The Empire State Games are a set of annual Olympic

Olympic Games

The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...

-style competitions for amateur

Amateur

An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....

 athletes from the state of New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

, encompassing several divisions and allowing athletes of all ages to compete. It was a member of the National Congress of State Games

National Congress of State Games

The National Congress of State Games is a nonprofit organization consisting of 31 Summer State Games and 10 Winter State Games. It is part of the United States Olympic Committee and organizes the State Games of America, an Olympic-style multi-sport event in which athletes who have won a medal in...

. The Games consisted of a number of competitions:

Summer Games (often referred to as the Empire State Games, typically held in late July)

Winter Games (held at Lake Placid, New York in February)

Games for the Physically Challenged (similar to the Paralympics)

Senior Games (specificially for athletes age 50 and older)

In 2009 and 2011, the Games were cancelled due to a lack of funding from the state of New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

.

History

The first Empire State Games took place at Syracuse University

Syracuse University

Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...

 in 1978, the first State Games to be held in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. With the success of the first 1978 games, the Empire State Games have sparked the creation of other State Games across the country. Before their cancellation, the Empire State Games were the largest state-supported amateur athletic competition in the nation.

The Games are a program of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, is a multi-sport event for amateur athletes, patterned after the Olympic program. Athletes must be residents of the State of New York. Following competition (Regional Trials)participents from two divisions: scholastic and open, representing six regions: Hudson Valley, Long Island, New York City, Adirondack, Central and Western. Some 6,000 winners will participate in finals competition.

The Empire State Games competition was a member of the National Congress of State Games, and was a recognized State Games Program of the United States Olympic Committee

United States Olympic Committee

The United States Olympic Committee is a non-profit organization that serves as the National Olympic Committee and National Paralympic Committee for the United States and coordinates the relationship between the United States Anti-Doping Agency and the World Anti-Doping Agency and various...

.

The 2008 Empire State Games took place from July 23 through July 27, 2008 in Binghamton

Binghamton, New York

Binghamton is a city in the Southern Tier of New York in the United States. It is near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers...

. The 2009 Empire State Games were cancelled. In 2010 the games were revived and held from July 21 through July 25, 2010 in Buffalo, New York.

Due to a lack of state funding, the 2011 games were discontinued on November 17, 2010. The community of Lake Placid was able to save the winter games

Regions

New York State is divided into six regions for the Empire State Games, and each region fields its own athletic teams through tryouts before the Games begin.

• Adirondack Region
  • Counties: Albany
    Albany County, New York
    Albany County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, and is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The name is from the title of the Duke of York and Albany, who became James II of England . As of the 2010 census, the population was 304,204...
    
    , Clinton
    Clinton County, New York
    Clinton County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 82,128. Its name is in honor of the first Governor of New York as a state, George Clinton. Its county seat is Plattsburgh.-History:...
    
    , Columbia
    Columbia County, New York
    Columbia County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 63,096. The county seat is Hudson. The name comes from the Latin feminine form of the name of Christopher Columbus, which was at the time of the formation of the county a popular proposal...
    
    , Essex
    Essex County, New York
    Essex County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 39,370. Its name is from the English county of Essex. Its county seat is Elizabethtown...
    
    , Franklin
    Franklin County, New York
    Franklin County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 51,599. It is named in honor of American Founding Father Benjamin Franklin...
    
    , Fulton
    Fulton County, New York
    Fulton County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 55,531. Its name is in honor of Robert Fulton, who is widely credited with developing the first commercially successful steamboat...
    
    , Greene
    Greene County, New York
    Greene County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Its name is in honor of the American Revolutionary War general Nathanael Greene. Its county seat is Catskill...
    
    , Hamilton
    Hamilton County, New York
    Hamilton County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is named after Alexander Hamilton, the only member of the New York State delegation who signed the United States Constitution in 1787 and later the first United States Secretary of the Treasury. Its county seat is Lake Pleasant...
    
    , Montgomery
    Montgomery County, New York
    As of the census of 2000, there were 49,708 people, 20,038 households, and 13,104 families residing in the county. The population density was 123 people per square mile . There were 22,522 housing units at an average density of 56 per square mile...
    
    , Saratoga
    Saratoga County, New York
    Saratoga County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 219,607. It is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county seat is Ballston Spa...
    
    , Schoharie
    Schoharie County, New York
    As of the census of 2000, there were 31,582 people, 11,991 households and 8,177 families residing in the county. The population density was 51 people per square mile . There were 15,915 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile...
    
    , Schenectady
    Schenectady County, New York
    Schenectady County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 154,727. It is part of the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county seat is Schenectady. The name is from a Mohawk Indian word meaning "on the other side of the...
    
    , St. Lawrence
    St. Lawrence County, New York
    St. Lawrence County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 111,944. The county seat is Canton. The county is named for the Saint Lawrence River, which in turn was named for the Catholic saint on whose Feast day the river was discovered by...
    
    , Rensselaer
    Rensselaer County, New York
    Rensselaer County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 159,429. Its name is in honor of the family of Kiliaen van Rensselaer, the original Dutch owner of the land in the area. Its county seat is Troy...
    
    , Warren
    Warren County, New York
    Warren County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Glens Falls, New York, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 65,707. It is named in honor of General Joseph Warren, an American Revolutionary War hero of the Battle of Bunker Hill...
    
    , Washington
    Washington County, New York
    Washington County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Glens Falls, New York, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 63,216. It was named for the Revolutionary War general George Washington...
    
    
  • Cities: Albany
    Albany, New York
    Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
    
    , Glens Falls
    Glens Falls, New York
    Glens Falls is a city in Warren County, New York, United States. Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 14,700 at the 2010 census...
    
    , Plattsburgh, Schenectady
    Schenectady, New York
    Schenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135...
    
    , Troy
    Troy, New York
    Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...
    
    
  • Uniform color: Yellow and Blue

• Central Region
  • Counties: Broome
    Broome County, New York
    Broome County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 200,600. It was named in honor of John Broome, who was lieutenant governor in 1806 when Broome County was established. Its county seat is Binghamton, which is also its major city. The current...
    
    , Cayuga
    Cayuga County, New York
    Cayuga County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It was named for one of the tribes of Indians in the Iroquois Confederation. Its county seat is Auburn.- History :...
    
    , Chemung
    Chemung County, New York
    Chemung County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the 'Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses all of Chemung County. As of the 2010 census, the population was 88,830. Its name is derived from the name of a Delaware Indian village . Its...
    
    , Chenango
    Chenango County, New York
    Chenango County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 50,477. The county's name originates from an Oneida word meaning "large bull-thistle." Its county seat is Norwich.-History:...
    
    , Cortland
    Cortland County, New York
    Cortland County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, named after Federico Van Cortlandt, president of the convention at Kingston that wrote the first New York State Constitution in 1777, and first lieutenant governor of the state. The county seat is Cortland...
    
    , Delaware
    Delaware County, New York
    Delaware County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of 2010 the population was 47,980. The county seat is Delhi. It is named after the Delaware River, which was named in honor of Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr, appointed governor of Virginia in 1609.-History:When counties...
    
    , Herkimer
    Herkimer County, New York
    Herkimer County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It was created in 1791 north of the Mohawk River out of part of Montgomery County. As of the 2010 census, the population was 64,519. It is named after General Nicholas Herkimer, who died from battle wounds in 1777 after taking part...
    
    , Jefferson
    Jefferson County, New York
    Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 116,229. It is named after Thomas Jefferson, third President of the United States of America, and president at the time the county was created in 1805...
    
    , Lewis
    Lewis County, New York
    As of the census of 2000, there were 26,944 people, 10,040 households, and 7,309 families residing in the county. The population density was 21 people per square mile . There were 15,134 housing units at an average density of 12 per square mile...
    
    , Madison
    Madison County, New York
    Madison County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 73,442. It is named after James Madison, fourth President of the United States of America...
    
    , Oneida
    Oneida County, New York
    Oneida County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 234,878. The county seat is Utica. The name is in honor of the Oneida, an Iroquoian tribe that formerly occupied the region....
    
    , Onondaga
    Onondaga County, New York
    Onondaga County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 467,026. The county seat is Syracuse.Onondaga County is part of the Syracuse, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area....
    
    , Oswego
    Oswego County, New York
    Oswego County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 Census, the estimated population was 122,109. The City of Oswego and the Village of Pulaski serve as the dual county seats in a two shire system of government...
    
    , Otsego
    Otsego County, New York
    Otsego County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. The 2010 population was 62,259. The county seat is Cooperstown. The name Otsego is from a Mohawk word meaning "place of the rock."-History:...
    
    , Schuyler
    Schuyler County, New York
    As of the census of 2000, there were 19,224 people, 7,374 households, and 5,191 families residing in the county. The population density was 58 people per square mile . There were 9,181 housing units at an average density of 28 per square mile...
    
    , Tioga
    Tioga County, New York
    As of the census of 2010, there were 51,125 people residing in the county, with 22,203 housing units, of these 20,350 occupied, 1,853 vacant. The population density was 98 people per square mile...
    
    , Tompkins
    Tompkins County, New York
    Tompkins County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, and comprises the whole of the Ithaca metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 101,564. The county seat is Ithaca, and the county is home to Cornell University, Ithaca College and Tompkins Cortland Community...
    
    
  • Cities: Binghamton
    Binghamton, New York
    Binghamton is a city in the Southern Tier of New York in the United States. It is near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers...
    
    , Elmira
    Elmira, New York
    Elmira is a city in Chemung County, New York, USA. It is the principal city of the 'Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses Chemung County, New York. The population was 29,200 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Chemung County.The City of Elmira is located in...
    
    , Ithaca
    Ithaca, New York
    The city of Ithaca, is a city in upstate New York and the county seat of Tompkins County, as well as the largest community in the Ithaca-Tompkins County metropolitan area...
    
    , Oswego
    Oswego, New York
    Oswego is a city in Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 18,142 at the 2010 census. Oswego is located on Lake Ontario in north-central New York and promotes itself as "The Port City of Central New York"...
    
    , Rome
    Rome, New York
    Rome is a city in Oneida County, New York, United States. It is located in north-central or "upstate" New York. The population was 44,797 at the 2010 census. It is in New York's 24th congressional district. In 1758, British forces began construction of Fort Stanwix at this strategic location, but...
    
    , Syracuse
    Syracuse, New York
    Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
    
    , Utica
    Utica, New York
    Utica is a city in and the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 62,235 at the 2010 census, an increase of 2.6% from the 2000 census....
    
    
  • Uniform color: Light Blue and Blue

• Hudson Valley Region
  • Counties: Dutchess
    Dutchess County, New York
    Dutchess County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, in the state's Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley. The 2010 census lists the population as 297,488...
    
    , Orange
    Orange County, New York
    Orange County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located at the northern reaches of the New York metropolitan area. The county sits in the state's scenic Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley...
    
    , Putnam
    Putnam County, New York
    Putnam County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, in the lower Hudson River Valley. Putnam county formed in 1812, when it detached from Dutchess County. , the population was 99,710. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. The county seat is the hamlet of Carmel...
    
    , Rockland
    Rockland County, New York
    Rockland County is a suburban county 15 miles to the northwest of Manhattan and part of the New York City Metropolitan Area, in the U.S. state of New York. It is the southernmost county in New York west of the Hudson River, and the smallest county in New York outside of New York City. The...
    
    , Sullivan
    Sullivan County, New York
    Sullivan County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 77,547. The county seat is Monticello. The name is in honor of Major General John Sullivan, who was a hero in the American Revolutionary War...
    
    , Ulster
    Ulster County, New York
    Ulster County is a county located in the state of New York, USA. It sits in the state's Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 182,493. Recent population estimates completed by the United States Census Bureau for the 12-month period ending July 1 are at...
    
    , Westchester
    Westchester County, New York
    Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...
    
    
  • Cities:Yonkers, Mount Vernon, Middletown
    Middletown, Orange County, New York
    Middletown is a city in Orange County, New York, United States. It lies in New York's Hudson Valley region, near the Wallkill River and the foothills of the Shawangunk Mountains. Middletown is situated between Port Jervis and Newburgh, New York. The city's population was 25,388 at the 2000 census...
    
    , Newburgh, Poughkeepsie
    Poughkeepsie (city), New York
    Poughkeepsie is a city in the state of New York, United States, which serves as the county seat of Dutchess County. Poughkeepsie is located in the Hudson River Valley midway between New York City and Albany...
    
    , White Plains, New Rochelle
  • Uniform colors: Green and Yellow

• Long Island Region
  • Counties: Nassau
    Nassau County, New York
    Nassau County is a suburban county on Long Island, east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,339,532...
    
    , Suffolk
    Suffolk County, New York
    Suffolk County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York on the eastern portion of Long Island. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,493,350. It was named for the county of Suffolk in England, from which its earliest settlers came...
    
    
  • Uniform colors: Gray and Red

• New York City Region
  • Counties: Bronx, Kings (Brooklyn), New York (Manhattan), Queens, Richmond (Staten Island)
  • City: New York City
    New York City
    New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
    
    
  • Uniform color: Orange and Blue

• Western Region
  • Counties: Allegany
    Allegany County, New York
    Allegany County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 48,946. Its name derives from a Delaware Indian word, applied by settlers of Western New York State to a trail that followed the Allegheny River. Its county seat is...
    
    , Cattaraugus
    Cattaraugus County, New York
    Cattaraugus County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 80,317. The county seat is Little Valley.-History:...
    
    , Chautauqua
    Chautauqua County, New York
    -Major highways:* Interstate 86/New York State Route 17 * Interstate 90 * U.S. Route 20* U.S. Route 62* New York State Route 5* New York State Route 39* New York State Route 60* New York State Route 394...
    
    , Erie
    Erie County, New York
    Erie County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 919,040. The county seat is Buffalo. The county's name comes from Lake Erie, which in turn comes from the Erie tribe of American Indians who lived south and east of the lake before 1654.Erie...
    
    , Genesee
    Genesee County, New York
    Genesee County is a county located in Western New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 60,079. Its name is from the Seneca Indian word Gen-nis'-hee-yo meaning "The Beautiful Valley." Its county seat is Batavia.- History :...
    
    , Livingston
    Livingston County, New York
    As of the census of 2000, there were 64,328 people, 22,150 households, and 15,349 families residing in the county. The population density was 102 people per square mile . There were 24,023 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile...
    
    , Monroe
    Monroe County, New York
    Monroe County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 744,344. It is named after James Monroe, fifth President of the United States of America. Its county seat is the city of Rochester....
    
    , Niagara
    Niagara County, New York
    Niagara County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 216,469. The county seat is Lockport. The county name is from the Iroquois word Onguiaahra; meaning the strait or thunder of waters. It is the location of Niagara Falls and Fort Niagara, and...
    
    , Ontario
    Ontario County, New York
    As of the census of 2000, there were 100,224 people, 38,370 households, and 26,360 families residing in the county. The population density was 156 people per square mile . There were 42,647 housing units at an average density of 66 per square mile...
    
    , Orleans
    Orleans County, New York
    As of the census of 2000, there were 44,171 people, 15,363 households, and 10,846 families residing in the county. The population density was 113 people per square mile . There were 17,347 housing units at an average density of 44 per square mile...
    
    , Seneca
    Seneca County, New York
    As of the census of 2000, there were 33,342 people, 12,630 households, and 8,626 families residing in the county. The population density was 103 people per square mile . There were 14,794 housing units at an average density of 46 per square mile...
    
    , Steuben
    Steuben County, New York
    Steuben County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 98,990. Its name is in honor of Baron von Steuben, a German general who fought on the American side in the American Revolutionary War, though it is not pronounced the same...
    
    , Wayne
    Wayne County, New York
    Wayne County is a county located in the US state of New York. It is part of the Rochester, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area and lies on the south shore of Lake Ontario, forming part of the northern border of the United States with Canada. The name honors General Anthony Wayne, an American...
    
    , Wyoming
    Wyoming County, New York
    Wyoming County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. At the 2010 census, the population was 42,155. The county seat is Warsaw. The name is from a modified Delaware Indian word meaning "broad bottom lands"...
    
    , Yates
    Yates County, New York
    Yates County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 25,348. The county seat is Penn Yan. The name is in honor of Joseph C. Yates, who as Governor of New York signed the act establishing the county....
    
    
  • Cities: Buffalo
    Buffalo, New York
    Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
    
    , Corning
    Corning (city), New York
    Corning is a city in Steuben County, New York, United States, on the Chemung River. The population was 10,842 at the 2000 census. It is named for Erastus Corning, an Albany financier and railroad executive who was an investor in the company that developed the community.- Overview :The city of...
    
    , Niagara Falls
    Niagara Falls, New York
    Niagara Falls is a city in Niagara County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 50,193, down from the 55,593 recorded in the 2000 census. It is across the Niagara River from Niagara Falls, Ontario , both named after the famed Niagara Falls which they...
    
    , Rochester
    Rochester, New York
    Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
    
    
  • Uniform color: Navy Blue and Red

Summer Games

There are three divisions in the Summer Empire State Games: open, scholastic, and masters. The scholastic division is for NYS residents that are 17 or younger as of August 31 of the Games year. Some scholastic division sports have a minimum age of 13 years. The open division is for NYS residents that are 18 years of age or older as of August 31 of the Games year. The masters division consitis of 11 different sports and their age qualifications vary by sport.

Open & Scholastic Divisions

Open and Scholastic Events:

• Archery
  Archery
  Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
  
  
• Basketball
  Basketball
  Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
  
  
• Diving
  Diving
  Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
  
  
• Fencing
  Fencing
  Fencing, which is also known as modern fencing to distinguish it from historical fencing, is a family of combat sports using bladed weapons.Fencing is one of four sports which have been featured at every one of the modern Olympic Games...
  
  

• Gymnastics
  Gymnastics
  Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
  
  
• Rowing
  Sport rowing
  Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
  
  
• Shooting
  Shooting
  Shooting is the act or process of firing rifles, shotguns or other projectile weapons such as bows or crossbows. Even the firing of artillery, rockets and missiles can be called shooting. A person who specializes in shooting is a marksman...
  
  
• Soccer

• Swimming
  Swimming (sport)
  Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
  
  
• Track and Field
  Track and field
  Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
  
  
• Volleyball
  Volleyball
  Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
  
  
• Wrestling
  Wrestling
  Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
  
  

Open only:

• Boxing
  Boxing
  Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
  
  
• Bowling
  Bowling
  Bowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
  
  
• Cycling
  Cycling
  Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
  
  

• Canoeing
  Canoeing
  Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....
  
  
• Kayaking
  Kayaking
  Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving across water. Kayaking and canoeing are also known as paddling. Kayaking is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle...
  
  
• Sailing
  Sailing
  Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
  
  

• Judo
  Judo
  is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
  
  
• Softball
  Softball
  Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
  
  
• Weightlifting
• Synchronized swimming
  Synchronized swimming
  Synchronized swImming is a hybrid form of swimming, dance and gymnastics, consisting of swimmers performing a synchronized routine of elaborate moves in the water, accompanied by music....
  
  

Scholastic only:

• Baseball
  Baseball
  Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
  
  
• Field hockey
  Field hockey
  Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
  
  

• Ice hockey
  Ice hockey
  Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
  
  
• Lacrosse
  Lacrosse
  Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
  
  

• Tennis
  Tennis
  Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
  
  

Masters Division

The Masters division competes separately from the open and scholastic divisions, but has many of the same events.

• Archery
• Bowling
• Canoeing
• Cycling

• Diving
• Fencing
• Golf
  Golf
  Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
  
  
• Gymnastics

• Rugby
  Rugby football
  Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
  
  
• Swimming
• Volleyball

Host Cities

Year	City	Region
1978	Syracuse	Central
1979	Syracuse	Central
1980	Syracuse	Central
1981	Syracuse	Central
1982	Syracuse	Central
1983	Syracuse	Central
1984	Syracuse	Central
1985	Buffalo	Western
1986	Buffalo	Western
1987	Syracuse	Central
1988	Syracuse	Central
1989	Ithaca	Central
1990	Syracuse	Central
1991	Albany	Adirondack
1992	Albany	Adirondack
1993	Rochester	Western
1994	Syracuse	Central
1995	Ithaca	Central
1996	Buffalo	Western
1997	Capital District Capital District New York's Capital District, also known as the Capital Region, is a region in upstate New York that generally refers to the four counties surrounding Albany, the capital of the state: Albany County, Schenectady County, Rensselaer County, and Saratoga County...	Adirondack
1998	Rochester	Western
1999	Long Island	Long Island
2000	Binghamton	Central
2001	Mohawk Valley	Central
2002	Syracuse	Central
2003	Buffalo	Western
2004	Binghamton	Central
2005	New Paltz	Hudson Valley
2006	Rochester	Western
2007	Westchester County	Hudson Valley
2008	Binghamton	Central
2009	(Event Suspended)
2010	Buffalo	Western
2011	(Event Cancelled)

Syracuse

Syracuse, New York

Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...

 played host to the first seven of the games, and in total has hosted the Empire State Games 12 times. Other cities hosting multiple times include Buffalo (4 times), Albany (3 times), Binghamton (3 times), Rochester (3 times), and Ithaca (2 times).

Winter Games

The Empire State Winter Games are held annually in Lake Placid

Lake Placid, New York

Lake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 2,638....

 in the month of February. Most of the events take place at the venues of the 1980 winter olympic games.

Events

• Alpine skiing
  Alpine skiing
  Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
  
  
• Snowboarding
  Snowboarding
  Snowboarding is a sport that involves descending a slope that is covered with snow on a snowboard attached to a rider's feet using a special boot set onto mounted binding. The development of snowboarding was inspired by skateboarding, sledding, surfing and skiing. It was developed in the U.S.A...
  
  
• Ski Cross
• Boarder Cross
• Biathlon
  Biathlon
  Biathlon is a term used to describe any sporting event made up of two disciplines. However, biathlon usually refers specifically to the winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting...
  
  

• Bobsled
• Cross-country skiing
  Cross-country skiing
  Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
  
  
• Figure skating
  Figure skating
  Figure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice skates. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions...
  
  
• Ice hockey
  Ice hockey
  Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
  
   (women only)
• Luge
  Luge
  A Luge is a small one- or two-person sled on which one sleds supine and feet-first. Steering is done by flexing the sled's runners with the calf of each leg or exerting opposite shoulder pressure to the seat. Racing sleds weigh 21-25 kilograms for singles and 25-30 kilograms for doubles. Luge...
  
  

• Short track speed skating
  Short track speed skating
  Short track speed skating is a form of competitive ice speed skating. In competitions, multiple skaters skate on an oval ice track with a circumference of 111.12 m...
  
  
• Skeleton
  Skeleton (sport)
  Skeleton is a fast winter sliding sport in which an individual person rides a small sled down a frozen track while lying face down, during which athletes experience forces up to 5g. It originated in St. Moritz, Switzerland as a spin-off from the popular British sport of Cresta Sledding...
  
  
• Ski jumping
  Ski jumping
  Ski jumping is a sport in which skiers go down a take-off ramp, jump and attempt to land as far as possible down the hill below. In addition to the length of the jump, judges give points for style. The skis used for ski jumping are wide and long...
  
  
• Ski orienteering
  Orienteering
  Orienteering is a family of sports that requires navigational skills using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain, and normally moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a specially prepared orienteering map, which they...
  
  
• Snowshoe racing
• Speed skating
  Speed skating
  Speed skating, or speedskating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in traveling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skating...
  
  

Games for the Physically Challenged

The Empire State Games for the Physically Challenged is open to athletes between the ages of 5 and 21 in the following divisions: visually impaired, blind

Blindness

Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...

, hearing impaired, deaf, spinal cord injury

Spinal cord injury

A spinal cord injury refers to any injury to the spinal cord that is caused by trauma instead of disease. Depending on where the spinal cord and nerve roots are damaged, the symptoms can vary widely, from pain to paralysis to incontinence...

, amputee, cerebral palsy

Cerebral palsy

Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions that cause physical disability in human development, chiefly in the various areas of body movement....

, and Les Autres (which includes conditions such as muscular dystrophy

Muscular dystrophy

Muscular dystrophy is a group of muscle diseases that weaken the musculoskeletal system and hamper locomotion. Muscular dystrophies are characterized by progressive skeletal muscle weakness, defects in muscle proteins, and the death of muscle cells and tissue.In the 1860s, descriptions of boys who...

, dwarfism

Dwarfism

Dwarfism is short stature resulting from a medical condition. It is sometimes defined as an adult height of less than 4 feet 10 inches  , although this definition is problematic because short stature in itself is not a disorder....

, and arthritis

Arthritis

Arthritis is a form of joint disorder that involves inflammation of one or more joints....

, among others).

Events

• Archery
• Slalom obstacle course
  Obstacle course
  An obstacle course is a series of challenging physical obstacles an individual or team must navigate usually while being timed. Obstacle courses can include running, climbing, jumping, crawling, swimming, and balancing elements with the aim of testing speed and endurance. Sometimes a course...
  
  

• Swimming
• Table tennis

• Track and Field
• Wheelchair racing
  Wheelchair racing
  Wheelchair racing is the racing of wheelchairs in track and road races. Wheelchair racing is open to athletes with any qualifying type of disability, amputees, spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy and partially sighted . Athletes are classified in accordance with the nature and severity of their...
  
  

Notable Empire State Games Athletes

Alpine Skiing

• Diann Roffe
  Diann Roffe
  Diann Roffe, also known as Diann Roffe-Steinrotter is an American alpine skier who learned to ski at tiny Brantling Ski Center near Rochester, yet reached the pinnacle of her sport, winning an Olympic Gold Medal at the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics.-Career highlights:*1985 World Championships in...
  
  , Western

----

Baseball

• Andy Van Slyke
  Andy Van Slyke
  Andrew James Van Slyke is a retired Major League Baseball outfielder and former first base coach for the Detroit Tigers.-Career:...
  
  , Central

----

Basketball

• Kenny Anderson
  Kenny Anderson
  Kenneth "Kenny" Anderson is a retired American basketball player. After a college career at Georgia Institute of Technology, he played point guard professionally from 1991 to 2006, mostly in the National Basketball Association....
  
  , New York City
• Ron Artest
  Ron Artest
  Metta World Peace is an American professional basketball player and rapper who is currently with the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA. World Peace gained a reputation as one of the league's premier defenders as he won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2004...
  
  , New York City, 1997–1998
• Walter Berry, New York City
• Sue Bird
  Sue Bird
  Suzanne Brigit "Sue" Bird is an American professional women's basketball player for the Seattle Storm and WBC Spartak Moscow Region....
  
  , Long Island
• Elton Brand
  Elton Brand
  Elton Tyron Brand is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association...
  
  , Hudson Valley, 1997
• Rick Carlisle
  Rick Carlisle
  Richard Preston Carlisle is the head coach of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks. He has also coached the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons, and was previously a player in the NBA. He is also one of the only 11 people to win an NBA championship both as a player and as a coach.-Playing career:Carlisle...
  
  , Adirondack
• Christian Laettner
  Christian Laettner
  Christian Donald Laettner is a retired American professional basketball player and entrepreneur. He had a distinguished college and national career, and played in the National Basketball Association for thirteen seasons, from 1992–2005. He is presently a minority holder for the Major League...
  
  , Western
• Chris Mullin
  Chris Mullin (basketball)
  Christopher Paul Mullin is a retired American basketball player and former general manager of the NBA's Golden State Warriors. He has also been elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame....
  
  , New York City
• Sam Perkins
  Sam Perkins
  Samuel Perkins is a retired American professional basketball player, also known by the nicknames "Sleepy Sam" and "Big Smooth." He attended Samuel J. Tilden High School, Shaker High School and the University of North Carolina, where he was a teammate of Michael Jordan...
  
  , New York City
• Wally Szczerbiak
  Wally Szczerbiak
  Walter Robert "Wally" Szczerbiak is an American former professional basketball player.-Early life:Szczerbiak was born in Madrid, Spain, while his father Walter was playing for Real Madrid, and spent much of his childhood in Europe during his father's playing career...
  
  , Long Island, 1997
• Dwayne Washington
  Dwayne Washington
  Dwayne Alonzo Washington is a retired American college basketball star and professional player from 1986-1989. His nickname was "Pearl"...
  
  , New York City

----

Boxing

• Michael Bentt
  Michael Bentt
  Michael A. Bentt is a film and television actor and retired heavyweight boxer. Of Jamaican lineage, he was born in East Dulwich, London, but raised in the Cambria Heights section of Queens in New York City...
  
  ,New York City
• Hector Camacho
  Héctor Camacho
  Héctor Camacho , nicknamed "Macho Camacho", is a Puerto Rican professional boxer. His son, Héctor Camacho Jr., is also a boxer.- Early life and amateur career :...
  
  , New York City
• Joe Mesi
  Joe Mesi
  "Baby" Joe Mesi is an American boxer and politician from Tonawanda, New York. He is a registered member of the Democratic Party.- Early life :...
  
  , Western
• Mike Tyson
  Mike Tyson
  Michael Gerard "Mike" Tyson is a retired American boxer. Tyson is a former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles, he was 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old...
  
  , New York City
• Hasim Rahman
  Hasim Rahman
  Hasim Sharif Rahman is an American professional boxer. Rahman is the former Lineal, WBC, IBO, & IBF heavyweight champion...
  
  

----

Cycling

• Mike McCarthy
  Mike McCarthy
  Michael John "Mike" McCarthy is a professional American football coach, currently serving as the head coach of the National Football League's Green Bay Packers.-Early life:McCarthy was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
  
  , New York City
• George Hincapie
  George Hincapie
  George Hincapié Garcés is an American professional road bicycle racer currently riding for UCI ProTeam . Hincapie resides in Greenville, South Carolina...
  
  , Long Island

----

Fencing

• Glen C. Moore, Western, NY

----

Field Hockey

• Tracey Fuchs
  Tracey Fuchs
  Tracey Claire Fuchs is a former field hockey midfielder from the United States, who was a member of the US women's team that finished fifth at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. She also competed in the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, where Team USA finished in eighth and last position...
  
  , Long Island

----

Ice Hockey

• Christopher Higgins
  Christopher Higgins
  Christopher Higgins is an American professional ice hockey winger with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . While playing college hockey, he was selected 14th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft...
  
  , Long Island, 2000–2001
• Todd Marchant
  Todd Marchant
  Todd Marchant is a retired American professional ice hockey player who played 17 seasons in the National Hockey League . He played nine seasons with the Edmonton Oilers and almost six seasons with the Anaheim Ducks, along with just over a season with the Columbus Blue Jackets and a game with the...
  
  , Western
• Matt Murley
  Matt Murley
  Matt Murley is an American professional ice hockey forward who currently plays for Timrå IK of the Swedish Elite League.-Playing career:...
  
  , Central, 1997

Rob Schremp, Central, 2000
Dustin Brown, Central, 2000

• Lyndsay Wall
  Lyndsay Wall
  Lyndsay Wall is an American ice hockey player. She won a silver medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics and a bronze medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics....
  
  , Western, 2001
• Colin Reilly, Hudson Valley, 2010

----

Lacrosse

• Matthew Landis, Hudson Valley, 2010

----

Shooting

• Sandra Fong, Long Island
• Thrine Kane, Long Island
• Jimmie Perrin, Western, 1995–2010
• Thomas White
  Thomas White
  -Politicians:* Thomas White, Jr., New York politician* Thomas White , mayor of San Jose, California from 1851 to 1854* Thomas White , Canadian politician...
  
  , Hudson Valley, 1978–2010

----

Skeleton

• Jimmy Shea
  Jimmy Shea
  James Edmound Shea, Jr. is a retired American skeleton racer who won the Gold medal in dramatic fashion at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Shea also was chosen by fellow athletes to recite the Athlete's Oath during the Opening Ceremonies and along with his father, Jim Shea Sr., passed...
  
  , Adirondack

----

Soccer

• Jerrod Laventure
  Jerrod Laventure
  Jerrod Laventure is an American-born Haitian footballer currently playing for Jersey Express in the USL Premier Development League.-College:...
  
  , Long Island

----

Swimming

• Kara Lynn Joyce
  Kara Lynn Joyce
  Kara Lynn Joyce is an American swimmer and four-time Olympic silver medalist.-High school career:...
  
  , Western

----

Wrestling

• Jeff Blatnick
  Jeff Blatnick
  Jeff Blatnick is a former American Super Heavyweight Greco-Roman wrestler and sports commentator. He won NCAA Division II heavyweight wrestling championships in 1978 and 1979 and an Olympic gold in 1984. As a commentator, Blatnick worked UFC 4 through UFC 32 for the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
  
  , Adirondack

External links

• Empire State Winter Games
• Lake Placid, NY Official Site