|
QUESTIONS OFTEN ASKED ABOUT THE SUMMER GAMES - 2010
Open & Scholastic Division Sports
NOTE:
the word "Finals" used below refer to the 2010 finals
of the Games held in Buffalo.
Is there an entry fee
Open & Scholastic Divisions?
Yes, there is a fee to register for a tryout.
The fee is $10.00 for each Open
& Scholastic sport (exception: Open Bowling
has a $40 tryout fee). The fee is non-refundable.
When do the regional
trials begin?
Regional trials for open and scholastic division
sports begin in early May for most sports.
Trials information will be posted in early
April, when online registration will begin.
What do I need to bring with me to the tryout?
Bring with you to the tryout:
1. your Identification
2. Your email confirmation
3. If under age 18, your parent/guardian signed ESG Waiver
4. Any equipment you usually use to compete in your selected sport
& event
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 Scholastic
level.
Qualified Finalists in the Scholastic Division 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.
Open Division Athletes will be required to pay a
$25.00 fee if they choose to use the on-campus housing
provided by the ESG. This will entitle the
athlete to regional bus transportation to
& from the finals location, breakfast
and dinner in select campus dining halls,
and shuttle transportation from host campus locations
to many sport venues at no cost. Open Division
Athletes who elect to not take
ESG provided campus housing will still be
offered meals and transportation options 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.
back to top
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 register
online, pay the tryout fee and 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.
back to top
What if I miss the online
registration deadline? Can I still go to the tryout?
Tryout registration deadlines are indicated for
all sports, you must register online by the
indicated deadline.
Unless noted otherwise for your sport, you will
not be permitted to tryout if you do not
register online prior to the tryout date.
Day of Registration for tryouts:
Some coaches may have computers available onsite
for day of registration the day of the tryout; if
this is the case for your sport, it will be
noted on the tryout schedule and you may go to
the tryout and register. You will be required to
complete the online registration and payment
onsite before being permitted to tryout; a
credit card will be required - no cash or checks
can be accepted. Applicants under the age of 18
will be required to have a parent or legal
guardian present at the tryout site to sign the
online waiver. No one will be permitted to
participate in a tryout without completing the
online registration process.
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.
Is there a paper
registration form available that I can complete and bring to
the tryout with me?
No, there are no paper forms; all registration must
be done online and payment made with a credit card.
back to top
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).
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.
back to top
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.
back to top
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.
back to top
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 late June or early July.
All athletes
must attend and actively participate in the regional
trial. There are no exceptions.
back to top
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 20,
2010. 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).
back to top
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 July 5, 2010. 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 5, 2010 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.
back
to top
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
for 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 28, 2010, or risk being removed
from all rosters.
How do I contact
my Regional Director?
Visit the
Regional Director page for contact information, or call the Games
office at 518-474-8889.
REMEMBER -
ALL PARTICIPANTS AND COACHES AND OTHER VOLUNTEERS
MUST PRESENT PHOTO IDENTIFICATION AT FINALS CHECK-IN!
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: for athletes, a college-issued photo ID or Passport is 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!
back to top
|