In it’s 24th year, the 2013 iteration of Bay Area KidFest included one of SportStars patented “SportsJams,” our idea of an All-Sports-Fast-Action-Fest. Dubbed for KidFest, the Field of Dreams, it all took place on 110,000 square feet of sports field, jam packed with fourteen sports represented and wall-to-wall activities.
Mt. Diablo High School hosted the Memorial Day weekend event which boasts 22,000 spectators. KidFest traditionally brings in younger audiences with attractions like Dora the Explorer, Wild About Monkeys live monkey circus, pony rides and the like. Show producers, Bay Area Festivals, Inc. invited SportStars to “help attract a somewhat older crowd, for instance teens!” And the experiment worked!
With the support of our primary sponsor, Kaiser Permanente, we set up several sports skill stations. Each station was hosted by a local company, like Mike Murphy Baseball hosting the “Reverse Home Run Derby.” The skill is to hit baseballs while standing at home plate into targets strategically placed on the backstop. Prizes are awarded to those successfully nailing a target!
Representatives from The First Tee of Contra Costa set up a full-swinging driving range and target practice range, and LifeTime Tennis (Joe Noth, Walnut Creek) set up two skills courts. Rawhide, the San Francisco Bulls mascot, paired with Dry Ice Inline Hockey to feature slapshot skills and goalie target shooting while St. Mary’s College Camps orchestrated their “All Sports Challenge” station.
Mt. Diablo shared the football training field with Clayton Valley Charter High and two volleyball activity stations featured the USYVL camp challenges and the Bay Area Blast skills station. Sports Authority presented our obstacle course hosted by STARS’ (Sports Therapy and Rehab Specialists) Dr’s. Paynton and Fife. Holli and Aaron Smith brought their portable Midway Paintball shooting range which appeared to have the longest, most animated waiting lines.
Ron of the Backyard Factory hosted our trampolines station, St. Mary’s Lacrosse standout Mariah Walk hosted the lacrosse skills station on behalf of her National Academy of Athletics. The NAA also provided the killer “Arm Chair QB Challenge.” Participants were asked to take their seat in a recliner and had to toss footballs “” while holding a TV remote with their other hand “” through Big O Tires swinging several yards away!
Heritage Soccer Club and Diablo Futbol Club both played roles in soccer skills challenges and demonstrations.
Even exhibitors got in on the fun with Velocity Sports Performance hosting their own combine-style exercise skills and Tony DeRusso’s Farmers Insurance agency baseball toss to win A’s tickets!
Basketball free-throw and 3-pointer competitions took place just outside the field on the asphalt, next to the zip line and Clayton Bikes “stunt bike exhibition.”
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE SPONSORS
Thanks in large part to our sponsors, hosts and exhibitors, volunteers and staff, the KidFest’s Inaugural SportStars Field of Dreams was a Home Run! All who worked the event saw it with our own eyes, the Field of Dreams drew fantastic and enthusiastic applause from all who participated.
According to KidFest producer, Jay Bedecarre, Saturday and Sunday crowds were record-setting! Monday of course, drew rain that put a “damper” on things for the start of the day, but as soon as the sun peeked from the clouds, the crowd picked up nicely.
All in all, it was a very busy weekend; we met and handed sports scorecards to enthusiastic participants and fielded, much to our delight, excellent reviews from them during the brief exit interviews! The #1 comment was, “This place is AWESOME!”
Thanks to SportStars’ sponsors, hosts, vendors and friends. You are all STARS!
“¢Kaiser Permanente
“¢Bay Area Blast Volleyball
“¢Big O Tires
“¢Clayton Valley Charter High School
“¢County Connection
“¢Diablo Futbol Club
“¢Farmer’s (DeRusso Insurance) Agency
“¢Fast Signs
“¢Golf Smith
“¢Heritage Soccer Club
“¢Hockey X / Dry Ice Inline Hockey
“¢Jumbo Sunflower Seeds
“¢Lifetime Tennis
“¢Midway Paintball
“¢Mike Murphy Baseball
“¢Mountain Mike’s Pizza
“¢Mt. Diablo High School
“¢National Academy of Athletics
“¢San Francisco Bulls Hockey
“¢SKLZ
“¢Sports Authority
“¢St. Mary’s Athletics
“¢STARS >> Sports Therapy and Rehab Specialists
“¢The Backyard Factory
“¢The First Tee of Contra Costa
“¢Togo’s Eateries
“¢United States Youth Volleyball League
“¢Velocity Sports Performance
“¢Walnut Creek Ford
VIDEO:
San Francisco Bulls mascot Rawhide has some fun with Field of Dreams participants.
SportStars publisher Mike Calamusa gives the Armchair QB Challenge a try.
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