Former Stanford athletic standouts on hand for youth festival Former Stanford athletic standouts on hand for youth festival (June 17, 2005)
Some of the top names in the history of Stanford athletics will participate in The Youth Sports Festival and Seminars at Stanford University, set for Saturday, June 25.

Those scheduled to appear include former Cardinal greats Mark Madsen, currently a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA, Teyo Johnson, a member of the Oakland Raiders, Logan Tom, two-time U.S. volleyball Olympian, Troy Waters. a member of the Indianapolis Colts in the NFL, Olympic swimmer Tara Kirk, NFL Hall of Fame coach Bill Walsh and former NFL wide receiver Gene Washington.

A community outreach event that is free and open to the public, the day includes sports clinics and tournaments hosted by Stanford University student-athletes and coaches, two seminars on the impact of sports participation, a panel discussion with former Stanford student-athletes and a "festival" of participatory sports activity for kids.

"The motive behind the event is to invite the community on campus and enjoy the day," said Gary Migdol, the event organizer and a Stanford Senior Assistant Athletic Director. "This is the athletic department's version of Community Day. We just want to be good neighbors, and introduce people to Stanford."

The athletic department's "open house" will feature sports clinics hosted by Stanford student-athletes and coaches for children ages 8-14. Four, 90-minute clinics will take place throughout the day in baseball, softball, boys and girls basketball and boys and girls soccer. Two tennis tournaments will take place during the day for ages 10-14 as well as an all-comers swim meet for ages 6-14.

Two seminars will take a closer look at the role sports plays in society. The first seminar, Sports and Goodness in Life, asks "Does participation in competitive sports encourage the living of an ethical life? The second seminar, Sports and Success in Life will discuss the question, "Does involvement in sports automatically lead to success in life? And does one have to be successful in sports or is it enough to have participated? These two seminars will include Stanford University scholars and former Stanford University student-athletes.

A festival of interactive sports activities will include such sports as lacrosse, fencing, crew, field hockey, gymnastics, ultimate frisbee, Tae Kwon Do, water polo, volleyball and rugby, to name a few. Parents and children alike will have the opportunity to participate and try their hands at these various sports.

One of the day's highlights will be a panel discussion with Madsen, Tom, Walters, Johnson and Kirk. They will discuss how sports has impacted their lives and the life lessons they have learned through participation in competitive sports. The discussion will be hosted by Vern Glenn, sports anchor at KRON.

For more information on The Youth Sports Festival and Seminars at Stanford University, visit www.gostanford.com.

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