2023 Sin City Classic

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I LOVE THE SIN CITY CLASSIC!

IT’S TRUE; I DO LOVE THE SIN CITY CLASSIC, and for so many reasons. I’ve always admired the logistics of a multi-sport festival being held over a four-day weekend in Las Vegas where transportation and hotel rates are more reasonable. The diversity and logistics have always been amazing. But they don’t make it a great festival all on their own. A gathering has to have a heart, an innate presence that draws people back year-after-year. And that presence is its people.

I’ve covered the SCC over its 16-year history and it’s been the volunteers who have always impressed me with their energy, commitment, joy and humor -much of it raunchy at a time when no one, including me cared or was offended by it. When the music is so loud the floors above and below you are vibrating, you know a party is going on!

But party “stuff” aside, it’s always the extraordinary people behind the scenes who choose to volunteer, often performing what seem like acts of magic to make sure that water gets to the fields, equipment goes to the right places, packets are stuffed, AV equipment is in the right spot, tables are set up … well, you get the idea. Things wouldn’t go smoothly without them. And if things didn’t go smoothly, people wouldn’t come back.

So when you read the two articles on the Volunteer Award recipient Dorian Dixon and the Ken Scearce Leadership Award recipient Tommy Otterbine, please be sure to congratulate them. They exhibit the very best qualities of the many behind the scenes people who are making this festival one with a heart, a presence that draws you back year-after-year.

CONNIE WARDMAN, M.A., SDLT Editor-In-Chief

WELCOME TO THE 16TH ANNUAL SIN CITY CLASSIC SPORTS FESTIVAL, the largest annual LGBTQ+ sporting event in the world. We are so excited to welcome everyone back to Las Vegas for what will likely be our largest event on record. We have an exciting festival planned for you!

The Sin City Classic continues to grow. This year, we welcome back several sports that took a COVID 19 hiatus. Wrestling, Indoor Rowing, and ESPORTS will return to competition this year. Additionally, new sports Sand Volleyball and Pickleball will be in action for the first time at the festival.

We hope the festival continues to be part of your annual travel plans. Our goal each year is to create an event that celebrates competition, community, and pride. We know that for many attendees, our festival has become a safe place for the LGBTQ+ community and our allies. Your experience at our festival is paramount in our planning. Your planning committee, The Greater Los Angeles Softball Association, is made up of dozens of volunteers who work year round to ensure the Sin City Classic is all you hope it to be.

We are so grateful to all of our sponsors and partners and we’d like to offer special thanks to our presenting sponsor Lexus, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, ViiV Healthcare, Brooklyn Bowl, Piranha Nightclub, The Garden, Compete Magazine, Caesars Entertainment, our partner sport leaders, and all of our sponsors and volunteers — and YOU. We are grateful that you have chosen to spend your MLK weekend with us.

Sincerely, Larry Ruiz & Dr. Jason Peplinski

LARRY RUIZ Co-Executive Director

DR. JASON PEPLINSKI

Co-Executive Director

RECIPIENT OF SIN CITY CLASSIC VOLUNTEER AWARD

BY CONNIE WARDMAN, M.A., SDLT • SHE | HER

DORIAN DIXON IS A NATURAL BORN VOLUNTEER. He’s also been a GLASA team manager for almost a decade. And since the rest of GLASA’s members are part of his chosen family, he believes that getting rewarded for something he already loves doing is both a shock and an unexpected honor he greatly appreciates. When asked, he said, “I really don’t have words to describe how surprised and thankful I am.”

A volunteer in year two of the festival’s 16 seasons, he began by helping field reps and being in charge of wristband and cup sales. When Ken Scearce became SCC director, he put Dorian and Alan Matsudo in charge of the Friday registration party, giving them a great opportunity to liaise with all the other sports coordinators involved as well as sponsors and vendors.

Great memories of working with Ken are just part of Dorian’s gifts from his volunteering for GLASA and the Sin City Classic. He also includes joy, friendship and fulfillment as part of the package. Even though finding another Ken Scearce sounds like nearly impossible odds, Dorian still encourages everyone to volunteer. Who knows? It’s Vegas, Baby – you may just get lucky!

P.S. Please be sure to congratulate Dorian!

Ken Scearce (left) and Dorian Dixon (right). Courtesy of Dorian Dixon

“I really don’t have words to describe how surprised and thankful I am.”

KEN SCEARCE LEADERSHIP AWARD RECIPIENT

BY DAVID (DIRK) SMITH, M.SC, SDL • HE | HIM

FOR THE SECOND YEAR SIN CITY CLASSIC participants have nominated friends, teammates, peers and colleagues for the Ken Scearce Leadership Award which honors its namesake’s memory and dedication to the LGBTQ+ sports community.

We are excited to announce the 2023 recipient is Tommy Otterbine with OutLoud Sports, formerly known as Varsity Gay League!

Tommy works to build inclusive sports groups, both within the LGBTQ+ sports community and through his work in higher education by cultivating more gender inclusive and accessible sports in their intramural systems at Penn State and formerly at Virginia Commonwealth University. He’s also helped build more inclusive recreation programs by partnering with organizations such as the Special Olympics of Virginia, Virginia Pride and an adaptive recreation non-profit.

Within the LGBTQ+ sports community, he founded the Richmond, Virginia chapter of Stonewall Sports, helping grow it to fifth largest of 23 chapters. While serving as vice president of Stonewall, he expanded the league from 13 to 23 chapters while also facilitating relationships with organizations such as Compete Sports Diversity and Varsity Gay League.

“... he welcomed me as a friend and enabled me to excel athletically with mentorship, enthusiasm and a personal approach.”

Lucas, Tommy’s friend and colleague who nominated him, had this to say about him:

“I’ve been fortunate enough to know both Ken and Tommy for many years. Tommy has exhibited Ken’s leadership since the day I met him in 1999. He was the captain of the track team I had just joined; he welcomed me as a friend and enabled me to excel athletically with mentorship, enthusiasm and a personal approach.

... I watched Tommy continue to build inclusive sports groups at the universities where he worked as he ascended the ranks of Stonewall Sports ... These are two natural born leaders who share the passion of LGBTQ+ inclusion in sports. I would regularly tell Tommy and Ken how they needed to meet each other. One of my fondest memories was when I was able to introduce the two at the Sin City Classic.”

PICKLEBALL IS READY FOR ITS SIN CITY CLASSIC DEBUT!

BY DAVID (DIRK) SMITH, M.SC, SDL • HE | HIM

PICKLEBALL, one of the fastest growing sports in the U.S., is making its debut at this year’s Sin City Classic with organizers, Darla Christensen and Elise Lindborg. According to Darla, tournaments are being held on the roof of the Plaza Hotel, formerly the Union Plaza on Fremont Street. “We just got our pickleball courts redone and resurfaced earlier this year,” she said. “We’ve got 16 of them and they’re absolutely gorgeous, so we’re super excited to roll that out with this tournament.”

Darla’s biggest quest is to find opportunities for beginner players to get on the courts. Tournaments are usually designed with bracket play favoring more experienced players and newer players get less playing time. So to encourage more gameplay among newer players, they’re doing small round robins that give newer players a great introduction to the sport before being adding in the bracket play.

They have approximately 125 athletes playing between the two days, a great number for their inaugural season. “We have every bracket going,” said Darla, “especially on the men’s side and all have plenty of teams to get a great round robin going followed by a nice and challenging playoff.” But they’re still looking for more women to register.

It’s a two-day tournament purposely scheduled early during the festival, on Thursday and Friday to maximize participation. People won’t have to decide between Pickleball and another sport since it’s the only sport going on Thursday, and there are very few events on Friday.

And Elise has some really fun things for each day where athletes will get to win some cool prizes, including some great swag, so sign up now!

“... plenty of teams to get a great round robin going ...”

SAND VOLLEYBALL MAKES ITS SIN CITY CLASSIC DEBUT!

BY CONNIE WARDMAN, M.A., SDLT • SHE | HER

SAND VOLLEYBALL is one of the two new sports that’s been added to the total lineup at this year’s Sin City Classic. So whether you’re already an experienced player or a newbie, get ready to spike and dig in to launch this exciting new Sin City sport coordinated by OutLoud Sports, formerly the Varsity Gay League. A popular multi-sport group for LGBTQIA+ and ally members, VGL recently made a name and logo change to reflect more accurately the fast-growing diversity of its membership.

There will be 16 teams from across the U.S. competing but there’s certainly room for new people who are interested. This is a seeded bracket tournament. Day 1: is for seeding matches with seeding determined by their final rank. Games are played in one-hour time frames, best two out of three, rally points to 21. Day 2: single elimination tournament.

Adam Martindale

TO THE 2023 COMPETE SPORTS DIVERSITY AWARDS Welcome

PRESENTING HOST: Jesus Godinez, SDL (He/Him)

CO-HOST: Joshua Magallanes, SDL (He/Him)

RED

2023 AWARD CATEGORIES

Sporting Event of the Year – Local or Regional Award

Sporting Event of the Year – Professional Award presented by Palm Beach Sports Commission

Sin City Classic Volunteer Award Community Hero Award Pillar Award Beacon Award

Spirit of Sport Award presented by USTA Welcoming Host City Award Molly Lenore Inspiring Athlete Award Tribute to Kenyatta Scott

Corporate Change Champion Award Outstanding College or University Award Sports Organization of the Year Award Professional Sports Organization of the Year Award

Ken Scearce Leadership Award presented by Sin City Classic Professional Athlete of the Year presented by SVTV Mark Bingham Athlete of the Year

SPECIAL THANKS

2023 Sin City Classic | Andrea Snead | Arion Herbert, SDL | Brian Helander Beau Bradley | Chris Davin | Chuck Brownin | Connie Wardman, SDLT Connor Shane, SDLT | Dara Fowler, DF Graphics | David “Dirk” Smith, SDL Diane Maiese, SDL | Emma Carlson, SDL | Flamingo Las Vegas | Joel Horton, SDL John Deffee, SDLT | Kat Finley | Luchie Javelosa, SDLT | Lucas Mariano Mashonda Paschal-Gilmore, SDL | Robert Tanis-Evon | Rhonda Rajsich, SDL SAFY | Sam Beckman | Sania Dela Cruise | Sheri Johnson | Trayer Martinez, SDL Trevor Maiese | Tyler Noragon, SDL

CARPET HOST: Sheri Johnson with SVTV (She/Her)

SPORTS FOR CHARITY : RAISING MONEY FOR GOOD CAUSES AT THE SIN CITY CLASSIC

BY DAVID (DIRK) SMITH, M.SC, SDL • HE | HIM

SEVERAL SPORTS ARE UTILIZING the Sin City Classic’s sports platform to raise money at this year’s festival for some great causes. Check out who’s raising money and where you need to go to support them.

Cornhole for Charity Tournament

The popular Sin City Classic Cornhole for Charity tournament is back for year two. Again, to honor Ken Scearce’s legacy, all proceeds from the tournament supports the Ken Scearce Scholarship Fund. The tournament takes place on Friday at 9:30 a.m. in the Sunset Ballroom at the Flamingo.

Steel-Tip Cricket Darts Tournament

For the second year Rogue League Sports has organized a Steel-Tip Cricket Darts Tournament to help raise money for the Ken Scearce Scholarship Fund. They’ll be playing on Friday between Noon and 5 p.m. in the Sunset Ballroom at the Flamingo. Gameplay will be a mix of standard team vs team play, followed by a tournament.

Kicking Out Transphobia Soccer Match

The USA’s first ever full soccer match consisting of transgender and nonbinary players is an SCC feature event. Co-organized by IGLFA, the match will raise money for the Kicking Out Transphobia soccer organization, helping it to fund scholarships for trans and nonbinary soccer players to compete in upcoming IGLFA tournaments. This match happens on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. at the Desert Breeze Soccer Complex.

Pride Cheerleading Association’s Charitable Cheer Competition

PCA will be active on both Saturday and Sunday. Saturday is a day of “VolunCHEERING” where PCA athletes will travel to several different sports to cheer, perform routines and raise money. On Sunday the cheer competition starts with “bucketing on the strip” at 11 a.m. with the competition itself taking place at Noon in the Flamingo’s Sunset Ballroom. This years’ beneficiary is the Golden Rainbow organization that provides housing, education and direct financial assistance to people and families living with HIV/AIDS in Southern Nevada.

DIRECTORY

Avi Van Goore avidangoor.com DJ Axil djaxisvegas.com

ASANA asanaseries.org

Allen Zeller allenzeller.com

NBDC nbdc.vegas

Safy safy.org/nevada

The Center thecenterlv.org

PCW Las Vegas pcwlasvegas.com

Pride Lending mypridelending.com

Cruise Planners martindaletravelandtours.com

Kraft Sussman kraftsussman.com

Las Vegas Airport las-vegas-airport.com

Legacy Helath legacynv.com

NewGen Families newgenfamilies.com

Tanya Jackson aflac.com/agents/tanya_jackson.aspx

Silver State Equality silverstateequality.org

The DripBar thedripbar.com

The Garage thegaragelv.com

The UPS Store locations.theupsstore.com

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We are driven to ensure safety, security, and well-being for everyone—whether you’re one of the over 55 million travelers, event-goers, and students we help protect every year; part of our workforce; or simply our neighbor.

→ Learn more about our commitments to our customers and communities at AllianzPartners.com.

Whoever you are. Whoever you love. Wherever your journey takes you.

THANK YOU

Diversity makes for a better cocktail party.