Team Berlin

Team Berlin gave a handout presentation of its position on the LGBT sports calendar during the conference in Copenhagen July 27, 2009. (Administrator’s note: In the Team Berlin nomenclature, “international sports event” refers to global multisport events (Gay Games and Outgames) as opposed to global, single sport events or regional multisport events.) The presentation focused on the impact of the World Outgames on participation in both the Gay Games and the EuroGames.

Under a theme of simply “GAMES,” Team Berlin’s position is:

Q U A L I T Y NOT Q U A N T I T Y.

Better one home run than a double play.

We support:

• a creative open dialogue between the international organizations FGG and GLISA
• an international sports event with integrated human rights conference every 4 years
• continental sports events (e.g. EuroGames) in the years in which no international sports event takes place

Team Berlin presented a chart that showed declining numbers of Team Berlin participants in the EuroGames, Gay Games and World Outgames since the introduction of the World Outgames in 2006:

Team Berlin chart on LGBT sports participation

(Administrator’s note: Reported and corrected figures for the Gay Games and World Outgames are lower than the numbers contained in the chart. The FGG reports Amsterdam had 13,038 registered participants, 11,949 of them in sports; and Sydney had more than 11,000 athletes. The 12,000 figure for Chicago includes cultural participants. Post-event numbers for Montreal indicate about 8,000 athletes. The Copenhagen Outgames reported 4,000-4,400 athletes.)

The Team Berlin conclusion:

Due to the current annual offering of large scale sports events and tournaments with international participation (especially in Europe) the Gay Games and the Outgames lose their attractiveness and excitement. After 5 years of a decisive division of the international sport community a paralyzing apathy is spreading among the athletes.

EFFECTS

• a reduced interest in these games and their organizations
• declining numbers of participants
• athletes can no longer afford to take part each year
• due to the reduced number of participants the attractiveness to potential organizers and sponsors will also be reduced
• athletes decide based upon the following criteria: nice city, best program, nice weather….the games and the organization no longer play a role in the selection process
• differences between the various games can hardly be recognized (same number of sports offered/cultural program, etc.)
• the participants become older and older, young athletes stay away due to the numerous high costs

Out AND Gay is the only way! Let’s join hands, and fill the stands!