Behind the Banner June 2023

BEHIND THE BANNER

Dallas still buzzing over Scripps National Spelling Bee

By Ben Harbuck

From classrooms & local district bees to the Hall of State & Washington D.C., year in and year out Dallas spellers fight through five different rounds of highly competitive spelling bees to earn their right to contest at the highest level.

Each year the Dallas Sports Commission has the privilege of sending the top spellers from the region on an allexpenses paid trip to the nation’s capital for the Annual Scripps National Spelling Bee.

In early June Scripps hosted the 95th annual competition where Dallas was proudly represented by two remarkable young students.

Sriya Gomatam a 7th grader from Coppell ISD & Faizan Zaki a two-time national competitor from Plano ISD. Both spellers battled and proved their mettle against the dictionary, as Sriya earned her way into round three of preliminary rounds, and Faizan made it all the way to the Semifinals.

At this years competition, Gomatam joined Zaki in the long lineage of talented spellers to hail from North Texas. Dallas is widely recognized as one of the most competitive regions in the country, and history backs that up. The city is home to several National Spelling Bee Champions.

Including Sohum Sukhantankar, Abhijay Kodali, & Rohan Raja who were all crowned co-champions in the 2019 bee (pictured above).

Ironically both Zaki & Gomatam carry a very special connection to that particular year. Gomatam stated that 2019 is when she became inspired to begin her journey as a competitive speller as she watched the bee from her home.

“I learned about Scripps from watching the National Bee in 3rd grade (2019) - I was honestly inspired a lot by Abhijay Kodali, Karthik Nemmani (2018 National Champion), & Rohan Raja.” Gomatam noted.

On the other hand, Faizan competed alongside all three champions as the youngest speller to qualify for the 2019 National Bee as a first grader. Zaki also admitted he

gained a lot of inspiration from his experience competing against Dallas’s best.

“I have always been inspired by some of the greatest spellers who have came from here. For example, Sohum Sukhantankar, Rohan Raja, and Abhijay Kodali motivated me a lot – since they’re from the same area as me, one day I feel like I can win and become a champion just like them.”

Faizan compared the two trips he made to Nationals and noted, “This time around went by much quicker, I was just having fun - I was able to hang out with my friends, and just had a blast spelling and being around people who share the same passion as me.”

The Scripps National Spelling Bee is known for being

an incredible experience for young students. Bryan Witt, Regional partner relations specialist for Scripps quoted “The Scripps National Spelling Bee is so much more than a competition – it inspires lifelong curiosity, celebrates academic achievement and gives kids the experience of comradery and sportsmanship that translates to so many other important skills.”

Witt also noted that event week isn’t ALL about competing on stage. Rather their team strives to create a healthy, educational, and fun environment for spellers offstage as well.

“They participate in numerous activities designed to help them engage and connect with one another – from scavenger hunts and word puzzles to author presentations and a pop-up carnival. Our goal is to make Bee Week a once-in-a-lifetime experience for kids, and we thank the Dallas Sports Commission for partnering with us to make it possible year after year.”

A detail that was echoed by Gomatam as she reflected on her time up in D.C. “It was a great experience, a moment that stood out to me was the ‘Rule the Word’ challenge (a friendly competition for spellers during event week) because it was enjoyable to work with other spellers who had studied for this moment like I had, and I got to meet a lot of amazing new people.”

All in all, Dallas continues to pride itself on being a hive for spellers that compete annually at the highest level. The Dallas Sports Commission and Scripps National Spelling Bees partnership remains stronger than ever. Witt reiterated “We’re grateful to the Dallas Sports Commission for their continued partnership over the years to give kids in their community the opportunity to participate – both regionally and at the national level.”

To learn more about the Scripps National Spelling Bee, visit spellingbee.com.

GOLD CUP RETURNS TO AT&T STADIUM AS DALLAS PUSHES TOWARD FIFA WORLD CUP 26™

By Stephen Evans

As Dallas prepares for the arrival of FIFA World Cup 26™, there will be no dearth of quality action on the pitch to help grow the anticipation, including some of the best teams in our region of the world competing in the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup.

The Concacaf Gold Cup is a biennial tournament for national teams in the North and Central American and Caribbean region associated with Concacaf. This year’s event marks the 17th edition of the confederation’s flagship competition for men’s national teams, which has seen the United States take two of the last three tournaments. The United States will try to become the

first team to win back-to-back Gold Cups since Mexico did it in 2009 and 2011.

AT&T Stadium in Arlington will play host to matches in the Knockout Stage, essentially the quarterfinal round of the tournament. Four of the final eight teams will face off on Saturday, July 8, in a double-header at 6:00 pm and 8:30 pm. The other quarterfinal matches will take place the next day in Cincinnati, OH.

The Concacaf Gold Cup crowns the top men’s national team in the region, and this year’s event will be played in 15 stadiums across 14 cities in the United States and

Canada. Mexico (eight times), the United States (seven times), and Canada (one time) are the only nations to have won the Concacaf Gold Cup

The national teams are divided into groups for the tournament, and group champions are crowned as the schedule advances. Group A teams consist of Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States. Group B includes Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, and

against the runner-up Group C team at 8:30 pm. Both contests will be aired on Fox Sports 1.

This summer’s matches at AT&T Stadium will mark the sixth time the stadium has hosted Concacaf Gold Cup matches. With a capacity of 85,000 fans, AT&T Stadium was the site of Gold Cup matches during the 2009, 2011, 2013, 2017, and 2021 competitions and has a history of hosting some of the tournament’s biggest matches. In 2021, AT&T Stadium also hosted a quarterfinals

Qatar, while Group C includes Costa Rica, El Salvador, Martinique, and Panama. Group D is made up of Canada, Cuba, Guadeloupe, and Guatemala. As host of the 2022 World Cup, Qatar was invited to participate in the 2021 and 2023 Gold Cup tournaments.

The event got underway on Saturday, June 24, with a tie between the United States and Jamaica.

The Knockout Round at AT&T Stadium will pit the first place Group C team against the runner-up Group B team at 6:30 pm, followed by the first place Group B team

doubleheader which saw Canada blank Costa Rica 2-0 before the United States shut out Jamaica 1-0.

The Dallas region is set to play a crucial role in the FIFA World Cup 26™. While specific assignments have not yet been made, Dallas is hoping to land the final or semifinal matches at AT&T Stadium, while also serving several other roles, including the host of the International Broadcast Center and other official designations.

Tickets for the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup matches at attstadium.com.

the pros at home in july

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2023 USA Pickleball National Championships

With an increased capacity of up to 4,000 amateur and professional players, the 2023 USA Pickleball National Championships is projected to be the largest pickleball tournament in history and you are eligible to compete!.

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BORN SPORTS LEAGUE USING SPORTS TO BUILD COMMUNITY

“If you want to go far, go together.”

That’s a simple quote with a powerful message. It’s also a central theme for Born Sports League, a Dallas-area nonprofit organization focused on bringing together LGBTQ+ and ally people through organized sports. The mission is simple: have fun,

create a sense of belonging and acceptance, and give back to the communities it serves.

Through sports, Born Sports League does just that. It hosts leagues in kickball, sand volleyball, and cornhole throughout the year. Its tenets include safety, participation/inclusion, respect, fun, honesty/ fair play, and competition as it strives to make the

world a better place through sports by bringing together a diverse and inclusive community to have fun while creating a sense of belonging and acceptance.

The organization is the brainchild of co-founders Logan Nichols and Jeffrey Manning. The two met while playing in a similar league on the East Coast. Their passions aligned, and when they both found themselves in Dallas, they knew what the LGBTQ+ community in Dallas needed.

Since launching in January 2021, more than 1,00 people have participated in the various sports Born Sports League offers. Currently, about 110 athletes are in the cornhole league, about 180 in kickball, and about 130 in sand volleyball.

But both Nichols and Manning are looking for ways to grow the organization even larger while also pursuing their own professional careers. Nichols co-owns and manages a residential real estate brokerage in Dallas. Manning is Director of Customer Experience for a software company based in Chicago.

“The big thing is that we are all about the community,” Nichols said. “That’s what drives us. Moving forward we need to find more partners, including corporate sponsors and sports teams. We would love to have Born Sports League nights at stadiums and arenas. Our community would love to engage, and in turn we can give back. The more we can do, the more we can give back.”

Manning noted existing corporate partnerships with a handful of local businesses, and even a partnership the organization had with Target.

“I met all of my friends there,” Manning said about his experience participating in a kickball league within Stonewall Sports, a similar organization that looks to build community through sports. “The environment it created was secure inclusive, and that’s what we are trying to foster here in Dallas.”

Born Sports League features co-ed teams that includes LGBTQ+ community allies.

“It’s all about inclusion,” Nichols said. “We want everybody who wants to play a sport to be able to play, no matter who they are or their skill level. We want to create a safe space for people to feel comfortable doing what they love.”

Nichols and Manning hope to leave a lasting legacy through Born Sports League, one that makes a positive impact on the local LGBTQ+ community.

Born Sports League summer sports are in full swing, with registration opening soon for additional fall sports. The organization is also hosting its annual beer pong tournament in August. The event serves as one of the organization’s largest fundraisers, allowing it to support fellow LGBTQ+ organizations in Dallas.

For more information about Born Sports League, to register for any of its leagues, or to become a donor, visit BornSportsLeague.com.