National Senior Games pulls bait-and-switch: Venue change to HS
The motto of the National Senior Games Association is “Long live the challenge.” Does that include scrambling to make new travel and hotel reservations? So one thinks from a surprise e-mail landing in many in-boxes this Thanksgiving Day. Addressed to “Dear Senior Athlete,” it says: “You are receiving this email because you have qualified to participate in the 2011 Summer National Senior Games presented by Humana in Track and Field. This email serves as an informational alert to a venue change for these sports. Due to circumstances beyond our control, the Houston Local Organizing Committee has been forced to move the Track and Field events, the 1500 meter Race Walk and the 1500 meter Power Walk (a demonstration event) to Turner Stadium in the Humble Independent School District, Humble, TX. We are sorry for this inconvenience, but you will be very pleased with the facilities at this championship caliber venue!” Huh? Humble is a half-hour north of Houston. Thanks? Thanks for nothing.
Track doesn't look half-bad, but organizers promised a meet in Houston.
31 Responses
I woke up to this shocking change with great disgust as I was in the process of finalizing my reservations. Things were going so well in the Houston planning up to this point.
Thanks for the picture of the track !!
This is a MUCH better place and MUCH easier to get in and out of. Runaways for the jumps are outside the stadium and all north/south and we have HUGE south winds in the summer. In addition, University of Houston is not easy to get to nor is the surrounding neighborhood very comforting. I couldn’t be happier with this upgrade, and it is a significant upgrade as this is a brand new beautiful facility.
PS – check Mapquest for Turner Stadium, Humble Texas. Google Earth showed it under construction. BTW – Exxon was originally called Humble Oil & Gas.
Ken,
I received the news yesterday also about the
change of venue.I am very disappoined about it.
I was down there for the State Senior games and
believe me, it was challenging trying to find
two stadiums at peak traffic times to compete.
And now this track is thirty minutes outside of
Houston-what kind of lodging will be available
in Humble,Tx.(not much)First,the meet was to be
at U.of Houston(ideal);then consruction woes
halted that/then rumors of Rice University(have
been there)/now that is out.I hope I don’t lose
my motivation to go as I am in good shape to
compete in Nationals and hope things look more
promising by June.
Phyllis Provost
This is also much closer to the main airport – IAH – Intercontinental.
This meet is scheduled to include the hammer throw. Any idea if there’s a hammer cage there?
Is it me; or is there NO shade ???
Under the bleachers for shade. I’ll go make a site visit over the next few days and report back.
Bubba you the man! Track/Football in Texas is huge and this stadium competes with some small colleges in the midwest, say….Berea???
Hey Bubba:Lets be fair;The neighboorhoods at Temple,UCLA AND Columbia Universities can be rough ALSO.Thats life in a BIG CITY
Ms. Provost:Mucho,a bunch,lots of hotels along Hwy59 north(Humble).Also a big shoping center and lots of restaurants.
lets see a show of hands for those who have organized, scheduled, and hired staff for major large-attendance competitions, and gotten through the process flawlessly, especially if coming to a venue for the first time….
Let’s listen to Bubba and see if this site change notification is beginning to sound good, or are you still disgruntled…..
Thank you, Peter. My Thanksgiving has been moved to Saturday, and so I have nothing better to do than to comment on this story as well.
How soon we forget that our 2009 nationals were scheduled for paradise — Clermont, Florida, to be more precise. Yes, we were all set to go to Florida and have a big ol’ vacation and do a little T&F in the bargain. What, something happened. They pulled the rug out from under us and sent us to Oshkosh instead.
Now, Oshkosh was a better facility than Clermont, but it was still a fairly late switch. Remember our 2007 indoors, I think it was. Supposed to be at the 168th St. Armory in upper Manhattan. Whoops, that one never came through.
How about Charlotte in 2006. People who were totally unprepared to compete at night ended up doing so, their other plans notwithstanding. I, personally, will never forget it. Announcing in a closed booth with deficient (unrepaired) “air conditioning.” Had to have ice placed under my shirt.
Let’s let our friend Bubba make his site visit and then we can start complaining again if we feel like it. But these things aren’t easy.
Hey Bubba! Just spoke to some friends at U of H and T.S.U,they want you STOP-BY AT NIGHT FOR A BEER SUMMIT
Ok, Panama Kid, guess I am wrong.I do hope we have
some good reports from Bubba.I’ve only been to
two national senior games and one masters’meet in
the last ten years.Maybe the “Texas”delegation of
athletes will come up with something.I live in the
Dallas area and compete in quite a few meets:but
at age 77,in charge of my destinations,and drive
myself to them; I just might need some assurances.
Phyllis Provost
If it holds true per Bubba that they get huge south winds that is bad news for the sprinters. A huge south wind will mean a huge head wind with the tracks N-S orientation. The sprints run from north at the start to the south at the finish line.
I believe Bubba lives in the Woodlands(suburb) of Houston (rich folks).Everything is going to be OK.I just did not like what HE SAID ABOUT THE U.Of H/ T.S.U.area.I had my windows to the car “busted” the first year of TX Meet in Temple-I do not believe that area is considered HIGH CRIME-Nos Vemos=See you then
I just think its great that the heads-up comes this early. The track looks great!
The University of Houston track, although very convenient for me because I live only 1 mile from the track, would have been a challenge even with a planned upgrade, because of very little shade, limited parking close to the track and it has practically no wind breaks. I live within a mile of U of H, TSU and Rice, all of which present their own unique challenges. Although, I have never visited the Humble track, I have been told by others it is a nice facilty. As stated previously, the Humble, Tx facility is closer to the IAH Airport. This location will not allow visting athletes to share the benefits of a location within the city limits of Houston. However, I’m sure the organizers will do there best to provide the best they can with their limitations. By the way Bubba and Panama, I grew up within walking distance of TSU,Rice and U of H, moved away to California for fourteen years and relocated back to Houston to the same area ten years ago and I have never been mugged! 🙂
I will drive over Saturday or Sunday. I’ve also asked my training partner, Don Curry, to fly over in his plane and check it out. He just retired and is always looking for a reason to fly. More soon.
These posts are jogging my almost age-80 memory. I was at UH 1956-1959. I did early mileage before classes. I then did Coach Morriss’ training after lunch. Coach was a famous hurdler/sprinter in the 1930s. I felt that the after-lunch workout was short, so I went to Texas Southern coach and received permission to use his track at night. There were street lights only and there were no smooth, rubber tracks. I HAD to get my 20 miles a day.smile.Would I return to run races there? Not even for money. Smartty
Horace – I grew up in Houston admiring you from a very young age. You were at Cullen and I was a decent half miler, not in your class of course, but fell in love with pole vaulting. That never stopped me or our family from following your career. My mom, who passed away in 2009, even asked for my copy of National Masters News each month where she could keep up with you and big Joe Summerlin. I say “big” because we went to school with his son, Joe. My mom would just rave that, “They broke the mold with Horace Grant. What a beautiful and effortless stride. I could watch him all day”. I agree. She saw you one day by the concession stand and told you she thought you ran a beautiful race and you said, “thank you ma’am” and smiled. You had her for life right there. “He was such a sweet young man”, she would say. Just thought 35+ years later might be a good time to share the story with you. Always pulling for you! Bubba
Hey Waller:Thanks for tthe tip in Mayaguez-IT WORKED
This looks like a football stadium to me. Where are they going to hold the javelin competition?
Back at #9 Panama I think you misrepresented UCLA. The surrounding Beverly Hills neighborhood wouldn’t want the likes of most of us sweaty individuals. Now USC is a somewhat different story. A football player was shot there in a random drive by, while he was on the practice field.
To Pete’s post……the rug was pulled out from Clermont after the debacle of the World North & Central American regional; held in 2008. It too, was a nice facility; but that’s where the nicities ended !!
Hey Andrew:Take you at your word,sounds like you live out there.I last visited all those campuses while been recruited in 1967, I ended up going to Fargo,ND
Stadium details with map link.
http://www.texasbob.com/stadium/stadium.php?id=365
Phil Godfrey and Laurence Bishop with NSGA will attend the USATF convention in Virginia Beach this weekend and give a short presentation at the Master’s Committee Meeting Saturday afternoon on the new venue – Turner Stadium in Humble, TX. We believe all of the T&F athletes will be pleased with the quality of the new venue.
Actually, this change will work out better for me. When I compete in the Houston area (I live in New Orleans, I stay with my son and his family, who live near Tomball (far northern side of Houston metorpolitan area). About 5 weeks ago, I was going to compete in the Texas State Senior Olympics and the throws were on Monday. Getting to the competition site, Barnett Stadium, in far southeast Houston by 7:30AM, as had been requested by the meet director, was really fun. 45 miles in Houston morning rush hour traffic, before dawn, was not good. The new meet site in Humble is only 20-22 miles from my son’s house (UofH is probably right at 40). However, I’m guessing there is no artificial javelin runway, since Texas high schools don’t throw the javelin. This really won’t bother me since a lot of the Senior Olympic meets in which I throw in Louisiana and adjoining states throw off grass run-ups, but it might bother those who are used to throwing off artificial surfaces. We’re waiting on Bubba Sparks’ scouting report to enlighten us on this.
Hey Herb: Reference # 19-Bubba and his friend are still fueling up and awaiting tower clearance for take off.I have been there for H.S. football and DROVE BY IN MY PINTO this past weekend
Bummer. This is a high school football stadium. Hardly a worthy site for a national meet. According to Mr. Sparks, “Runaways for the jumps are outside the stadium and all north/south and we have HUGE south winds in the summer.”
The National Senior Games have a bad reputation for refusing to provide a timely meet schedule as well as scheduling events (such as the 100m/200m/400m) almost back to back. Odds are some jumping events OUTSIDE the stadium will conflict with running events INSIDE the stadium. Good luck trying to double up.
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