UMass Boston will be one of many institutions of secondary and higher education to host the 2002 Bay State Summer Games. The purpose of the Bay State Games, an Olympic style event, is to provide amateur athletes a chance to compete in quality settings while promoting a healthy attitude to athletic competition.

The Bay State Games, now in its 21st year, is held annually and draws amateur athletes from all over the state of Massachusetts. There will be over 10,000 athletes participating in the games, which will be held in over 30 different communities statewide from July 11-22.

In keeping with its mission of community involvement, UMass Boston will play host to a variety of competitions and games for this year’s Summer Games. These sports include basketball, diving, judo, soccer, softball, tennis, and wrestling.

The Bay State Games are organized by the Massachusetts Amateur Sports Foundation. Along with the promotion of physical fitness and good sportsmanship, the MASF is also involved with several businesses in distributing scholarship monies to amateur athletes so that they can continue their education after high school.

The Bay State Games have various levels of age and skill in order for the athletes to have a broad opportunity to secure medals. The age of the competitors ranges from 7-93 and the levels of skill goes from near novice to top-flight amateur. For more information, visit www.baystategames.org or www.athletics.umb.edu online.