A big thank you to the William Way LGBT Community Center for its bold step in assuming the responsibility to take the next steps in bringing together the sports organizations — which over the past four years have begun to recognize the “value added” in working together to make sports and recreation the social opportunity for the community to realize its potential in countless ways. With Sports Street at OutFest, the news sports area at Pride, sports coverage in PGN, monthly events for all teams, an annual health fair and other inter-sports activities, the sports community has experienced large growth in membership and new sports (kickball) into the programs, as well as bringing the national women’s softball tournament to Philadelphia and, this October, the flag football national tournament to Philadelphia. This week, athletes from numerous sports will unite as Team Philadelphia to compete at the Gay Games in Cleveland under a new logo, designed by Attic Graffix at The Attic Youth Center. Then, the Gryphons Rugby Club will compete in the Bingham Cup in Australia. From the first summit meeting of all sports organizations in 2010 organized by Team Philadelphia, the leaders of the sports organizations have been energized to work hard and are now formalizing their unity in Out Philadelphia Athletic League. Wow, we have accomplished so much in so short a time.
— Bob Szwajkos Team Philadelphia, marketing director