2017 Sin City Shootout Edition by COMPETE Magazine

2017 SIN CITY SHOOTOUT EDITION

SIN CITY SHOOTOUT SPECIAL EDITION WWW.COMPETENETWORK.COM

SPORTS. DIVERSITY.

SIN CITY SHOOTOUT, BRINGING WINNERS TO VEGAS FOR 10 YEARS

Las Vegas is a proud sponsor of the 10th annual Sin City Shootout Sports Festival, the largest annual LGBT sporting event in the world. With more than 9,000 athletes competing in 25 different sports, let the fabulous games begin!

FROM THE CATBIRD SEAT BY CONNIE WARDMAN, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

PUBLISHERS Eric Carlyle • eric@competenetwork.com Patrick Gamble • patrick@competenetwork.com COMPETE MAGAZINE Editor-in-Chief Connie Wardman • connie@competenetwork.com Style Editor Bobby Ciletti • bobby@competenetwork.com Graphic Design Assistant Matt Boyd • mattb@competenetwork.com Field Ambassador Alfonzo Chavez • alfonzo@competenetwork.com Contributors Harry Andrew, Ian Colgate, Jared Garduno, Miriam Latto, Bryan Lee, Michael Losier, Kevin Majoros, Ryan O’Conner and Brian Patrick Photographers Thomas Fleisher, Leland Gebhardt and Robert Mercer Sales & Partnerships sales@competenetwork.com Administration Camille Powell • camille@competenetwork.com Copyright © 2017 MEDIA OUT LOUD, LLC All Rights Reserved. Corporate Office 4703 South Lakeshore Drive, Suite 3 Tempe, Arizona 85282 • 480-222-4223 Compete is a trademark of Media Out Loud, LLC MISSION STATEMENT Compete unites the world through sports.

COMPETENETWORK.COM

FACEBOOK.COM/COMPETEMAG

@COMPETESPORTS

COMPETE MAGAZINE INSTAGRAM.COM/COMPETEMAGAZINE

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SIN CITY SHOOTOUT!

@CompeteConnie

elcome to all of you athletes, coordinators, coaches, spouses, partners and fans to the tenth annual Sin City Shootout (SCS). It’s sure to be an even bigger, nosier and fun blowout this year since we’re celebrating such a special event! It seems hard to believe how big it’s grown in just 10 years. Teams that were early supporters of the SCS just kept coming back year-after-year and each year they brought more teams with them. And when word got around about how great the concept was, new sports started to enter the scene. Today, it’s the largest annual LGBTQ sporting event in the world. And how appropriate that the weekend chosen for this sports extravaganza is the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. While many people remember the quote by Nelson Mandela on the power of sports to transform the world, not as many remember the quote by Dr. King that, “People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they have not communicated with each other.” Yet getting to know others and communicating with them is what goes on all weekend at the SCS. One of the best things about this growing celebration is that while it’s geared toward LGBTQ athletes, it’s always been open to allies who wanted to play. The competition here is fierce in every sport. So while this weekend carries with it a serious overtone, the major part of this weekend for the SCS is the fun everyone has. Ask any straight player and I’ll bet they’ll tell you that gay sports are every bit as competitive as they’ve been used to in straight leagues but that these leagues, teams and members are a whole lot more fun. So whether you’re competing with teammates or hanging out at one of the fun parties with friends, take the time to say hello to someone you haven’t met before and start up a conversation. You’ll not only enjoy the camaraderie, you’ll also be honoring two great civil rights leaders who understood equality, acceptance, inclusion and brotherly (and sisterly) love. Keep Smiling,

Connie Wardman, Editor-in-Chief connie@competenetwork.com

COMMUNITY HERO

MICHIEL THOMAS: THE FACE BEHIND GAME FACE BY BRIAN PATRICK IF YOU’VE NOT BEEN NEAR A FILM FESTIVAL showing of the award-winning Game Face documentary, the good news is that it’s now on Video on Demand on Netflix; at the Online Store on iTunes, Google Play and Amazon Instant Video, and it’s also available in DVD format via Passion River. Beginning about a year and a half ago, the documentary made its world premiere at the Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival and since then has toured over 45 film festivals and screenings worldwide, winning 12 awards in the process. The film documents the stories of Fallon Fox, the first MTF transgender professional fighter, and Terrence Clemens, a talented gay college basketball player with a criminal history for credit card fraud looking for a second chance. Both athletes realize that for their own peace of mind and sense of personal integrity they need to come out. But there is no path for gay athletes to follow, no out gay athletes as role models, no guarantee that their personal revelations about being LGBTQ will be will positively received. Also included in the narrative are Jason Collins, the first openly gay NBA player, and Kye Allums, the first openly trans NCAA Division 1 athlete, who act as mentors, offering sage advice to Fallon and Terrence on their coming out journeys. The untold story, however, is the face behind Game Face, that of Michiel (pronounced Michael) Thomas, the film’s director and executive producer who is himself an out athlete. Growing up in an athletic family outside of Brussels, Belgium, his dad was a marathon runner and his brothers played soccer. But playing in a local sports club, Michiel fell in love with basketball at age 12 and with hard work and motivation to better himself, he moved up through the sport. He wound up being chosen to play with Bree, a Belgian first division team at age 16. He spent the next three years playing professional basketball at his country’s highest level. After years of denying his sexual orientation, the need to be true to himself began to push Michiel to come out even though he had no openly gay athlete to emulate. Once it also dawned on him that at just 6 foot-1 he would never be tall enough to have the pro basketball career he wanted, he first spent a year in Costa Rica as part of an American Field Service (AFS) intercultural program

PHOTOS COURTESY OF OF GAME FACE

Pictured: Michiel ThomasPes where he earned certificates in Spanish and photography, and the next year went to the University College in Brussels where he was graduated with a B.A in audiovisual techniques, including TV, film and video. Always fascinated by the U.S., especially Hollywood, in 2008 Michiel made his way to Los Angeles to work in the broadcasting industry and found himself at home there. He has continued his love of basketball, playing with the gay L.A.-based Lambda Basketball league and as part of a traveling team playing in the National Gay Basketball Association (NGBA) tournaments. It’s what offers him his fun in life. Having met both Fallon and Terrence before they came out publically, he realized that his need for a gay sports role model to help him during his coming out dilemma (continued on page 28)

| COMPETE | 2017 Sin City Shootout Special Edition

WELCOME BACK

SIN CITY SHOOTOUT TURNS 10 BY HARRY ANDREW THERE ARE NOW OVER 8,500 ATHLETES, COACHES and fans representing 25 different sports congregating in Las Vegas to help celebrate the Sin City Shootout (SCS) turning 10. Starting with A for arm wrestling and ending with W for wrestle and grapple, almost any sport you can think of is participating in what is now the largest annual LGBT sporting event in the world. So much for the myth that gays don’t play sports! This weekend festival just continues to grow. The SCS staff makes sure it all runs smoothly and that all the parties taking place each night are fun … and loud. Then each sport has a coordinator who organizes the playing schedule and logistics for the weekend. The newest sport to join SCS this year is diving and the person acting as its coordinator is David Freedman who served as one of the coordinators for the Olympic diving competition at the summer games in Rio. Any sport not already represented that is interested in participating is always invited to contact tournament director Eric Ryan. Ryan also happens to be the founder of the SCS and was named as a 2016 Connect Sports Game Changer for being “at the top” of his game as well as the SCS being named a 2016 Champion of Economic Impact in a midto-large market by Sports Destination Management. But how did all this happen? It certainly didn’t start with a big tournament, only with a big idea. As an athlete traveling to tournaments, what do you do about expensive and less-than-adequate transportation and accommodations to areas with great fields; or the reverse, where the transportation and accommodations are great but the fields are lousy? If your name is Eric Ryan, an out softball player with a Type-A personality, you start your own tournament and create it from a player’s perspective. And ten years ago this month, that’s exactly what he did. He strategically selected Las Vegas because air fares and accommodations there are always plentiful and well-priced. With the year-round lure of casino gambling and high-end entertainment, that seemed like a nobrainer. But what about sports? Unless you have a travel or Chamber of Commerce background that actively promotes all types of local attractions, sports doesn’t necessarily come to mind when you think of “Sin City.” The nice surprise for many is that Las Vegas, infamous for being Sin City, has a very athletic and sporting side to it. There are a number of great outdoor and indoor venues for sports like softball, flag football, basketball, tennis and golf that are either public or attached to local concerns, like

the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus or public golf courses, for example. And given its history as a western town before it turned to glitz and glamour, Vegas also has an equestrian center with specialized accommodations for horses that even include climate controlled stalls. All this factored into Ryan’s long-term plans back in 2007. He dreamed of creating a large tournament where athletes in multiple sports could compete during the day and then socialize after the sun went down. With Vegas able to accommodate a growing tournament, the next decision was to hold it over a holiday weekend for maximum attendance and Martin Luther King Jr. holiday in mid-January fit the bill. But the genius in his plan was to save money for individual athletes, teams and leagues. As a member of the Greater Los Angeles Softball Association (GLASA), Ryan proposed that GLASA take on all the exposure and liability in order to use its large buying power to get the best venues and prices on everything from room rates to travel. In 2008 his dream became reality. That year there were 40 softball teams (figure 15-20 people per team) that came to play, a figure that grew to 70 teams in year two. By 2010 they decided to add basketball to the tournament play, followed in 2011 by five sports and over 4,000 people involved. Quite a change from the 25 sports and the anticipated 8,500 people participating in 2017! So congratulations for starting 2017 on the right foot by having the time of your life playing sports, catching up with old friends, making some new ones and dancing till you drop. You won’t regret it since “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.” Even if a few secrets leak out, that will just make your stories around the water cooler at work more enjoyable. See you next year! For more information, go to www.sincityshootout.com.

www.CompeteNetwork.com

| COMPETE | 7

A Vehicle for Change, in Our Communities and Our World

A Toyota’s dedication to diversity and inclusiveness extends beyond just its team members.

cross Toyota, the founding principal of “respect for people” is not some feel-good slogan, but a deeply-held philosophy helping guide nearly every aspect of the company. It’s this philosophy that led Toyota to become one of the first auto companies to provide truly comprehensive domestic partnership benefits back in 2002, and to then expand tax benefits, adoption support and transgender health benefits. For the last ten years, the company has proudly scored 100% on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index and has invested in dozens of national and local LGBTQIA organizations such as The Trevor Project, L.A. LGBT Center, GLAAD, Out & Equal, HRC, Point Foundation and many others.

“We have a great resource in our LGBTQIA employees, and we used that to help develop our latest community outreach effort,” said Justin Leach, Manager of Public Relations at Toyota Financial Services and a member of Spectrum, the company’s LGBTQIA employee resource group. “We came up with #LoveDrives because, while the LGBTQIA community is incredibly diverse, we all have hopes, dreams and passions that drive us, so we wanted to create a way to share that. Whatever makes you smile in the morning, or keeps you working late into the night, or gets you excited for the weekend…these moments and experiences bring us together.” To help ensure the #LoveDrives campaign conveys Toyota’s authentic and genuine support, the company used people who are openly gay or lesbian and allies in its photoshoot. “Two of our models are actually a reallife couple and I think their love and joy really shines through in the photos,” added Leach. The campaign is being launched at LGBTQIA events sponsored by Toyota and Toyota Financial Services across the U.S. #LoveDrives has already encouraged thousands at Pride festivals to express what fuels their joy; donors at LA LGBT Center fundraisers to convey their support; and cyclists at AIDS LifeCycle to share their motivation.

Madbatters vs Hustlers

Team X vs Last Call

Crazy Pitches! vs Down N Dirty

Hustlers va Oaktown Roots

DR7

DR4

North Dakota San Diego Kansas City San Diego Long Beach

B DIVISION

Cleats & Cleavage vs Crazy Pitches!

Alley Katz vs Beer Money

DR5

DR6

Team Grind WHHW Fully Loaded Ballerz Throwback

Down N Dirty vs Cleats & Cleavage

Last Call vs Liqu-er Up

8-9AM

FIELD

BA1 BA2 BA3 BA4 BA5

Liqu-er Up vs Team X

Beer Money vs Centerfielders

Baseic Pitches vs Looking 2 Score

CH4

9-10AM

TBD vs Looking 2 Score

Roster Check vs Beavers

CH3

CA1 CA2 CA3 CA4 CA5 CB1 CB2 CB3 CB4 CB5 CC1 CC2 CC3 CC4 CC5 CD1 CD2 CD3 CD4 CD5

Oaktown Roots vs Madbatters

Centerfielders vs Alley Katz

10-11AM

Girl Crush vs Baseic Pitches

Pitches Be Crazy vs Roster Check

Sopers vs POW

Thats What She Said vs Beavers

I'd Hit That vs L-Crew

CH2

10-11AM

HTSYC vs The Fun Team

Make It Reign vs I'd Hit That

The Fun Team vs POW

CH1

9-10AM

Our commitment to diversity doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop within Toyota. Across the Toyota family and in communities around the world, we admire and applaud the differences that make us unique and celebrate the love that drives us all. #LoveDrives

Fight vs L-Crew

8-9AM

FIELD

Saturday, January 14th

the fun team. Pow! Sopers Bomb Squad HTSYC Baseic Pitches Looking 2 Score TBD Cheetahs Girl Crush I'd Hit That L-Crew Fight Aberration Make it Reign Roster Check Beavers That's What She Said Switch Hitters Pitches Be Crazy

C DIVISION

Sandlot vs SWAT

San Diego Los Angeles Chicago MSA Long Beach Las Vegas Dallas San Diego Los Angeles Portland Long Beach San Diego Portland Los Angeles San Diego Portland Phoenix Las Vegas San Diego San Francisco Phoenix

SWAT vs Booze on First

Scoreboard vs Gossip Grill

Inferno Shockwave vs Team .08

Team .08 vs Gossip Grill

UHaulin vs Wolfpack PDX

F*T*B vs UHaulin

12-1PM

Cheetahs vs Girl Crush

SF SwitchHitters vs Pitches Be Crazy

Aberration vs Make It Reign

Bomb Squad vs HTSYC

12-1PM

Scoreboard vs Inferno Shockwave

11-12PM

TBD vs Cheetahs

Thats What She Said vs SF SwitchHitters

Fight vs Aberration

Sopers vs Bomb Squad

11-12PM

DA1 DA2 DA3 DB1 DB2 DB3 DC1 DC2 DC3 DD1 DD2 DD3 DE1 DE2 DE3 DF1 DF2 DF3 DF4 DG1 DG2 DG3

Booze on First vs Sandlot

Wolfpack PDX vs F*T*B

1-2PM

Fully Loaded vs Ballers

Team Grind vs WHHW

1-2PM

Alley Katz Beer Money CenterFielders Cleats & Cleavage Crazy Pitches! DOWN N DIRTY F*T*B Uhaulin Wolfpack PDX TEAM X Last Call Liqu-er Up Hustlers Oaktown Roots Madbatters Scoreboard Shockwave Team .08 Gossip Grill Sandlot SWAT Booze On First

D Division

2-3PM

Fully Loaded vs WHHW

Throwback vs Team Grind

2-3PM

Kansas City Spokane Long Beach Los Angeles Seattle Long Beach Norwalk Los Angeles Portland Los Angeles San Jose Seattle Long Beach San Francisco Los Angeles Spokane San Francisco Seattle San Diego Los Angeles Spokane Chicago

3-4PM

Throwback vs Ballers

Team Grind vs Fully Loaded

3-4PM

WHHW vs Throwback

4-5PM

WOMENS POOL PLAY SCHEDULE 2017

Love Drives our greatest moments, big and small

STYLE

BY BOBBY CILETTI, STYLE EDITOR

TIME FOR WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY BOBBY IS A TRAVEL AND LIFESTYLE EXPERT AND FOUNDER OF THEDAYSOFTHECHIC.COM. TWITTER @BOBBYCILETTI

THE FIRST MONDAY IN EVERY MAY MARKS ONE of the biggest days in fashion with Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Annual Costume Institute Gala. This year’s theme was technology and the gala featured an endless array of eye-catching designs thanks to the help of futuristic fashion methods like laser cutting and 3D printing. Other technological show-stoppers included a gown woven with fiber optic threads as well as Czech model and actress Karolina Kurkova, who wore a gown with LED flowers that reacted to comments on her social media account, this thanks to a collaboration between Marchesa and IBM. While these trends may seem too avant-garde for our everyday fashion, the wearable technology industry has already flexed its muscle in the fitness industry. But, is there really more to wearable technology and fitness than those little trackers we wear on our wrist? The answer is, yes. Even if your gym outfit is not lighting up when you complete a set at the gym, the industry has been expanding more than you may realize.

Fitness Trackers Smart watches and fitness trackers, like Apple Watch, Fitbit and Pebble have been around for years, each promising their users access to important metrics, like steps taken and calories burned in addition to counting heartbeats. As the desire for this technology has developed, so has its use. Now apps from companies like Fitbit include a social component that allows users to connect with and motivate

other users. These companies are even putting fashion first thanks to collaborations with elite designers. Fitbit offers fun accessories from designers like Tory Burch which include a band and a gold logo cover. Apple Watch offers French artisan leather wristbands from Hermès to the tune of $1,250. www.apple.com/ apple-watch-hermes

Apparel Now that you have your fitness tracker, how can you up your workout game? For those who are looking for a larger investment in wearable tech, Athos offers athletes the ability to look inside their muscle performance via embedded sensors and an integrated app. However, it is not cheap; packages start at $348 and can be in excess of $500 for the full body. www.liveathos.com

Footwear If you are looking to get some of the benefits of a fitness tracker but not sure it aligns with your personal style, consider DigitSole Smart Sole. These smart soles can be invisibly added to most of your footwear so you can take it with you from the gym to the office. The smart soles will track your calories and steps; it even has a warming function to keep your toes toasty. Upgrade your shoes for $200 a pair. www.digitsole.com

Bobby Says … Fill up on the apps. Yes, wearable technology is one of the hottest things in fashion at the moment and it can be pricey. When new technologies are introduced they are often expensive but they become more affordable over time – just think of flat screen TVs. Our smart phones are a great resource for adding technology to our workouts and lifestyle. Whether you use your phone’s built-in health tracker or find great free or affordable options through some research, technology is definitely within your reach. TopShop, a leader in mainstream fashion, recently announced an internal initiative to find ways to make wearable technology available and affordable. Until the day that occurs, however, you don’t have to sacrifice your style or bank account for a leg up in the gym – wearing technology is never going to replace your hard work and good taste.

| COMPETE | 2017 Sin City Shootout Special Edition

INTERVIEW

TYLER GLENN PROVIDED BY: GAY VEGAS / GAYVEGAS.COM WRITTEN BY: DANIELA COSTA

INTERVIEW BY: JOHN LAWRENCE

TYLER GLENN HAS BECOME A FAMILIAR FACE for Gay Vegas readers. The Neon Trees’ frontman has graced the cover of Gay Vegas magazine three times, granting exclusive interviews. Gay Vegas is sharing their most recent interview (as seen in the October 2016 issue of the magazine) with Sin City Shootout as Tyler prepares to share his talents with attendees at the Official Closing Party at Rain Nightclub on Sunday, Jan. 15. Gay Vegas spoke with the out rocker and ex-Mormon about his connection to Vegas, coming out, his relationship with the Mormon Church today and the new music released on his solo album, Excommunication. I feel like this album is not only a coming out album, but it’s kind of like a breakup album. With singles like “Trash”, you’re kind of like breaking up with the Mormon Church. You guys are going through a hard time. It’s a violent relationship. Yeah. And it may be a violent relationship, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t stem from a place of love for the Church. That’s why it’s so much more powerful when you have a breakup like that. So, what was your first coming out experience? I came out I think when I like knew who I was and I came out like confidently, it was to my producer, Tim Pagnotta, who I had done most of Neon Trees’ records with but I also did this last record with. When you say in the song, “First Vision”, “I fell in love with a married man,” is that stemming from a real life experience? It’s a real life experience. It’s real. It’s the most real that I’ve ever been on an album about anything. I wrote that song at a bar in Tribeca drinking wine and like reflecting. So that’s just sort of a stream of conscious as the song goes on pretty much. How was it coming out to your mom? Scary, but also so warm and loving. Because she recalls looking over at me when I was coming out to her and seeing like her 10-year-old son needing his mom.

| COMPETE | 2017 Sin City Shootout Special Edition

Like I wasn’t the almost 30-year-old full grown man that she was in the car with. She realized I was being sincere. Ever since then it’s just brought us to such transparency, which I hope that more LGBTQ people feel, but I know that’s not the case all the time when they’re coming out, especially to their parents. In the coming out process, did you feel any rejection from anyone? Did you go through any difficult situations? It took some of my family members a couple weeks to just get used to the idea. But like I don’t think for them homosexuality was ever a thing in their life. I really had it mostly positive, to be honest. It’s actually been more crazy since coming out of Mormonism that I feel like a lot of relationships have either gone by the wayside, or have become strained, or some I don’t have anymore. So I think leaving the religion and coming out as an ex-Mormon has been harder almost for me than coming out as gay, which is kind of weird but the truth.

Did your bandmates know at all? In some of your early work with Neon Trees you would use words like “queer” and there were always these little hints. I had told my bass player Branden because we had a pretty close friendship. I had told him that I kind of had had those thoughts and emotions, but I was never like transparent about, “Yeah, I think I’m gay.” So he had kind of a clue. And I think my other bandmates always sort of like took it at face value like, “If Tyler says no, then he says no.” I always felt like they supported me either way. And they have. I think for me personally and like my happiness, they are and always have been supportive regarding me being gay. In one of your songs, “G.D.M.M.L. GRLS (God Didn’t Make Me Like Girls)” you say, “It’s hard for me to keep it up.” Is that about keeping up the charade? It’s just sometimes hard to keep up the image of what people want you to be. And I think that’s the whole point with this record, is I’m trying to like say, “Yo, it’s okay to be very clear about where you’re at with things.” I want it to feel empowering versus like wounded. Also in “G.D.M.M.L. GRLS” you say, “I tried to kill myself and I’m not the only one.” Is that pulled from an actual experience as well? Yeah. The weekend that the LDS Church put out the policy against same-sex couples and their children, which was November 4 of last year, it was one of the most difficult weekends of my life because I was being faced with this institution that I had not only believed in, but preached and tried to make work my whole life. There were sincere moments looking at my window. And I still have them from time to time, which is really scary. Just because I’ve forged a new path and I’ve left a lot of my old belief system behind doesn’t mean that I’m like this whole saved individual. I’m extremely proud of who I am and I know where I want to be, but I still have those dark days too. And then it’s that question of self-acceptance. I think acceptance is the start, but we still have to live it. I also know that I’m not the only one who either tried or had those thoughts. Many have acted on it. And within the LGBTQ religious community many have acted on it because they felt their self-worth wasn’t there. In one of your songs you talk about driving to Vegas in your car. So how much has Vegas been a part of your life? Vegas was always this scary place to me growing up. And then when we started playing shows, it like became this whole other thing to me and I really started to value it. Especially in more of my adult life. That’s where Neon Trees really got like our first big break, getting to open for The Killers. Vegas is like integral to Neon Trees.

Now we need to talk about your songs “Gods and Monsters” and “John Give ‘Em Hell”. What was the inspiration for them? “Gods and Monsters” is completely about my sort of breaking up with my ex-boyfriend. It just ended really sad and poorly. And he was sort of my first open love after coming out. I had introduced him to my family and we dated for a year. We had been making lots of plans. He gave me a lot of confidence. I had never really been publicly affectionate with another man. So there were all these like milestones that I had had with him. The first verse and the second verse in that song is basically like calling him out and telling him, “This is how I felt when I discovered that you were not being who you said you were.” And then I kind of tied it in because in that weekend was sort of the same time I was finding out about all of these false claims within my religion that I tried to live for my whole life. So that’s what “Gods and Monsters” is. And then “John Give ‘Em Hell”, John’s an actual person. He’s this really popular religious podcaster and me and him really forged a friendship after I left Mormonism last year. He was also excommunicated from Mormonism, but publicly. And getting to know him really gave me like a lot of encouragement and insight, but also like insight into the pain that it causes when you’re excommunicated from a religion. So I wrote the song basically just to give him support, and didn’t plan on putting it on the album and then just ended up loving the song so much so I included it on the record. But I think in a sense it’s an empowering song, like, “Go give them hell. You got this. Fortunately not all Mormons see you as a heretic. No and that’s the thing. When I say the Mormon Church, I don’t even think of Mormons. Like I love Mormons. I think I’ll always be a Mormon in my core because that’s me. It’s more at the system that’s set up right now and I think there needs to be change. I know like so many Mormons, including my family who are still Mormon, that are wonderful and supportive and do love gay people. So this isn’t an anti-Mormon record, but it’s a sort of look into the struggle. If there’s one thing Excommunication is, it’s a kickass album.

www.CompeteNetwork.com

| COMPETE | 15

nagaaasoftball.org (636) 3NAGAAA

Welcome All Athletes to the Sin City Shootout Good luck to all of the NAGAAA member cities participating this year For more information, or to get involved in gay softball, visit nagaaasoftball.org.

THE DODGERS SALUTE ALL ATHLETES AND ALLIES PARTICIPATING IN THE

2017 SIN CIT Y SHOOTOUT SPORTS FESTIVAL WE ARE PROUD TO RECOGNIZE THE LGBTQ COMMUNIT Y OF LOS ANGELES AS AN INTEGR AL PART OF THE DODGERS COMMUNIT Y.

GYM BAG

HOT ITEMS YOU SHOULDN’T DO WITHOUT

BUCKSHOT 2.0 BIKE SPEAKER

PATAGONIA R1® HOODY

Get big sound from the tiny, go-anywhere speaker, the Buckshot 2.0 Portable Bluetooth Speaker by Outdoor Technology. It can ride on your pack, strapped to your handlebars or ski pole. You can use your voice to change music and volume, even to answer your cellphone. Waterproof, shockproof and dustproof, it has a 24-hour battery life so you won’t need to turn it off during a marathon ride. Three mounting options, including a new tough wearable clip and silicone handlebar mount accessory and wireless connectivity to any Bluetoothenabled device with a 100-foot Bluetooth range. Weighs only 3.81 oz and includes USB charge cable, handlebar strap, user manual, ODT sticker. Comes in electric blue, red, gray, black or chrome. Sells for $39.95.

Patagonia’s R1® Hoody remains the optimal hooded midlayer for the full spectrum of mountain endeavors – it’s not too hot, not too cold. Now made with lighter, more breathable Polartec® Power Grid™ for outstanding stretch, compressibility and durability and has Polygiene® permanent odor control. Snugfitting, balaclava-style hood fits comfortably under a helmet strap, and center-front Slim Zip with a soft kissing-welt zipper garage at chin has next-to-skin comfort; raglan sleeves for increased mobility and off-shoulder seaming for comfort under a pack. Pullover silhouette has deep center-front zipper to allow for quick venting; sleeves have discreet on-seam thumb holes for added coverage in cold conditions; torso is one inch longer than usual to stay tucked in under a harness or a pack waistbelt. Available for both men and women; comes in a variety of colors. Prices vary.

www.outdoortechnology.com

www.patagonia.com SMARTWOOL OUTDOOR SOCKS Whether you’re hiking, skiing, snowboard, running or any other kind of outdoor activity, keeping your feet warm is the secret to staying comfortable in cold weather. Made of 63 percent Merino wool combined with nylon and elastane, these socks aren’t scratchy. Lightweight and machine-washable, they’re made with specialized ventilation areas to wick moisture away and keep foot temperature at just the right level. Available for both men and women, they come in a variety of colors and offer both plain and patterned socks. And you can select the height that suits you best, from hidden and low cuts to overthe-calf and knee-highs. Prices vary.

www.smartwool.com

| COMPETE | 2017 Sin City Shootout Special Edition

GOPRO CAMERA HERO+ LCD HD VIDEO RECORDING CAMERA The HERO+ LCD camera has built-in touch display, records stunning, immersive 1080p60 and 720p60 video with built-in video trimming, SuperView, auto low light, hi light tag and quick capture. Captures 8MP singe, time lapse and Burst photos up to 5 fps. Built-In Wi-Fi plus Bluetooth enables connectivity to the GoPro App or Smart Remote1 to adjust modes and settings, control the camera remotely, and view and share your content. Also durable plus waterproof to 131’ (40m), designed to withstand extreme environments and conditions. Sold by Jazzer Shack and fulfilled by Amazon. $294.99

www.amazon.com

We’ll leave you thinking ...

SO MANY

BALLS

IN THE AIR SO MANY GAY SPORTS LEAGUES — >>>> WITH STAY UP TO DATE WITH OUR MOBILE APP FIND US ON

SPORTS. DIVERSITY.

visit www.CompeteNetwork.com

or follow us at facebook.com/competemag twitter.com/competesports instagram.com/competemagazine

| COMPETE | 2017 Sin City Shootout Special Edition

www.CompeteNetwork.com

| COMPETE | 23

A Division Desert Bloom

POOL PLAY SCHEDULE 2017

10:00 11:00 12:00 1:00

Field 1

Field 2

AA1 v AA2 AA3 v AA4 AA1/AA2 winner v AA3/AA4 winner AA1/AA2 loser v AA3/AA4 loser

AB1 v AB2 AB3 v AB4 AB1/AB2 winner v AB3/AB4 winner AB1/AB2 loser v AB3/AB4 loser

B Division Lorenzi 7:50 8:50 9:50 10:50 11:50 12:50

C1 Division Shadow Rock 7:50 8:50 9:50 10:50 11:50 12:50

Field 3

Field 4

CB1 v CB2 CB1/CB2 winner v CB3/CB4 winner CD1 v CD2 CD1/CD2 winner v CD3/CD4 winner CF1 v CF2 CF1/CF2 winner v CF3/CF4 winner

CB3 v CB4

Field 1

Field 2

Field 3

CG1 v CG2 CG1/CG2 winner v CG3/CG4 winner CH1 v CH2 CI1 v CI2 CI1 v CI3 CI2 v CI3

CG3 v CG4 CG1/CG2 loser v CG3/CG4 loser CH3 v CH4 CH1/CH2 winner v CH3/CH4 winner CH1/CH2 loser v CH3/CH4 loser

CJ1 v CJ2 CJ1 v CJ3 CJ2 v CJ3 CK1 v CK2 CK1 v CK3 CK2 v CK3

Field 12

Field 13

Field 14

CL3 v CL4 CL1/CL2 loser v CL3/CL4 loser CT3 v CT4 CT1/CT2 loser v CT3/CT4 loser CV3 v CV4 CV1/CV2 loser v CV3/CV4 loser

CM1 v CM2 CM1/CM2 winner v CM3/CM4 winner CU1 v CU2 CU1/CU2 winner v CU3/CU4 winner CW1 v CW2 CW1/CW2 winner v CW3/CW4 winner

CM3 v CM4 CM1/CM2 loser v CM3/CM4 loser CU3 v CU4 CU1/CU2 loser v CU3/CU4 loser CW3 v CW4 CW1/CW2 loser v CW3/CW4 loser

Field 5

Field 6

CN1 v CN2 CN1/CN2 winner v CN3/CN4 winner CO1 v CO2 CO1/CO2 winner v CO3/CO4 winner CO1/CO2 loser v CO3/CO4 loser

CN3 v CN4 CN1/CN2 loser v CN3/CN4 loser CO3 v CO4 CX1 v CX2 CX1 v CX3 CX2 v CX3

Field 8

Field 9

Field 10

CR1 v CR2 CR1/CR2 loser v CR3/CR4 loser CY1 v CY2 CY1 v CY3 CY2 v CY3

CR3 v CR4 CR1/CR2 winner v CR3/CR4 winner CQ1 v CQ2 CQ3 v CQ4 CQ1/CQ2 winner v CQ3/CQ4 winner

CP1 v CP2 CP3 v CP4 CP1/CP2 winner v CP3/CP4 winner CP1/CP2 loser v CP3/CP4 loser CQ1/CQ2 loser v CQ3/CQ4 loser

Field 1

Field 2

CS1 v CS2 CS1/CS2 winner v CS3/CS4 winner

CS3 v CS4 CS1/CS2 loser v CS3/CS4 loser

D1 Division Desert Breeze

Field 1

Field 2

Field 3

Field 4

DA1 v DA2 DA1/DA2 winner v DA3/DA4 winner DC1 v DC2 DC1/DC2 winner v DC3/DC4 winner DE1 v DE2 DE1/DE2 winner v DE3/DE4 winner DE1/DE2 loser v DE3/DE4 loser

DA3 v DA4 DA1/DA2 loser v DA3/DA4 loser DC3 v DC4 DC1/DC2 loser v DC3/DC4 loser DE3 v DE4 DG1 v DG2 DG1/DG2 winner v DG3/DG4 winner

DB1 v DB2 DB1/DB2 winner v DB3/DB4 winner DD1 v DD2 DD1/DD2 winner v DD3/DD4 winner DF1 v DF2 DG3 v DG4 DG1/DG2 loser v DG3/DG4 loser

DB3 v DB4 DB1/DB2 loser v DB3/DB4 loser DD3 v DD4 DD1/DD2 loser v DD3/DD4 loser DF3 v DF4 DF1/DF2 winner v DF3/DF4 winner DF1/DF2 loser v DF3/DF4 loser

D2 Division Arroyo Grande

Field 5

Field 6

Field 7

Field 8

DH1 v DH2 DH1/DH2 winner v DH3/DH4 winner DJ1 v DJ2 DJ1/DJ2 winner v DJ3/DJ4 winner DL1 v DL2 DL1/DL2 winner v DL3/DL4 winner

DH3 v DH4 DH1/DH2 loser v DH3/DH4 loser DJ3 v DJ4 DJ1/DJ2 loser v DJ3/DJ4 loser DL3 v DL4 DL1/DL2 loser v DL3/DL4 loser

DI1 v DI2 DI1/DI2 winner v DI3/DI4 winner DK1 v DK2 DK1/DK2 winner v DK3/DK4 winner DM1 v DM2 DM1/DM2 winner v DM3/DM4 winner

DI3 v DI4 DI1/DI2 loser v DI3/DI4 loser DK3 v DK4 DK1/DK2 loser v DK3/DK4 loser DM3 v DM4 DM1/DM2 loser v DM3/DM4 loser

D2 Division Russell Road 7:50 8:50 9:50 10:50 11:50 12:50

CD3v CD4

Field 11

C2 Division Desert Bloom

7:50 8:50 9:50 10:50 11:50 12:50

CB1/CB2 loser v CB3/CB4 loser CD1/CD2 loser v CD3/CD4 loser CF3 v CF4 CF1/CF2 loser v CF3/CF4 loser

CL1 v CL2 CL1/CL2 winner v CL3/CL4 winner CT1 v CT2 CT1/CT2 winner v CT3/CT4 winner CV1 v CV2 CV1/CV2 winner v CV3/CV4 winner

7:50 8:50 9:50 10:50 11:50

7:50 8:50 9:50 10:50 11:50 12:50 1:50

BD1 v BD2 BG1 v BG2 BG2 v BG3 BG1 v BG3

Field 2

C2 Division Warm Springs

7:50 8:50

Field 4

CA3 v CA4 CA1/CA2 loser v CA3/CA4 loser CC3 v CC4 CC1/CC2 loser v CC3/CC4 loser CE3 v CE4 CE1/CE2 loser v CE3/CE4 loser

C2 Division Sunset North 7:50 8:50 9:50 10:50 11:50 12:50

Field 3 BC1 v BC2 BC1 v BC3 BC2 v BC3 BD2 v BD3 BD1 v BD3

Field 1

C2 Division Sunset Park 7:50 8:50 9:50 10:50 11:50 12:50

Field 2 BB1 v BB2 BB1 v BB3 BB2 v BB3 BF1 v BF2 BF1 v BF3 BF2 v BF3

CA1 v CA2 CA1/CA2 winner v CA3/CA4 winner CC1 v CC2 CC1/CC2 winner v CC3/CC4 winner CE1 v CE2 CE1/CE2 winner v CE3/CE4 winner

C1 Division Hollywood Park 7:50 8:50 9:50 10:50 11:50 12:50

Field 1 BA1 v BA2 BA1 v BA3 BA2 v BA3 BE1 v BE2 BE1 v BE3 BE2 v BE3

Field 1

Field 2

DO1 v DO2 DO1/DO2 winner v DO3/DO4 winner DN1 v DN2 DN1/DN2 winner v DN3/DN4 winner DP1 v DP2 DP1/DP2 winner v DP3/DP4 winner

DO3 v DO4 DO1/DO2 loser v DO3/DO4 loser DN3 v DN4 DN1/DN2 loser v DN3/DN4 loser DP3 v DP4 DP1/DP2 loser v DP3/DP4 loser

POOL PLAY TEAMS 2017 A Division Pool A AA1 - SF Steel Hustlers AA2 - PS Rounders AA3 - LA Thunder AA4 - POR Brewers

Pool B AB1 - DAL Texas Force AB2 - LA West Coast Swing AB3 - SF Fury Unleashed AB4 - PHX Toros

Pool A BA1 - LA Rebels BA2 - NAS Music City Stallions BA3 - HOU Revolution

Pool B BB1 - LA Cartel BB2 - LV Heat BB3 - KC Scouts

Pool C BC1 - ATL Primetime Elite BC2 - KNX Cyclones BC3 - LB We Got This

Pool A CA1 - LA Blackhawks CA2 - SJ Lost On Base CA3 - CHI Swingers CA4 - DC Pocket Rockets

Pool B CB1 - LA Sea Dogs CB2 - LB Fighting Cocks CB3 - SEA shade CB4 - HOU A/S/L

Pool C CC1 - LA Ballerz CC2 - DAL Eagles CC3 - SF Cougars CC4 - ATL Reign

Pool G CG1 - LA Monarchs CG2 - PHL Wolves CG3 - DC Party Animals CG4 - SD Spikes

Pool H CH1 - LA Swinging Pirates CH2 - SF Force CH3 - POR Rage CH4 - DEN Divide

Pool L CL1 - ATL Extreme CL2 - SF Boom CL3 - HOU Wild CL4 - SJ Diablos

B Division Pool D BD1 - LA West Coast Clique BD2 - DEN Mile High Club BD3 - TUL Smoke

Pool E BE1 - SF Quake BE2 - PHX Ice BE3 - AUS Amys Angels

Pool F BF1 - LB Pegasus BF2 - IND Tryanlges BF3 - PS Scorpions

Pool G BG1 - SF Fury BG2 - LV Sindicate BG3 - DEN Stixx

Pool D CD1 - LB Crushers CD2 - HOU Divers CD3 - SJ Unathletics CD4 - TOR Swallows

Pool E CE1 - SJ BewHahas CE2 - DAL Devils CE3 - DEN Dirty Devils CE4 - CHI Instant Replay

Pool F CF1 - CHI Squirels CF2 - MIL Scared Hitless CF3 - SF Inferno CF4 - SAN Bandits

Pool I CI1 - SD Wicked Martinis CI2 - RI Eagle Wingmen CI3 - LB Havoc

Pool J CJ1 - LA Suicide Squad CJ2 - TC Rebels CJ3 - FTL Supervillians

Pool K CK1 - STL Squirels CK2 - CAL - Gayz n Confused CK3 - LA Thirst

Pool M CM1 - LA Stingrays CM2 - AUS Wreckers CM3 - SD Grey Bruins CM4 - SEA Warhawks

Pool N CN1 - DC National Allstars CN2 - LB Outlaws CN3 - PHX Brewcrew CN4 - AUS Roughriders

Pool O CO1 - LA Bulldogs CO2 - PHI Tripleplay CO3 - LV Grease Monkeys CO4 - NY Gym Bar

Pool P CP1 - TC Spikes CP2 - IE Wildcats CP3 - PS Stingers CP4 - DAL Adrenaline

Pool Q CQ1 - PHX Desert Heat CQ2 - AUS #Dbad CQ3 - LB Brit Bombers CQ4 - LA Trojans

Pool R CR1 - SD Firestorm CR2 - NO Southen Belles CR3 - ATL Storm CR4 - DAL P-Cocks

Pool S CS1 - LV Lightening CS2 - PS Greyhounds CS3 - AUS Atx Fusion CS4 - LA Shade

Pool T CT1 - TC Saints CT2 - SD Quake CT3 - PHX Dirtbags CT4 - SF Sluggers

Pool U CU1 - DAL Hawkeyes CU2 - LB Rippers CU3 - BOSB'Austin Botox CU4 - SEA Knights

Pool V CV1 - LA Fury CV2 - SEA Browns CV3 - NASH Force CV4 - SD Scorpions

Pool W CW1 - LA Rough Trade CW2 - SNE N'Easter CW3 - NO Sit On My Base CW4 - SF Blackout

Pool X CX1 - SF Hawks CX2 - ORL Circus CX3 - LA Cartel

Pool Y CY1 - PS Roadrunnerz CY2 - DEN Stampede CY3 - LA Firebirds

Pool A DA1 - LB Hooks DA2 - SAC Pulse DA3 - SF Thumpers DA4 - PHX Demons

Pool B DB1 - PHX Firebirds DB2 - LB Cubby Devils DB3 - DAL Scrapyards DB4 - KEY Pirates

Pool C DC1 - LV Wranglers DC2 - PHX Grillies DC3 - SF Inferno DC4 - LB Queen Marys

Pool D DD1 - LB Cruizers DD2 - TOR Outlaws DD3 - SJ Sinful DD4 - LB Venom

Pool E DE1 - LA Pirates DE2 - KNX Goodtimes DE3 - SAC Cherry Bombs DE4 - LB Darkside

Pool F DF1 - SF Bombshells DF2 - NY Wildcats DF3 - PHX Misfits DF4 - LB SBW

Pool G DG1 - LA Hot Mess DG2 - CHI Stars DG3 - KC Hitmen DG4 - TC Narwhals

Pool H DH1 - SJ Stripes DH2 - PS Gorillas DH3 - SD Babycakes DH4 - LA Wolves

Pool I DI1 - PHX Savages DI2 - LA Rogue DI3 - SD Master Batters DI4 - PS Heat

Pool J DJ1 - SD Redwing Rebels DJ2 - SJ DNA DJ3 - AUS 512 DJ4 - LB Possee

Pool K DK1 - ORL Scrappers DK2 - CHI Jox DK3 - SD Fireballs DK4 - LV Razorbacks

Pool L DL1 - SD Over The Limit DL2 - PHX Pitch Slapped DL3 - TOR Red Devils DL4 - SNE Crew

Pool M DM1 - NAS Southern Belles DM2 - LB Dlisters DM3 - DC Titans DM4 - CHI Blue Ballers

Pool N DN1 - DEN Rocky Mtn Men DN2 - NY Demons DN3 - SD Shade DN4 - LV Lugnutz

Pool O DO1 - LV Thunder DO2 - MAD Fireballs DO3 - LA Umad DO4 - POR A/S/L

Pool P DP1 - LA Cartel DP2 - VAN Bew Jays DP3 - LB Pegasus DP4 - PS Fireballs

C1 Division

C2 Division

D1 Division

D2 Division

www.CompeteNetwork.com

| COMPETE | 25

26 Down N Dirty vs Cleats & Cleavage

Last Call vs Liqu-er Up

Cleats & Cleavage vs Crazy Pitches!

Madbatters vs Hustlers

8-9AM

Alley Katz vs Beer Money

Team X vs Last Call

Crazy Pitches! vs Down N Dirty

Hustlers va Oaktown Roots

FIELD

DR5

DR6

DR7

DR4

North Dakota San Diego Kansas City San Diego Long Beach

B DIVISION

Liqu-er Up vs Team X

9-10AM

Beer Money vs Centerfielders

Baseic Pitches vs Looking 2 Score

CH4

Team Grind WHHW Fully Loaded Ballerz Throwback

10-11AM Centerfielders vs Alley Katz

TBD vs Looking 2 Score

Roster Check vs Beavers

CH3

BA1 BA2 BA3 BA4 BA5

Pitches Be Crazy vs Roster Check

Thats What She Said vs Beavers

CA1 CA2 CA3 CA4 CA5 CB1 CB2 CB3 CB4 CB5 CC1 CC2 CC3 CC4 CC5 CD1 CD2 CD3 CD4 CD5

Oaktown Roots vs Madbatters

Girl Crush vs Baseic Pitches

Fight vs Aberration

C DIVISION

Sandlot vs SWAT

SWAT vs Booze on First

Scoreboard vs Gossip Grill

Inferno Shockwave vs Team .08

Team .08 vs Gossip Grill

UHaulin vs Wolfpack PDX

F*T*B vs UHaulin

12-1PM

Cheetahs vs Girl Crush

SF SwitchHitters vs Pitches Be Crazy

Aberration vs Make It Reign

Bomb Squad vs HTSYC

12-1PM

Scoreboard vs Inferno Shockwave

11-12PM

TBD vs Cheetahs

Thats What She Said vs SF SwitchHitters

Sopers vs Bomb Squad

Sopers vs POW Make It Reign vs I'd Hit That

I'd Hit That vs L-Crew

CH2

11-12PM

10-11AM

Fight vs L-Crew

The Fun Team vs POW

CH1

9-10AM HTSYC vs The Fun Team

8-9AM

FIELD

Saturday, January 14th

DA1 DA2 DA3 DB1 DB2 DB3 DC1 DC2 DC3 DD1 DD2 DD3 DE1 DE2 DE3 DF1 DF2 DF3 DF4 DG1 DG2 DG3

Booze on First vs Sandlot

Wolfpack PDX vs F*T*B

1-2PM

Fully Loaded vs Ballers

Team Grind vs WHHW

1-2PM

D Division

2-3PM

Fully Loaded vs WHHW

Throwback vs Team Grind

2-3PM

3-4PM

Throwback vs Ballers

Team Grind vs Fully Loaded

3-4PM

WHHW vs Throwback

4-5PM

WOMENS POOL PLAY SCHEDULE 2017

| COMPETE | 2017 Sin City Shootout Special Edition

Devin Living with HIV since 2010

UNDETECTABLE + CONFIDENT = MY NEW GOAL An undetectable viral load is a good start. Feeling more confident about your HIV treatment decisions is also key to the equation. Together, they add up

[+]

to an important new goal.

Talk to your doctor and set your new HIV goal. NewHIVGoal.com

COMMUNITY HERO

(continued from page 4) was a universal one. It showed him that with his background, he could fill an important need. Here is how Michiel explains his desire to make the Game Face documentary: "I realized many are still misinformed about LGBTQ players in sports. And that's why I want to make this documentary: to inspire closeted athletes, but also to educate society on these very important issues and topics. … I wanted to bring stories of active LGBTQ athletes coming out during their career, to create a better understanding on the hurdles they have to overcome in finding their true selves and acceptance in society." The absolute challenge in this project, he says, was always money. But he has lots of very supportive friends who believed in him from the beginning and helped him to believe in himself. Using his savings, he began the documentary by working a grueling sevenday-a-week schedule and eventually some sponsors came aboard the project. Filming required two years to provide an unvarnished, real life look at what these athletes had to go through and then a summer was spent editing it, getting the film ready for its 2015 debut in Miami. And while it took lots of blood, sweat and tears, he says he enjoyed every second of the process. Michiel’s desire to educate the public continues to bear fruit as many colleges and universities continue to request a screening of the film along with its cast members as part of a discussion on the changing face of homophobia in sports. It has opened the doors for Fallon Fox, Terrence Clemens, Jason Collins and Kye Allums to become the positive role models they all wish they had had when they were anguishing over coming out publically. And Michiel’s own family has been extremely supportive and understanding of his life’s work. When asked what he’d like to share with his 12-yearold self today, he said he wouldn’t share too much of what he knows now because everyone has his or her own journey, needing to experience both the good and bad in life because there’s lots of beauty in the struggle. What he would tell his younger self is this: “Treasure that basketball because it will give you everything in your life – that universal game is what will enable you to find your life’s work and meet all your friends,” something he’s most grateful for as an adult. With the realization that he can help start and elevate important conversations through his gifts as a storyteller, Michiel wants to do more documentaries. But for right now, he’s enjoying having a little free time. After ending a four-and-a-half-year relationship on a friendly basis, he says he is now “single and ready to mingle.” But don’t be surprised if you hear that there’s a new documentary underway, one that perhaps helps define and support the importance of LGBTQ athletes being able to be out and proud – not as gay people playing sports but rather as athletes who happen to be gay. L-R: Jason Collins, Kye Allums, Fallon Fox, Terrence Clemens and Michiel Thomas

| COMPETE | 2017 Sin City Shootout Special Edition

FITNESS

FIVE AREAS OF FOCUS AS YOU AGE BY BRYAN LEE THE ONE THING NONE OF US LIKE TO ADMIT IS that as we get older we can no longer do some of the same things we used to do when we were younger. As we age, we move a little slower, take longer to get motivated and have to work twice as hard to achieve the same results that came so easily to us when we were in our twenties and thirties. If you keep your mind and body sharp, it will make your transition into the “Golden Years” seamless. Here are the five areas to focus on as you age:

BALANCE Perhaps one of the first signs of age is that we tend to lose our footing a little more easily. Practicing balance exercises with a BOSU Ball or balance disc will assist you in preventing falls. Even if you don’t have a balance ball or disc, you can simply practice standing on your left foot for 15 seconds, pause for 15 seconds, then stand on your right foot for 15 seconds. If that is way too easy, increase the time duration. Make sure you are standing next to something you can grab on to in case you lose your balance. Also make sure that the object is heavy enough not to topple over when you grab it or if it’s lightweight, like a small bookcase, that it is securely anchored to the wall.

HAND AND EYE COORDINATION Our reflexes slow down tremendously as the years tick away. Keeping up with hand-and-eye coordination exercises will keep you sharp and focused. The easiest exercise for this is a game of catch – just toss a ball back and forth with someone. Playing a sport like tennis, racquetball or pickle ball can assist you in keeping your coordination and concentration in check.

SWEAT Believe it or not, getting involved in an exercise that causes you to sweat actually helps to increase your brain activity, thereby aiding you in fighting off dementia and Alzheimer’s. Although you may not like to sweat, getting in a rigorous enough workout to get those glands activated will provide many health benefits to you as senior years strike.

STRENGTH The one thing we all tend to forget about in our workout routines is strength training. Osteoporosis, arthritis and brittle bones can set in as the years add up, so keeping your bones and muscles strong is essential. Begin a weightlifting routine. And keep in mind that you don’t have to be a master lifter. You can start with weights as low as one-to-two pounds. Then increase the weights as needed.

POSTURE Arched and humped backs can also begin to occur when we wind up slumping into later life. A very easy exercise to work on to improve your posture is to clasp your hands behind your back, stand up straight and go for a walk, leaving your hands behind your back the entire time. Sitting on an exercise ball while watching television or working on your computer are both great ways to not only work on your posture but also your balance at the same time. No one likes to get older. But if you focus on these five areas as you age, you will remain forever fit.

BRYAN LEE is a National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association (NESTA) certified personal trainer, life coach and author who has lost over 130 pounds. Please check with your personal physician before using these health and fitness tips.

| COMPETE | 2017 Sin City Shootout Special Edition

SPORTS

YOUR FEET ARE MADE FOR WALKING – IN A VIRTUAL MARCH TO EQUALITY BY HARRY ANDREW YOU HARDLY EVER HEAR OF A NEW IDEA OR movement that doesn’t want you to contribute money in one form or another. But March to Equality is taking a unique … and free … web-based approach to raising awareness for the need for full inclusion and equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals by engaging people from all backgrounds to become activists in the pursuit of human rights on a global scale – all by walking. Your footsteps are your donation! In this virtual global march for LGBT equality all you need to do is upload the number of steps you take. It can be the steps in a sponsored run you’ve signed up for or just running your daily errands. The goal is to reach enough steps to circumnavigate the globe by the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in New York City coming up June 28, 2019. The anniversary celebration will culminate with planned events, giving everyone who has participated a feeling of contributing to a global movement that’s making a difference in the world. The campaign is the brainchild of LGBT advocate Stephan Anspichler, a German film and television producer. Looking at the 2015 film release schedule, he realized in the fall of 2014 that the LGBT movement was gaining real ground. Comparing it to the human empowerment movement, he began to see that this quest for full LGBT inclusion and equality is the movement of our time. Anspichler wanted to attract attention to the event while honoring the many steps it took from those early activists up to today’s LGBT leaders who are working to expand the idea that LGBT persons deserve the same basic

respect and dignity as any other citizen of the world. And from that came the idea of virtual steps people today can take to be part of this movement – we can all participate. Estimating that the March to Equality (MTE) will require 50 million steps to circle the globe, MTE provides an easy step-calculator, marchtoequality.org/step-tracker, on the website. Once you login with a Facebook or Google+ profile, you can enter the steps, miles or kilometers you just walked. Or you can simply take a photograph of a step you’re currently taking and upload it to your profile. You can even make a maximum 12-minute-video of your experience, connecting your thoughts and feelings about your personal march. Each physical step taken and submitted is equal to one step in the march. Share your picture or video on Facebook, Google+, Instagram or Twitter by using the hashtag #MarchToEquality and invite your friends or your workplace colleagues to get involved – #MarchToEquality keeps track of the community’s equality world record. It’s a great way to foster a team atmosphere and a little friendly competition. For already-formed sports teams and leagues, it becomes another way to boost the camaraderie that already exists. And it doesn’t need to be a one-time submission. The more steps, the better. While this project is a lot of fun, there is a very serious reason behind it that needs to be remembered, especially with the recent mass murder of 49 gay club goers in Orlando and the wounding of so many others, physically, mentally and emotionally. In at least 76 countries it is still illegal to be gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. It is the reason that MTE kicked off its collaboration with the UN Free and Equal campaign during the United Nations 70th General Assembly. Just a few of the other organizations partnering with MTE include: Pride and Prejudice (The Economist), Orbitz Worldwide and Toyota Motor Corporation. There are also a number of global MTE ambassadors who are advocating for LGBT inclusion and equality in their home countries, one of whom is Billy Bean, openly gay former major league baseball (MLB) player who is now MLB’s vice president of social responsibility. The March to Equality is a 501(3)(c) non-profit organization. To receive daily MTE news, like MTE on Facebook: www.facebook.com/MarchToEquality or sign up for more information at www.marchtoequality.org or email your questions or event support requests to info@marchtoequality.org.

www.CompeteNetwork.com

| COMPETE | 31

PRIDE RUN PHOENIX MARCH 25, 2017 Course Rating

UPTOWN | MIDTOWN | DOWNTOWN Run it! Race it! Live it!

HALF MARATHON

10K

$10 OFF Half Marathon & Combo Packs

$5 OFF 10K & 5K with

with Promo Code COMPETE10

Promo Code COMPETE5

CALLING ALL ADRENALINE JUNKIES: THE 10 TOUGHEST RACES IN THE WORLD BY HARRY ANDREW

PHOTOS COURTESY OF TUMBLEINTO.COM

hat sort of sports year do you have planned for 2017? Are you the adventurous type who loves competition, someone who thrills to new experiences? Then take a look at these ultra events that are listed as the toughest races in the world. Maybe this is the year you’ll tap into your wild side and try one of these iconic races. Are you game?

1 6633 Arctic Ultra – Canada

Considered by many as the toughest, coldest, windiest ultra distance footrace on the planet, the 6633 is a non-stop self-sufficient footrace of 350 miles (or a 120 mile short route) between the Yukon and Northwest Territories, both races crossing over the Arctic Circle in March when temperatures are well below zero. Since it began in 2007, only 11 people have completed this eight-day challenge.

2 Barkley Marathons – U.S.A.

This 100-mile run through the backwoods of Tennessee is inspired by the 1977 prison break by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassin, James Earl Ray. Limited to 40 runners, over a 60-hour period they’re required to scale a 65,000-foot incline across five unmarked 20-mile loops. The course has only been finished 16 times since its 1986 start. It takes place in late March or early April and the course changes each year.

| COMPETE | 2017 Sin City Shootout Special Edition

3 Charlie Ramsay Round – Scotland

This is really long distance fell or hill running at its most challenging – a 58-mile circuit taking in 24 summits with a total altitude climb of approximately 28,5000 feet that includes Ben Nevis, the highest mountain peak in the British Isles. Oh, and it’s done in under 24 hours during June or July.

4 Dragon’s Back – Wales

This legendary race started in 1992 and covers 200 miles of craggy, unmarked terrain running from north to south Wales. Runners have five days to conquer a brutal 51,000-foot incline in rainy conditions and low visibility. This ultra marathon takes place in May.

5 Iditarod Trail Invitational – Alaska

Only a small number of winter ultra athletes are invited to participate each year in this 1,000-mile course through the Alaskan wilderness – the world’s longest winter ultra marathon. In 2016 only 65 people were invited. They can travel it by fat bike, on foot or on skis but they’re totally responsible for their own supplies and navigation; GPS devices aren’t allowed. There is also a shorter 350-mile race that racers must complete in order to be considered for the 1,000 mile race. The race is held in February.

www.CompeteNetwork.com

| COMPETE | 35

6 Patagonian Expedition Race – Chilean Patagonia

Also known as The Last Wild Race,” the Patagonian Expedition is an annual 10-day team endurance adventure race that is held in the remote wilderness of Chilean Patagonia. It’s held every February to help protect and raise awareness about the region’s fragile environment. A maximum of 20 four-person co-ed teams trek, bike, kayak and climb their way on a new course every year.

7 Salzkammergut Trophy – Austria

One of the most difficult mountain bike races in Europe, the Salzkammergut Trophy is a 16-hour race over 130 mile course through the Alps with an altitude of close to 23,000 feet. Altitude difference can range up to 12,624.67 feet.. There are seven different race distances, including the Extreme Course dedicated to all adrenalin junkies. It’s held in July.

8 SUP (Stand Up Paddling) 11 City Tour – Holland

source: Gertan / Shutterstock.com

One of the longest and toughest stand up paddle (SUP) board races in the world, the 11 Cities Race is held each year in Friesland in northern Holland. Over five days paddlers cover 138 miles; that averages out to over 25 miles-per-day. The event takes place in September.

| COMPETE | 2017 Sin City Shootout Special Edition

source: Maxim Petrichuk / Shutterstock.com

Tour Divide – Canada/U.S.A.

This fixed course race, called the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, is the world’s longest off-pavement cycling route running from Banff, Alberta to Antelope Wells, New Mexico – 2,745 miles! The self-supported race has riders covering an average of 170 miles per day and climbing over 200,000 feet over the course of the race (the website says it’s the equivalent to scaling Mount Everest from sea-level seven times). It’s held in June.

Yukon River Quest – Canada

The world’s longest annual canoe and kayak race (also known as “a race to the midnight sun”), consists of 444 miles along the Yukon River from Whitehorse to Dawson City. It must be completed in 85 hours and that requires two mandatory stops – seven hours spent in Carmacks and three hours spent in Coffee Creek. Basic survival equipment is required and a SPOT device must be tracking each team at all times. Runs during June and July.

Source: Tumbleinto.com

www.CompeteNetwork.com

| COMPETE | 37

NUTRITION

EIGHT ADAPTOGENIC HERBS FOR TODAY’S TIRED ATHLETES BY MIRIAM LATTO

WE ARE ALL UNDER A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT of stress these days; it affects us in multiple ways, taking a toll on our bodies. And when it becomes chronic, it depletes our immune system and causes us to lose valuable sleep, gain weight, even to begin early aging. But how did our early ancestors deal with stress? Way before the Olympic Games began, our ancestors used medicinal “adaptogenic” herbs to help themselves stay strong – their herbal medications helped the natural body-mind connection “adapt” to their forms of stress so they could not only survive but also thrive in a very unforgiving world. When these herbs are used properly, they can help today’s tired athletes recover and stay strong. For educational purposes only, let’s look at eight of these adaptogenic herbs that you might choose to include in your 2017 health regimen. ASHWAGANDA (Withania somiferum) has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for over 4,000 years for exhaustion and high levels of chronic stress. Ashwaganda is known for mood stabilization and to support optimal physical and emotional well-being. It’s believed to reduce the effects of stress on the body and is also known to have aphrodisiac properties that could possibly aid in erectile dysfunction and fertility. ASIAN GINSENG (Panax ginseng) roots are taken orally as adaptogens, aphrodisiacs and nourishing stimulants. As a proven anti-inflammatory, it can regulate blood sugar and works as an anti-depressant, for endurance, memory, calmness and energy. No wonder it’s in most of today’s energy drinks. CORDYCEPS (Cordyceps sinensis) is known as the “ginseng of mushrooms” and is known to have a wonderful effect on endurance and stamina. It has stress-reducing properties and research shows it to be highly effective in treating respiratory ailments, enhancing aerobic performance, increasing sex drive and strengthening the immune system. HE SHOU WU (Fallopia multiflora) is also known as polygonum multiflorum and used as a tonic to slow down the aging process. It calms the nervous system, and has been shown to promote hair growth, alleviate insomnia. Additionally it may aid with learning and memory. HOLY BASIL (Ocimum tenuiflorum) is used traditionally to alleviate stress and inflammation while many studies show it to be the equivalent to many modern painkillers. Recent studies reveal it’s a powerful antioxidant that may be able to reduce blood glucose levels and cholesterol.

MACA (Lepidium meyenii) is highly beneficial for reducing fatigue, enhancing energy and endurance – an effective adaptagen for everyday living. It contains 55 phytochemicals known to have vitality-enhancing body effects and is incredibly mineral dense and nutritious. It may heighten libido and even alleviate medicationinduced sexual dysfunction caused by pharmaceutical antidepressants. RHODIOLOA (Rhodiola rosea), found in the high north tundra and Arctic, it’s the herb of endurance that’s great for chronic physical and mental demands because it’s effective in improving mood and alleviating depression. Athletes and students may experience increased performance with the proper use of this herb. SCHISANDRA (Schisandra chinensis) is a berry known in China for its sexual tonic qualities and ability to help with long-term stress and mental exhaustion. It supports the immune system, relieves anxiety, increases energy and can improve mental clarity. Berries can be eaten as is or mixed with other adaptogenic herbs for combating stress on the body and mind. Remember that herbs are only as good as their overall quality. You want to know where they were grown and harvested, and which part of the plant is used. Pay attention to freshness and overall quality – there can be large quality differences between quality brands and cheaper versions so don’t buy simply based on price. Let quality be your guide when working with herbal products. Always consult your specially trained medical professional before starting any herbal products, especially if pregnancy is a possibility. It is possible for herbal medications to interact with prescription and over the counter (OTC) medications and drugs, and cause undesirable interactions so let your health care provider know about any complementary and integrative health approaches you use. Do not use these products to replace conventional care or to postpone seeing a health care provider about a medical problem. Source: Truththeory.com

Tournament Committee Eric Ryan

10 Years

Jordan Mckirahan

6 Years

Gary Ledbetter

5 Years

Michelle Baron Alan Matsuda John Hunking Jerry Travis

5 Years 4 Years 3 Years 2 Years

Douglas Hotaling Paula Cline

9 Years 1 year

Ross Bugg

4 Years

Dorian Dixon

7 Years

Paul McDaniel

2 Years

Steve Cramsie

1 Year

Tonny Timmons

7 Years

Tournament Director

Assistant Tournament Director A/B Field Representative

C Field Representative

D Field Representative Women’s Field Representative Secretary Treasurer

Web Designer Head Umpire

Special Thanks

I owe so much gratitude to the Tournament Committee and Sport Coordinators for making this 10th annual Sin City Shootout Sports Festival a success. The Definition of a Volunteer is “a person who freely offers to take part in an enterprise or undertake a task” and they all have given countless hours before and during this event to make sure each of you have a spectacular time whether an athlete, fan, family or friends. I have a certain expectation and vision for our athletes as well the kind of service they deserve from a hotel. The Tropicana Las Vegas Hotel staff, not only agreed but fully embraced and even expanded on what our participants deserve in order to make your stay at the Tropicana Los Vegas an amazing one, as well as your entire trip to Las Vegas. I hope you succeeded in that and you join us next year as we continue to grow! Eric Ryan Tournament Director

SNAP. SHARE.

WIN!

GRAND PRIZE Spectacles by Snap Inc. plus 3-night stay in a Tropicana Club Suite, Dinner for Two in Biscayne or Bacio, and Laugh Factory Tickets for Two

SNAP! Take a Snapchat photo or video using the #LoveDrives Victories Sin City Shootout filter.

SHARE! Post your photo or video to Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram using #LoveDrives. Tell us what love drives you to do!

WIN! Keep posting. We’ll announce a winner for Snapchat Spectacles each day during Sin City Shootout!

Love Drives me to win big! Whatever motivates you to swim that final lap, shoot the winning basket, or score the final touchdown – these moments and experiences bring us together. Show us what inspires you, and you could win Snapchat Spectacles!

Contest is open to everyone. To qualify, the user must: 1) Post a photo or video on Snapchat using the “#LoveDrives Victories Sin City Shootout” filter*; 2) Post the photo or video from Snapchat that uses the “#LoveDrives Victories Sin City Shootout” filter to Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram and include #LoveDrives in the post. Account must be public. There is no limit to the number posts that a participant can make. Posting multiple times may or may not increase participants’ chances of winning a prize**. Posts must be dated between 5 p.m. PST January 12, 2017 and 12 a.m. PST January 17, 2017. The prize is awarded by Toyota Financial Services (TFS). The winner will selected by a representative of TFS. Limit one prize per person. Winners will be notified no later than 5 p.m. PST January 19, 2017. Snapchat is not a sponsor nor affiliated with this contest.*The “#LoveDrives Victories Sin City Shootout” filter will be available at the Sin City Shootout opening party and closing party and other select Sin City Shoutout venues. **Grand Prize: 3 night / 4 day stay in Club Suite Accommodations at Tropicana Las Vegas (valid for 1 year – excluding Sin City dates), Dinner for 2 in Biscayne Steak, Sea and Wine or Bacio ($200 Value), and Laugh Factory Tickets for 2. Other winners will receive a pair of Snapchat Spectacles.

Love Drives our greatest victories, big and small Our commitment to diversity doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop within Toyota. Across the Toyota family and in communities around the world, we admire and applaud the differences that make us unique and celebrate the love that drives us all. #LoveDrives