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QUESTIONS OFTEN ASKED ABOUT THE GAMES - 2008

NOTE:  the word "Finals" used below refer to the 2008 finals of the Games held in Binghamton.

Is there an entry fee Open & Scholastic?
The Empire State Games is a program of the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and is funded in part by state allocated monies. There are no entry fees of any kind, except for Masters Division sports, Road Race 10K and Bowling lanes fees.

If I qualify for the finals, will I be required to pay a fee?
No fees of any kind are required from any athlete who has qualified for the finals at the Open and Scholastic levels.
Qualified Finalists in the Open and Scholastic Divisions will be provided with campus housing, breakfast and dinner, regional bus transportation to the finals location, and shuttle transportation (to most sport venues) at no cost.
Some sports may wish to raise money to provide special team apparel, such as team warm-up t-shirts, or team swim caps. If this is the case, the purchase of these items by the athlete is totally voluntary and not a prerequisite to attend the finals. If an athlete or parent has a question regarding purchase of such items, he/she should feel free to contact the coach, Regional Director, or the Games' office in Albany.

What is the difference between the Open and Scholastic Divisions?
Open Division participants those who are aged 18 and older as of August 31 of the year of the Games.
Scholastic Division participants are those who are aged 17 and younger as of August 31 of the year of the Games.
Some sports have minimum age requirements and there are exceptions to these age rules for other sports; please visit the Eligibility page for additional details.

How do I get selected or qualify for the Finals of the Games?
Open & Scholastic participants must attend a Regional Trial for their selected sport.  For Team sports, athletes tryout as individuals (rather than existing teams) and will be evaluated by a selection panel of volunteer coaches during scrimmage and drill situations.  For Individual sports such as Track or Swimming, athletes must compete at the Regional Tryout meet and finish within the guidelines listed for their event.  Still other sports, such as Wrestling or Fencing, will have a regional tournament to determine the top finishers.  See the information for your sport to determine the qualifying method and visit the Regional Tryout page for tryout dates.

Will I be notified that my online registration has been accepted?
Applicants who register online should print their 'Confirmation Page' upon completion of their  online registration form.  Those applicants who have an email address will also be emailed their confirmation of their completed entry. 

What if I miss the online registration deadline? Can I still go to the tryout?
If a tryout registration deadline is NOT indicated for your desired sport, you may register online until 24 hours prior to the date of the tryout (48 hours for Bowling registrants), or you may simply go to the tryout site (walkup entry) and signup on the day of the tryout.
Note:  For those sports with no tryout registration deadline (these sports will allow 'walkup' entries on the day of the tryout), persons who do not register online prior to attending the tryout will be required to complete a registration form onsite before being permitted to tryout. Applicants under the age of 18 will be required to have a parent or legal guardian present at the tryout site to sign a waiver.  No one will be permitted to participate in a tryout without the signed waiver.
 
If a tryout registration deadline IS indicated for your sport, you must register online by the indicated deadline.

If you are unable to register online for the sport(s) for which you wish to tryout, please call the Games office at 518-474-8889 or your Regional Director for assistance.

What if I am unable to attend the posted tryout date?
An athlete must attend the posted date(s) for that sport's tryout. No other tryout date(s) will be added to accommodate those unable to attend the posted date(s).

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Do I need to show identification?
ID is not required for the regional trails, however if you are selected for or qualify for a Regional Team you will be required to show a form of New York State issued photo identification at the Finals in order to compete and to receive your uniform.
The following forms of Photo ID will be accepted: Current NYS Drivers License, Current NYS Non-Driver Photo ID or current High school/Jr high school photo ID.
Note: a college-issued photo ID is not acceptable proof of NY State Residency.
Persons of any age may apply for a Non-Driver Photo ID. Visit the NYS DMV website for information on how to obtain a NY State Photo ID. It can take up to a month for DMV to process Non-driver ID cards, so do not delay in applying for one.

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Do I need to be a resident of New York State?
YES, all participants must be residents of New York State by the date listed in the eligibility information. Residency must be shown by presenting a NYS photo ID as indicated above.

What if I get injured during the tryout, practice or at the finals?
The Empire State Games does not pay for any medical costs for participants. Participants are responsible for their own medical coverage and encouraged to secure their own medical insurance coverage in case of injury. Volunteer medical professionals will be at the Finals competition sites to provide free medical care to participants.

Do I need to be a member of a sport's National Governing Body (NGB) to participate?
Only the ESG sports of Boxing, Cycling and Judo require membership in the NGB of the sport, due to the inherent danger of these three events. While you are encouraged to join the NGB of your sport, membership is not required for entry into the Games.

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If more than one tryout date is listed for my sport, do I need to attend all tryout dates listed?
It depends on the Region and the sport. All athletes are encouraged to attend the first date listed for that sport and then talk to the coach regarding subsequent dates. The regional coach may call for additional tryout dates after initial cuts are made at the published tryout date. Sports which require attendance at multiple tryout dates will be indicated in the tryout listing (i.e. "must attend both dates"). Athletes trying out for Track & Swimming should check for an "Order of Events" on the Tryout page, or contact their Regional Director to determine the specific date of their event if the trials will be held on more than one day.

What if I have no competition in my event at the Finals?
In a case where an athlete is the only person state-wide (i.e. men's boxing, lightweight class) scheduled to compete in the Finals, the ESG office will notify the athlete and inform him/her that since there is no one in his/her event, he/she will not be invited to attend the finals. In such a case, the athlete will be given a warm up suit as recognition of their regional accomplishment.

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When will I find out if I have qualified for the Finals?
For athletes in individual sports (i.e. Track & Field, Diving, Fencing, etc.) will know that they have qualified for the finals as a result of the regional trials. In all individual sports, the top finisher in each event will qualify for the finals; some individual sports may have a qualifying minimum standard for a second place qualifier - check the sport information pages for details.

Athletes in team sports (i.e. Baseball, Basketball, Volleyball, etc.) attend the Regional Trials as individuals (existing teams do not tryout as such), and compete against others, primarily in scrimmage situations, to secure a position on a team. The ESG head coach of team sports assembles a panel of coaches who observe the candidates in scrimmage situations. The length of the selection process depends upon the number of athletes trying out. The ESG head coach will ask his/her panel to cut down to various numbers, and may find it necessary to conduct additional tryout sessions over the course of two to three weeks after the initial tryout date which is listed in the Regional Trials Schedule. Athletes who are selected for team sports will be notified in early July.  All athletes must attend and actively participate in the regional trial. There are no exceptions.

What if I am selected as an alternate?
Athletes who are named as alternates may be placed on a team for the finals until Tuesday, July 21, 2009. While alternates are not guaranteed a spot on the final team, they are encouraged to continue to participate in practice sessions - not only to stay in shape so as to be ready in case they are called, but also to learn the team plays, and to become familiar with other members of the team. Alternates for individual sports are the second place, third place, etc. finishers in each event (again, depending upon the sport and any qualifying standards).

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How will I be notified that I have made the final team?
All athletes selected for the finals are given a WINNERS PACKET. This packet is an envelope full of information that is given to each finalist, immediately upon qualifying for the finals. For example, if you were participating in the 100M dash at the Regional Trials, and you finished in first place, you would be given the Winners Packet immediately after the completion of the race. Athletes trying out for team sports usually go through a series of tryout sessions; coaches of team sports must select their team members and alternates by June 24, 2008. The Winners Packet provides information about the finals, including transportation permission forms, ticket ordering information, emergency phone numbers in the host city area and Hotel/Motel information. Athletes who have not received a Winners Packet by July 1, 2008 should immediately notify their coach or Regional Director, or give the Games' office a call at (518) 474-8889.

If I make the final team, when will the practices be held?
Practice sessions and rules of attendance for practice sessions are established by the Regional Coach.  Participants should talk to the Regional Coach at the initial tryout to discuss practice sessions.

If I make the final team and subsequently determine that I cannot attend the Games, what do I do?
Athletes who make the finals of the Games and cannot attend are required to contact their regional coach and Regional Director before the Games so that a replacement may be named.  Those that fail to attend the finals (i.e. "no show") without notifying their regional coach and Regional Director will be banned from participating in future Empire State Games programs.

Can I tryout or participate in more than one sport?
An athlete may tryout in more than one sport, but may only compete in one sport at the Finals.  If an athlete qualifies in more than one sport, he/she must opt for a single choice and notify their ESG Coach and their Regional Director by June 24, 2008, or risk being removed from all rosters. 

REMEMBER - ALL PARTICIPANTS AND COACHES AND OTHER VOLUNTEERS MUST PRESENT PHOTO IDENTIFICATION AT FINALS REGISTRATION IN BINGAMTON! 
The following forms of Photo ID will be accepted: Current NYS Drivers License, Current NYS Non-Driver Photo ID or current High school/Jr high school photo ID.
Note: a college-issued photo ID and Passports are not acceptable as they do not show proof of NYS Residency.

The NYS Department of Motor Vehicles issues 'Non-Driver' Identification Cards. Persons of any age may apply for a Non-Driver Photo ID. The processing time for these cards is 3-4 weeks, so do not delay in applying for one.

Participants who do not present an acceptable form of Photo ID will not be permitted to board the regional bus, register for their room, or compete in the Games!

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