Skip to content
Toggle menu
SportsTravel SportsTravel

Breaking News, Podcasts and Analysis Serving People who Organize, Manage and Host Sports Events

Primary Menu
  • News
    • Hosts & Suppliers
    • Recently Awarded
    • Sports Organizations
    • Sports Venues
    • Sponsors & Media
  • IN DEPTH
    • Feature Story
    • On Assignment
    • Perspectives
    • Technology in Sports
  • Podcasts
  • Sports
    • CATEGORY
      • Amateur Sports
      • Youth Sports
      • Collegiate Sports
      • Professional Sports
      • Olympic Sports
      • Paralympic Sports
      • National Governing Body
      • Adaptive Sports
      • Sustainability
      • Water Sports
      • Winter Sports
      • Women’s Sports
    • INDIVIDUAL SPORTS
      • Baseball
      • Basketball
      • Bowling
      • Cycling
      • Football
      • Golf
      • Gymnastics
      • Hockey
      • Lacrosse
      • Motorsports
      • Pickleball
      • Rugby
      • Running
      • Soccer
      • Softball
      • Swimming
      • Tennis
      • Track & Field
      • Triathlon
      • Volleyball
      • Wrestling
  • Esports
    • Esports News
    • Esports Guide
    • EsportsTravel Summit
  • Resources
    • Bid Bowl
      • Bid Bowl Listings
      • Submission Form
        • About Bid Bowl
    • Destination Spotlight
    • Destination Guides
    • Downloadable Guides
    • Venue Guides
    • Media Kit
      • Media Kit
      • 2022 Editorial Calendar
    • Digital Edition
  • Subscribe
    • Subscribe to E-Newsletter
  • EVENTS
    • TEAMS CONFERENCE & EXPO
    • EsportsTravel Summit
    • SportsTravel Road Trip
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin
  • Instagram


Home > Olympic Sports > LA84 Event Looks Forward to Continuing Legacy Work

LA84 Event Looks Forward to Continuing Legacy Work

As major events come to Southern California, foundation will drive youth engagement

Posted On : September 12, 2019 By : Matt Traub
LA 84 Youth Sports Summit
Tennis star Sloane Stephens talks with ESPN reporter Shelley Smith during the LA84 Youth Sports Summit at InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown in Los Angeles. (Photo from LA84 Foundation)

Ahead of what was called “a decade of opportunity,” Los Angeles sports leaders and guest speakers emphasized the intrinsic values of sports beyond financial revenue at a conference hosted by the foundation that was created as lasting legacy from one of the city’s most notable major sporting events.

Related Stories

  • Prefontaine Classic Returns to Normalcy in 2022
  • Utah Welcomes Ukrainian Athletes In Training, Humanitarian Effort
  • Spokane Selected for USA Team Handball US Open and Junior Nationals
  • A Century Later, Familiar Venue to Welcome 2024 Olympics Back to France
  • World Triathlon Events

Hosted by the LA84 Foundation, which was established with the surplus generated by the 1984 Olympic Summer Games, a day full of programming about sports and its role with youths and the broader society was capped by a panel entitled “The Social Impact of Major Sports Events.”

And Los Angeles will host its share of major sporting events over the next 10 years leading up to the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, which Los Angeles will host. The Staples Center will host the NCAA Tournament West Regional in March 2020. A few months after that, the Los Angeles Dodgers will host the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. The new home of the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers, a multi-billion-dollar facility in Inglewood, will open in the summer of 2020 before it hosts the 2022 Super Bowl and 2023 College Football Playoff championship game. The Los Angeles Country Club will host the 2023 U.S. Open, and L.A. is expected to play a leading role in hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup that will be held throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico.

From left, Robert V. Graziano, Michael Yamaki, Kathy Schloessman and Ronit Larone talk during the LA84 Youth Sports Summit at InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown in Los Angeles. (Photo by LA84 Foundation)

“Getting these major events, while it’s good for the business community in terms of impact, it really has a social and community aspect to it as well,” said Kathy Schloessman, president of the L.A. Sports & Entertainment Commission. “Every major event that’s coming to town wants to leave a legacy. They want to leave a legacy to the community—they don’t want to just come and be there for a week and leave. They want to make sure they’re engaging the community in as many opportunities before they get there, while they’re there and then most importantly when they’re after.”

To that end, Schloessman described how, when Los Angeles was bidding to host the Super Bowl, the city was allowed two speakers during its presentation to the NFL. One of the two speakers for Los Angeles was Renata Simril, president and CEO of the LA84 Foundation.

“It’s a huge advantage for us because they’re already in place, they have experience with who the people are in the community who are doing good work, and where those monies should go,” Schloessman said. “Most host communities will start all over with some idea that some donor has or something they want to do, and they’ll create a (legacy) program and it doesn’t last. We’re partnered with all of our bid host committees with LA84. LA84 has success, they have a track record, and they’ll continue to be here long after our event is over. So why recreate the wheel when you already have an organization like that?”

Another panelist, Riviera Country Club corporate officer Michael Yamaki, had his own LA84 story. Riviera, which hosts the annual LA Open on the PGA Tour, worked with the foundation to create a program for junior golfers. By scoring points at area events and maintaining a solid average in school, players atop the leaderboard at the program’s conclusion got to play at round at the Country Club this summer.

Riviera has been designated as the future host of golf at the 2028 Games, which will bring the foundation back full circle to the event that first spawned its inception.

Renata Simril, president and CEO of the LA84 Foundation, talks during the LA 84 Youth Sports Summit at InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown. (Photo from LA84 Foundation)

“As (IOC President Thomas) Bach was talking about his Agenda 2020 and wanting to see how the Games would leave a legacy in a city, I think we certainly are a model for that in terms of the 1984 Games and how successful that Games was financially,” Simril said. “The organizers of those Games, led by Peter Ueberroth, were able to harness those surplus dollars into investment and into youth sports and infrastructure and coaching development. For 35 years we have continued to do that. I think that’s one small part of us getting the Olympics (again).”

The other reason that the Olympics are coming back to Los Angeles in 2028, Simril said, is that the city is “Games ready.” Specifically, she cited the new $2.6 billion stadium coming in for the Rams and Chargers and the LA Football Club soccer stadium in Expo Park, which are both expected to host events in 2028. She also cited the city’s successful record of landing at least nine major sports events between now and 2028. “It is in large measure because we are sports ready,” she said.

Simril said that over 600 people registered for the annual event, entitled “Play Equity: Elevating the Game for Our Kids” and held this year at the Intercontinental Los Angeles Downtown.

“For us, the takeaway, the action item is to do something,” Simril said. “What we want to be able to do with these annual youth summits is inspire the community around the important role that sports plays in positive youth development.”

Other News and Notes

Tom Farrey, executive director of the Sports & Society Program, Aspen Institute, talks during the LA 84 Youth Sports Summit at InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown. (Photo from LA84 Foundation)

• Tom Farrey, executive director of the Sports & Society Project with the Aspen Institute, presented the session “Keeping Kids in the Game.” Farrey is the founder of Project Play, which recently launched a parent engagement campaign in conjunction with ESPN called “Don’t Retire, Kid” with commercials that show youth athletes announcing their retirements because of not enjoying the sport anymore. Farrey’s session included the emphasis on areas understanding the assets they have for kids to stay active and organizing them successfully.

“It starts with a landscape of what you exactly have. You have to know what you have, number one. Number two, you have to get kids to it. Transportation is a major barrier to participation,” Farrey said. “Parks, beaches, trails, all of the infrastructure is the hardware of sports. Every community needs a diversity of that hardware and to meet the needs of kids.”

Tennis star Sloane Stephens talks with ESPN reporter Shelley Smith during the LA84 Youth Sports Summit at InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown in Los Angeles. (Photo from LA84 Foundation)

• 2017 U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens talked with ESPN’s Shelley Smith about off-court work with her foundation, which builds tennis courts and organizes after-school programs in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, plus Compton, California, and her mother’s hometown of Fresno, California.

“The key to sports and promoting your sport is giving another kid an opportunity,” Stephens said. “I always thought I could help someone else, and I think being able to give my same experience to someone else is why I do it and I continue to do it.”

Stephens also countered how, at 26 years old, she balances off-court passions with her professional pursuits: “(Critics) think sports are your whole life and you’re only allowed to think about tennis and only allowed to think about how you’re going to get better. I love tennis and I love my sport, but I don’t play tennis because I have to. I play tennis because I want to.”

Soccer stars Kyle Martino, left, and Mia Hamm talk during the LA84 Youth Sports Summit at InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown in Los Angeles. (Photo by LA84 Foundation)

• Soccer stars Mia Hamm and Kyle Martino discussed a passion project they are part of the national board of, Street Soccer USA, which is a nonprofit that works to fight poverty and empower underserved communities. Hamm has her own foundation of work as well, and Martino is founder of the Over/Under Initiative, which tries to make inner-city areas into multi-sport spaces that can host soccer as well as basketball.

“The great part about the transition into the world of philanthropy and accessing my network in a different way and having a different conversation with the soccer community, is to get people passionate about sports and the need for their involvement in facilitating and funding solutions,” said Martino, discussing the Over/Under Initiative as a “sports-neutral solution that will introduce people to the sport that I love most, but keep them in it or let them access it because they decide to. I’m trying to get as close to the source as I possibly can as to the entry point to sport and make it the biggest funnel that we can, and then highlight the need to support these programs to keep them in the game.”

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Print
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Email
Posted in: Amateur Sports, Feature Story, Main Feature, Olympic Sports, Professional Sports, Sports Venues, Youth SportsTagged : Kathy Schloessman,Kyle Martino,L.A. Sports & Entertainment Commission,LA84,Los Angeles,Mia Hamm,Michael Yamaki,olympics,Renata Simril,Riviera Country Club,Sloane Stephens,Tom Farrey

Post navigation

USA Diving to Move to Colorado Springs
Karate Steps Into the Spotlight

Follow us on Twitter

My Tweets

sportstravel

SportsTravel was on location today in Atlanta at t SportsTravel was on location today in Atlanta at the Collegiate Esports Commissioners Cup, presented by Collegiate Sports Management Group, EsportsU and Skillshot Media at the Gateway Center Arena in Atlanta. More than 400 collegiate players from all over the country competed with more than 2,000 attendees. #CECCAtlanta2022 #esportsindustry
SportsTravel is on location for the #NCAA beach vo SportsTravel is on location for the #NCAA beach volleyball championships in Gulf Shores, Alabama. @gsob_sportsandevents is a partnership among Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism (GSOBT), the Coastal Alabama Business Chamber, Gulf State Park and the cities of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. In 2007, the organization became a department within GSOBT. In this role, the GSOB Sports & Events – along with assistance from both cities – works to bring quality athletic and leisure events to Alabama’s Gulf Coast. 

#GSOBsports
#GSOBsportsandevents
#GulfShores
#orangebeach
Our latest SportsTravel Podcast is a great chat wi Our latest SportsTravel Podcast is a great chat with Scott Howson, president of @theahl about how the hockey league survived the pandemic and what competition and events look like on the other side. We also explore his journey from player to executive.

To listen, visit SportsTravelMagazine.com or subscribe on all major platforms.

#podcast #sportspodcast #hockey #hockeypodcast #AHL #sports #sportsbiz #sportsbusiness
SportsTravel is celebrating its 25th anniversary o SportsTravel is celebrating its 25th anniversary of issue one this year. We recently caught up on the SportsTravel Podcast with magazine founder Tim Schneider to talk about the origin of the publication, what those early days were like and where the industry is headed next.

To listen, visit SportsTravelMagazine.com or subscribe on all major podcast platforms.

And special thanks to @myrtlebeachconventioncenter for sponsoring this episode!

#podcast #sportspodcast #sports #sportstourism #sportstravel #magazine #magazineindustry #sportsbusiness #sportsbiz
The latest SportsTravel Podcast is a conversation The latest SportsTravel Podcast is a conversation with @julius_journeys of @marriotthotels on the company’s @ncaa sponsorship and activation at the recent Women’s Final Four in Minneapolis. We also delve into his take on how sports have helped the travel industry recover. 

Take a listen at SportsTravelMagazine.com or subscribe on all major podcast platforms.

#podcast #sportspodcast #hotelindustry #sportssponsorship #basketball #womensbasketball #womensfinalfour @meetminneapolis
ICYMI: Our latest SportsTravel Podcast is a must-l ICYMI: Our latest SportsTravel Podcast is a must-listen with Tom Cove, the president and CEO of the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, where we go into which sports are trending up and which are trending down when it come to participation. More important, we explore what sports organizations and destinations should do depending where those trends are going.

To listen, visit SportsTravelMagazine.com or subscribe on all major podcast platforms. Special thanks to the Myrtle Beach Convention Center for sponsoring this episode!

@thesfia @myrtlebeachconventioncenter #podcast #sportspodcast #sports  #research #data #sportsparticipation #youthsports #pickleball #pickleballpodcast #sportsresearch
Two years ago, the cancellation of the BNP Paribas Two years ago, the cancellation of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells was one of the first major sporting events that went away because of COVID-19. This year’s #BNPPO22 crowds have roared on some of #tennis’ biggest stars including Rafael #Nadal and more. With COVID restrictions recently lifted in California and a vaccine mandate in place, attendance over the middle weekend of the tournament—which runs through March 20—was close to 75 percent of its biggest years. Here is a look around the grounds at what a return to normalcy in the sports world looks like (fingers crossed). Saturday’s tight three-set match between Nadal and up-and-coming young American Sebastian Korda drew a close-to-capacity crowd and something that hasn’t been heard in awhile—legions of screaming fans, while the outer courts at the appropriately named @indianwellstennisgarden are a popular spot. Doubles action between John Isner and Jack Sock of the U.S. and Nick Kyrios and Thanasi Kokkinakis of Australia was a popular draw on Stadium 2 but those not inside the stadiums can still watch the action on big screens on the lawn outside. Organizers of the @bnpparibasopen are happy to welcome fans back to what they call “Tennis Paradise."
College basketball is full of venues that reflect College basketball is full of venues that reflect the community teams play in and one such place is the Reilly Center at St. Bonaventure University. Since it opened in 1966, the Reilly Center has served as the focal point on @bonnies_mbb and @bonnies_wbb game nights not only for the campus community but throughout the region. In 2016, ESPN selected it as the most difficult place for opponents to play in the Atlantic 10 and one of the top 10 such venues in the nation. In the summer of 2007, a state-of-the-art floor was installed and named "Bob Lanier Court" in honor of the 1970 @stbonaventureuniversity  graduate, All-American and Basketball Hall of Famer. Tuesday’s win over Rhode Island was in front of just under 4,000 fans in an atmosphere that sounded like twice as many people were there.
NEW EPISODE! With the @ciaasports men’s and wome NEW EPISODE! With the @ciaasports men’s and women’s basketball tournaments tipping off this week, we sit down with Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams to learn why the event has moved to Baltimore after years in Charlotte, the importance of ancillary events to the festivities and the pace of DEI efforts in collegiate sports hiring. Listen at SportsTravelMagazine.com or subscribe on all major #podcast platforms.

And special thanks to @marylandsportscommission for sponsoring this episode!

#sportspodcast #ciaa #basketball #collegebasketball #sportstourism #sportstravel @visitbmore #baltimore #maryland #hbcu #hbcubasketball
The Carrier Dome is the largest structure of its k The Carrier Dome is the largest structure of its kind on a college campus with tens of thousands every season coming to watch stars such as Dwayne "Pearl" Washington, Rony Seikaly, Sherman Douglas, Derrick Coleman and 2003 NCAA champions Carmelo Anthony and Gerry McNamara. The Dome has hosted five NCAA East Regional since 2000 and also hosts SU's football team, the 11-time NCAA champion men's lacrosse team, the women's lacrosse squad and the women's basketball team. It’s iconic dome structure has been replaced with a more modern look in recent years. Saturday’s crowd saw the Orange beat Boston College 76-56.
The latest SportsTravel Podcast is a chat with Stu The latest SportsTravel Podcast is a chat with Stu Upson, CEO of @usapickleball. We discuss what’s behind the phenomenon that SFIA says is the fastest-growing sport in the United States, the status of pickleball venues and the landscape for events.

Listen at SportsTravelMagazine.com or subscribe on all major podcast platforms. And special thanks to @playacsports for sponsoring this episode!

#pickleball #podcast #podcasts #sportspodcast #sportsbiz #sportsbusiness #sportstourism #sportstravel
SportsTravel was excited to be on hand for today’s historic opening of the new @usabmx headquarters in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The venue includes office space for the NGB but even more importantly a world-class arena and a permanent home for the BMX Hall of Fame. Stay tuned for our upcoming coverage at SportsTravelMagazine.com.

#bmx #tulsa @visittulsa @tulsasportscommission #ngb #cycling
As part of its continuing 20th anniversary celebra As part of its continuing 20th anniversary celebrations of hosting the 2002 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, a public exhibition of sports including curling and biathlon was held outside along with pin trading, music and a climbing wall. Nearby at the @teamusa USA house with graphics designed by @infinite_scale, dignitaries and Olympic supporters from around the area gathered to watch the action from Beijing. Part of the afternoon included a visit from Senator Mitt Romney, who was part of the 2002 SLC leadership along with Fraser Bullock, with both speaking to a crowd that included Olympic legend Eric Heiden.
What does this robot bartender have anything to do What does this robot bartender have anything to do with the Olympic Winter Games? It’s one of the many quirky aspects of being in the “closed loop.” Visit SportsTravelMagazine.com for Lisa Delpy Neirotti’s inside look at what life is like in the loop.

#beijing #beijing2022 #robot #bartender @gwsportmngt #olympics
With its prime location near many of the most impo With its prime location near many of the most important business hubs in the northeast, Ocean City, Maryland, is a supremely accessible and scenic destination for groups. Planners can choose from a diverse array of group-friendly venues and treat their attendees to activities that include relaxing along 10 miles of white-sand beach, strolling a three-mile Boardwalk, trying their swing at any of 17 championship golf courses and savoring the cuisine at more than 200 restaurants. Find out more in our destination guide here: https://www.sportstravelmagazine.com/guide-to-sports-events-and-venues-in-ocean-city
Stay close to the action and reserve your room now Stay close to the action and reserve your room now at the official host hotel of the EsportsTravel Summit, the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort. Located at the edge of one of the most famous beaches in the world, the Hilton Daytona Beach Resort offers elegant oceanside rooms and provides convenient access to the EsportsTravel Summit, including the educational sessions and the Destination & Supplier Marketplace. Book your room at the EsportsTravel Summit special rate today and be part of the world’s largest gathering of esports tournament and video-game event organizers at the only event focused on the travel side of the esports industry. Visit esportstravelsummit.com for more information.
To mark the 20-year anniversary of Salt Lake City To mark the 20-year anniversary of Salt Lake City hosting the 2002 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, the torch at Rice-Eccles Stadium was re-lit during a Tuesday night ceremony. Governor Spencer Cox, Mayor Erin Mendenhall and 2002 Games CEO Fraser Bullock each spoke during the event, which included 2002 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games athletes as well as current youth athletes representing the Children of Light, a theme from the 2002 opening and closing ceremonies. The torch will remain lit through this week.

#Olympics2022 #Olympics #WinterOlympics #TeamUSA  #saltlakecity #slc2030
With skiing and snowboarding underway in Beijing, With skiing and snowboarding underway in Beijing, be sure to check out our most recent episode of the SportsTravel Podcast, which features U.S. Ski & Snowboard CEO Sophie Goldschmidt. We talk to her about the logistics of getting her team’s athletes to China, the growth of both sports and her being one of the few women to lead an NGB.

To listen, visit SportsTravelMagazine.com or subscribe on all major podcast platforms.

@usskiteam @teamusa @beijing2022 #beijing #beijing2022 #ski #snowboard #skiing #snowboarding #olympics
Our @gwsportmngt Lisa Delpy Neirotti is in Beijing Our @gwsportmngt Lisa Delpy Neirotti is in Beijing and reports that despite the limited crowds, organizers are still providing a DJ and other entertainment, similar to what organizers did in Tokyo under similar circumstances. That was the case as the U.S. women’s hockey team dominated the Russian Olympic Committee team.
Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers tries his hand Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers tries his hand at curling during a kickoff to a weekend celebration at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum called Downtown Winter Fest. Two-time Paralympian John Register was also on hand for the announcement of the festival, which begins with a daylong event on Saturday to celebrate the Beijing Games. Olympians including Peggy Fleming will be on hand for autographs and attendees at the free event can see other sport demonstrations and experience a torch relay. Events are planned at the downtown museum throughout the Games.

@usopmuseum @visitcos @olympiccityusa @thesportscorp @teamusa #olympics #paralympics @springsgov #usopm #museum #beijing2022
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Recent Posts

  • How COVID Has Affected Sports: More Positive Tests Disrupt NBA Conference Finals
  • 2024 U.S. Gymnastics Olympic Trials
  • Major League Cricket Secures $120 Million in Funding
  • Premier Lacrosse League Adds 2023 Championship Series in Sixes Format
  • Barcelona Releases More Details of U.S. Tour
Sports Travel Magazine

About Us

Since 1997, SportsTravel magazine has served the sports‐related travel and event industry. It is the only publication written and designed to serve the people who organize, manage and host sporting events of all types at all levels.

  • Subscribe to E-Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • SportsTravel Foundation
  • Supplied Content
  • Privacy
  • Terms

NORTHSTAR TRAVEL MEDIA SITES

  • Northstar Meetings Group
  • Meetings & Conventions
  • Meetings & Conventions Asia
  • Meetings & Conventions China
  • Successful Meetings
  • Incentive
  • Meeting News
  • Retail Travel
  • Travel Technology
  • Corporate Travel
  • Hotel Investment
  • Data Products
  • See All Northstar Brands

INDUSTRY PARTNERS

Sports ETA

Destinations International
Northstar Travel Media LLC Copyright © 2022 by Northstar Travel Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. 100 Lighting Way, Secaucus, NJ 07094-3626 USA | Telephone: (201) 902-2000
scroll to top
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.