CONTRIBUTED BY
ASF FOUNDATION
ALABAMA —
It is with great excitement that the leadership and staff of the Alabama State Games announce the return to Birmingham and Jefferson County June 9 to 11 for a weekend filled with memory-making moments, medals and a celebration four decades in the making.
The 2023 Alabama State Games marks the 40th anniversary of the annual multi-sport athletic event that kicked off in 1983 with four events and more than 600 participants.
“We are thrilled to once again welcome the Alabama State Games and celebrate its dynamic athletes of all ages and abilities,” said Birmingham Mayor Randall L. Woodfin. “Birmingham is known regionally, nationally and internationally for hosting exceptional sporting events. The Games’ presence will not only have an economic impact but also be another feather in the cap of special events to come to our city. We look forward to cheering them on.”
The 40th Anniversary Opening Ceremony kicks off June 9 at 7 p.m. inside UAB’s Bartow Arena and is free to the public. This year’s Opening Ceremony is being conceptualized and choreographed by the students and staff at Troy University’s John M. Long Hall School of Music. The Alabama State Games Opening Ceremony will be televised live to a statewide audience on the Alabama State Games Television Network. Events featuring different sports and a mix of athletes of all ages and abilities start June 10.
The events — featuring a mixture of new and familiar — will be hosted at venues in and around the city of Birmingham and Jefferson County.
“We look forward to hosting the Alabama State Games along with the city of Birmingham, and welcoming athletes from all over Alabama to Jefferson County,” said Jefferson County Commission President Jimmie Stephens.
As part of the 40th Anniversary Celebration, the ASF Foundation is awarding a record number of scholarships — 17 in total — for $20,000. The Alabama State Games, through partnerships and events like State Farm Athlete Leadership Summit rewarding academics, the Student Ambassador Program and URKeys2Drv programs, have awarded $335,610 in scholarships since 1983. Participants of all ages are eligible for the drawing. The only requirement is that you must register to participate in the 40th Alabama State Games and then attend the Opening Ceremony. Every athlete that attends the Opening Ceremony will receive a free 40th Anniversary Alabama State Games T-shirt.
“There are thousands of young people in households throughout the state who have not had the opportunity to experience the excitement, the challenges — to learn the values that competitive sports can instill in a person,” said Ron Creel, founder of the ASF Foundation and the Alabama State Games. “Our potential — like the athletes that compete — is limited only by our imagination. The Alabama State Games, even with its tremendous growth and positive influence on amateur sports, we have only begun to realize our full potential and impact. It is becoming clear that the future of the Alabama State Games is more far-reaching than any one of us could dare to dream.”
ALABAMA STATE GAMES 2023 EVENTS
The 2023 Alabama State Games will feature a mixture of new and familiar sporting events. American Saddlebred (Equestrian), racquetball, ultimate frisbee, Esports and chess will debut during the 2023 Alabama State Games. A medley of more familiar, gold-medal mainstays are also slated for 2023:
– Archery
– Baton Twirling
– Bowling
– Baseball
– Chess
– Disc Golf
– Diving
– ESports
– Equestrian
– Flag Football
– Gymnastics
– Judo
– Miracle League
– Ninja Challenge
– Pickleball
– Racquetball
– Soccer
– Shooting Sports
– Swimming
– Table Tennis
– Taekwondo
– Tennis
– Track & Field
– Ultimate Frisbee
– Volleyball
– Wrestling
Announcements will follow throughout the coming days as events and host sites are finalized. Registration for the 40th Alabama State Games goes live on March 1 at www.alagames.com.