Ask the national governing body about committees that promote or develop the sport on a local, regional, national, or international level.

* Create a mountain bike racing course in one of your parks; mountains are not necessary for this outdoor sport. NORBA, and the United States Cycling Federation (USCF) can provide course design assistance and ideas on "how to start" programs while keeping in mind the environmental impact concerns.

* Develop a clinic on mountain bike racing to teach youth about bike maintenance, riding techniques, and training programs. * Contact ACOG for information on the Olympic Day in the Schools program--for students in Kindergarten through eighth grade--which includes curriculum guides and sports training manuals for teacher and classroom use. This could be used in after-school or year-round school programs, as well as being adapted to community recreation programs.

* Be ahead of the game and start a synchronized swimming club program. United States Synchronized Swimming (USSS), can provide guidance and provide a list of existing programs in nearby areas. Although your local pool may not have the exact depth specifications, you can still start a development program.

* Support your State Games, who need a strong volunteer base. Most State Games have district or regional competitions, which may not work unless the community is large enough to support them.

* Work with private organizations or clubs to offer Olympic-style events that you may not be able to offer at your facilities alone, e.g., gymnastics, weight lifting, judo, etc. Several cities have worked with local, private gymnastics clubs in the area to co-host events since the necessary equipment would otherwise not have been available.

* Take a proactive approach to creating a local sports commission that would facilitate the scheduling of area resources and create the necessary funding and volunteer network to attract major sporting events to your area. This organization could then apply for community grants that may be available for youth development programs.

* Contact the National Association of Sports Commissions (NASC) to obtain a list of over 1,100 annual events that have open bids. The NASC can also assist with starting a sports commission and give guidance on event bids and appropriate contacts.

* Initiate a partnership with your local sports commission or convention and visitor's bureau to bid on and host Olympic-style sporting events for your community. In one example, the Macon (GA) Sports Commission successfully co-hosted the 1995 International Boxing World Championship Challenge in conjunction with USA Boxing.

* In the Olympic tradition, create your own cultural exchange by teaching inter national customs to both youth and adults. Create lessons around the food, music, and cultural differences of the many different participating countries. Include a contest to identify the almost 200 flags that will be flown in the 1996 Olympic Games.

* Offer a course on training for a marathon or biathlon in conjunction with a local college or athlete. Schedule the course to end with a marathon or triathlon to coincide with the Olympic marathon.

* Implement an Olympic Day with participants representing different countries and marching in a pre-competition parade with their country's flag. Introduce Olympic fanfare music, implement the various sport competitions, and close the day with an official awards ceremony.

* Contact an Olympian in the area to speak to your community on the training and discipline it takes to compete. Organize a clinic on the athlete's sport. Include all the aspects of training, nutrition, schedules, and sacrifices.

For the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, there were 150 events in 17 sports. Compare that to the 271 different events in 26 sports for the upcoming Centennial Olympic Games. The Olympic movement will continue to expand and facilitate the popularity of sports, depending upon the political and marketing strength of the International Sport Federation and National Governing Bodies within each country. Tennis, for example, was approved on the Olympic program in 1896, was discontinued in 1924, and was approved again in 1988. With increased programming and marketing efforts, this sport will continue to rise in popularity. Other sports that were on the Olympic program at one time include tug of war, golf, lacrosse, and rugby. Most sports, however, will face a natural program life span.

Participation in women's sports will also continue to increase. For example, weight lifting has been primarily used for fitness and strength; however, women are now competing at local, national and international levels in this sport.

Endorsement for women's weight lifting at the Olympic level may be achieved within the next 10 years depending on public appeal and political positioning within the International Sport Federation. Initiating a women's youth sports development program in weight lifting would indicate a proactive approach from your community.

Parks and recreation must take advantage of the Olympic momentum and its many opportunities: new programs, increased community spirit and potential revenues. The economic impact of bringing Olympic-style events to a community is often reflected in hotel and motel taxes, sales tax, and other tourism revenue. Merchandising of clothing, hats and event programs showcases your agency or event logo while bringing in extra revenues. Take the necessary time and effort to develop sponsorship programs through local, regional and national corporations.

The Olympic tradition will continue, and future Olympians may start at any community park level. Who knows, your agency may develop the next Mary Lou Retton or Michael Jordan. As Atlanta marks its place in history, the 2002 winter Olympic Games are just around the corner in Salt Lake City.