The new executive at Team Sydney, headed by co-presidents Michelle Packett and Paul Long, will keep the organisation growing and developing over the coming year. Running Team Sydney is no small task, let us tell you.

Team Sydney has a constituency of individuals and sports clubs who need regularly to see that Team Sydney is relevant to them. Not every sporty soul in Sydney is a member of Team Sydney, either, and no doubt some people don’t even know that there is such a thing as Team Sydney. It will always be so, surely. So, aside from the no-small-task of producing this magazine, what does Team Sydney do?

For starters, Team Sydney grew out of the organisation which developed to send Sydney’s delegation to the early Gay Games in San Francisco and Vancouver. Sending Gay Games teams is still a major part of what we do.

Membership in the Federation of Gay Games itself is an important aspect of Team Sydney’s activities nowadays. Our delegate to the Federation, Richard Hogan has just taken on the very important position of Co-Chair of the Site Selection Committee, which will oversee the process of selecting the host for Gay Games VII. Sydney will next host the Federation’s annual meeting in November 2000.

Team Sydney also organises the annual sports festival contained within the Mardi Gras Festival. This is as much a coordination and facilitation role as anything else, because most events in the festival are organised by Team Sydney’s member clubs. Still, there is a lot of work to be done scheduling, organising the Sports Festival page in the Mardi Gras Festival Guide, doing radio and print promotions, organising the opening softball day and several other events, and simply bringing the event together. All this is done, of course, on a shoestring budget.

Team Sydney also communicates with the other capital city teams: Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth, as well as Gay Sport New Zealand, the Kiwis’ national organisation. Together we schedule the Australian Gaymes, and are developing standards and ‘required’ sports for the Gaymes, as well as exploring whether some form of national body would be beneficial for Australia’s queer sportspeople. A consensus for these sorts of things can take some time to develop, and Team Sydney is mindful not to use its greater size to impose itself on the interstate Teams.

Team Sydney, of course, initiated the successful bid for Gay Games VI, and continues to exercise an oversight role.

Team Sydney, finally, also provides a focal point for gay and lesbian sports people and sports clubs. No individual sports club would have been in a position to make a Gay Games bid, for example. Team Sydney takes advantage of this to advocate for gay and lesbian sport in general in the press, on radio and in its own publication, WarmUp, which is growing from strength to strength.

There are two main bodies within Team Sydney working for the members, the board of directors and the Sports Council. The Sports Council was developed in 1998 as part of an initiative to involve sports clubs directly in Team Sydney decision making.

Each member club - and there are now eleven - sends a delegate to the Sports Council. The Sports Council directly oversees Team Sydney’s Mardi Gras Sports Festival, and serves as a communications link between individual clubs, and between the clubs and Team Sydney. The Sports Council has been operating for just a little over a year now and we all expect its role, membership and modus operandi to evolve quite a bit in the coming years.

Most other activities - from making decisions to bid for Gay Games to approving the annual report - are the province of the board of directors, half of whose members are drawn from the Sports Council.

For an all volunteer organisation, that’s quite a lot! Want to help out? Then find the contact list on page 19. See you soon!

The POOFTA Touch football group were immortalised in the Sydney Morning Herald last month when sportswriter Peter Fitzsimons was highlighting the apparent lack of visible gay rugby and football teams. He was making the point that there are many gay football players, and ‘tongue in cheek’ asking why gays had not formed a team to take on the rest of the footy playing world.

To his credit he was aware of the POOFTA touchfootball team and the free publicity and mainstream coverage is a nice pat on the back for gay and lesbian sport in Sydney.

The POOFTA touchfootball players are planning sweet revenge on the mainstream footy world with their planned entry for the 1999 Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade.

A ten foot high replica of the Winfield Cup will have two boys in gold body paint posing as the trophy. But our trophy will do things the original never did.

If you’d like to become involved, get more information about IGLBBA or receive details about helping us for the 2002 GAY GAMES, our email address is glbodybuilding@hotmail.com or call 0412 209 469.

For those who wish to ride in someone else’s vehicle I will require: Your name and telephone number - E-mail address if you have one- date(s) available to depart - date(s) available to return - sport (if participating).

From those who will be driving and who will have a spare seat I will need the following information: Date and time of departure from Sydney - number of seats available - approximate cost per person (% of fuel or flat rate) - date and time of departure from Brisbane - sport (if participating) -your name and telephone number - E-mail address if you have one.

From the time you arrive at our registration centre to the last glimpse of the Brisbane as your train, plane, bus or car leaves for home, we guarantee an event to completely entertain.

To kick off we have been working on allocating tasks within the board, streamlining existing communication strategies and writing new ones, gearing up for the Team Sydney Mardi Gras Sports Festival, pulling together another brilliant issue of Warm-Up, winding up our Amsterdam Gay Games activities, sending our delegate over to Seattle to attend the FGG meeting, working on projects with the 2002 board, etc, etc!! We would both like to extend our thanks to the previous board for their dedication and commitment to providing Team Sydney with a firm foundation and high profile with which to build upon over the next term. We would also like to welcome the new Directors and say that we are equally excited at the prospect of working with everyone.

Communication, solidifying our position and raising Team Sydney’s profile will be the name of the game over the next term, so you can expect to see us out and about talking with our current members/clubs and helping new members to come on-board.

The 1999 Team Sydney Mardi Gras Sports Festival is upon us and what a Festival it is going to be with over 1500 gays and lesbians participating in over thirty events. New sports include Billiards/Pool and Table Tennis with many old favorites returning for your enjoyment. There is something for everyone, just check out the special lift out inside and take your pick.

This years Mardi Gras Sports Festival kicks off with our BIG SPORTS DAY OUT on Sunday 7th February 9.00 am at Federation Valley in Centennial Park. This all day event is a combined community picnic day and official launch for the 1999 Sports Festival. See you there!!

We are proud to announce the support of NSW Health and Active Australia. This sponsorship will help us promote an active & healthy lifestyle to the gay and lesbian community through sport and this is reflected in Active Australia’s slogan, "Exercise. You don’t have to take it seriously, just regularly."

Now that we have wound up our Amsterdam Committee activities, the Board has decided to return surplus funds to the members. This "rebate" was based on how long you have been a Team Sydney member and provided options on what to do with the money. Many of us have chosen to give our rebate to Sydney 2002 Gay Games Ltd. The Board also made a grant of $2500. We had the pleasure of presenting the cheque to GG IV Chair Tom Seddon at a fundraiser in December. Together the grant and rebate will total over $3,000.00. Given Team Sydney’s limited ability to provide cash support this donation represents a very sizeable commitment towards 2002. This support began when Team Sydney initiated the bid to host the Games in Sydney and our commitment to the process remains steadfast. Our support has been, and will continue to be, provided in areas where we can best assist and add value. Through its individual members and member Clubs Team Sydney is investing considerable time and resources to the sports development strategy which will see the queer sports community of Sydney ready to provide an appropriate framework and environment for staging the Games.

The Team Sydney Sports Council is progressing well and provides the voice within Team Sydney for sports clubs to have their say. The Sports Council is one of the ways in which Team Sydney is building operational links with Sydney 2002 Gay Games Ltd. Operating for just over one year, membership of the Council is growing and current member & affiliated clubs are Moore Park Volleyball, J.J.’s Dance, United Dance, Flying Bats Soccer, Wett Ones Swimming, Frontrunners, Amazons Tennis, POOFTA Touch Football; OUTfielders Softball, Spokes Cycling, Harbour City Sports (Wrestling, Chess), Aust. Sailing & Cruising Club, Sydney Shuttles Badminton.

On behalf of the Board we would like to wish everyone a healthy, prosperous New Year and would like to welcome everyone to join us in making 1999 the year for drawing together to promote fun and healthy lifestyles through sport!!

Gamarada, the magazine of Sydney’s Gay Games, will be launched in February. The magazine will appear only on the internet this year but from 2000, worldwide printing and distribution is planned.

Our first inspection team from the Federation of Gay Games is due in April. This will present a great opportunity for the Sydney community to learn more about the Federation, and vice versa. The agenda will certainly include a presentation by the Federation to members of the community with opportunity for questions. 1999 will also see the start of paid staff. We who have been working on a volunteer basis are really looking forward to this important step in the organisation’s development.

GG VI is streets ahead of where any previous host organisation was at this point. It’s not an easy task but we are well on our way.

Finally, we need you (yes, all of you) on our database! Whether you are thinking of participating in the sporting or cultural festivals, want to volunteer now or during the event, or just want to keep in touch with this amazing event then get in touch with us. Our website is www.GayGamesVI.org.au, and you can email us at contact2002@GayGamesVI.org.au.

A big thank you must go to the energy and commitment of the 115 volunteers in the Sports Working Groups who have worked hard to develop the sports plans and budgets. Thank you also to the 7 Sports Team Leaders who have supported their efforts.

One important spin-off of hosting the Games has been the increased level of activity within Sydney’s gay and lesbian sports community. The size and variety of sports offered for this year’s Team Sydney Mardi Gras Sports Festival is evidence of this.

When you really think about it, it’s hard to take exercise all that seriously. Look at Tennis. I played this queen once and when he yelled out "40 love", I thought he was telling me his age. How silly is squash? They wear goggles and they’re nowhere near water.

Don’t get me started about fashion... all that running around in lycra, which only looks good on Matt Shirvington in slow-motion. Those silly stack-hats that cyclists wear, golfers wearing pom-poms on tartan hats and slacks tucked into their socks. And then there’s karate. Now a good black belt is a classic, but not on short white flares. Really.

Now while all these things may be necessary, but they can’t be taken seriously. Have you ever noticed how silly people look doing yoga? Not half as silly as those people doing that praying mantis stuff by themselves in the park.

Cricket. Well nobody takes that seriously after the bribing scandal. And nobody takes footy seriously since Ian Roberts retired.

Aerobics speaks for itself. I mean any sport in which Richard Simmons made his name cannot be taken seriously.

And while we are in the gym... if ever their was an exercise that needed lightening up, it’s weights. Next time some big Muscle Mary comes up to you and asks "Will you spot me?", reply "Sweetheart, I spotted you the moment you walked in."

Dancing is a great form of exercise, and I’ve seen a lot of you dance, and you can’t possibly be taken seriously. Then there’s sex, and I’ve had sex with a lot of you, and you can’t possibly... no seriously...

As Nike says "Just do it", and isn’t that a smile they have as their logo?

With the ‘success’ of the Sydney Softball team in the Amsterdam Gay Games, Softball is set to take off in our harbour city.

As an official sport for the 2002 Games, our team has guaranteed entry, but we have no men’s or mixed teams (Sirens will undoubtedly bring home the gold in the womens).

The United States dominance of softball means that a gold medal may not be on, but being in a team sport is a great way to meet hundreds of international visitors during the Games.

Like the Sydney Softball captain in Amsterdam said " We scored the most...and not on the field!". For more information on how to join in phone Brett 9558 2333.

Interestingly, whilst the club membership has grown from 24 to 120 since 1995, there are only about 24-30 core players who participate year round. The rest are transient groups attracted to certain events.

By far and away our most popular event is the Team Sydney Mardi Gras Women’s Tennis Tournament (30 & 31 Jan 1999). At this event we can attract anywhere up to forty-eight players of varying standards.

Our events are the comps (run 3 times a year on Monday nights at Haberfield CLTA), social tennis (Saturday afternoons) and weekend tournaments such as our Queen of Hearts Round Robin Tournament (run in Oct/Nov each year). All events have the objective of providing an affordable, fun format for both players and spectators. Our Saturday afternoon tennis held at Marrickville Lawn Tennis Club has been extremely successful given that’s it’s only been up and running for about 6 months. It attracts players that we simply don’t get to our other events.

Socially the women seem to get a lot out of the club, which is exactly what we’re striving for. Players don’t just get to play some great tennis, but they also get to meet and make friends with a lot of women from different backgrounds. It’s a fun, healthy environment with a lot to offer.

With the 2002 Gay Games fast approaching the Amazon committee has made a strong commitment to growing women’s tennis and helping them run what promises to be one of the biggest sports in the 2002 programme.

If you’d like to know more about women’s tennis, please contact Michelle (02) 9716-8869 or Sharon (02) 9519-1849.

So all dances from romantic Waltzes, the cheeky Cha Cha through to the definitely hot Salsa were on the programme. The contestants were able to compete in graded events, pro-am and special one dance only events.

For the many spectators, besides enjoying the competition, there were a number of fantastic demonstrations (for the uninitiated these are professionals dancing to a level we all dream of). One of the most innovative was the Cloggers from Melbourne with their high energy routine. Social dancing took place in the short breaks during the competition and once the competition was finished spectators and competitors alike took over the floor for a night of dancing. It was easy to see the enthusiasm that had been generated as most of the seats remained empty while the large crowd danced the night away.

JJ’s Dance Studio have hosted the last three Australian championships and were proud to welcome members of the Team Sydney Board and 2002 to present the prizes for the competition. While most of the competitors were from Sydney, there were interstate visitors from Melbourne and Canberra and international visitors from New Zealand. Same sex dancing is a relatively new sport in our community but it is nonetheless vibrant and growing. Historically lesbians have been the trendsetters in gay dance here, so it was great to see the growth in gay male dancing.

As some of you may know Dance was an official sport in the last Gay Games in Amsterdam, six couples went from Australia with one couple from Melbourne winning the gold medal for Latin, Grade F. Many people thought that dancing was one of the best events in Amsterdam and with 5000 spectators jamming into the stadium it was an exhilarating experience. In the upcoming 2002 Gay Games, dance will once again be an official sport and we are looking forward to welcoming dancers from all over the world.

If you are thinking you wouldn’t mind learning how to dance, whether you want to compete or not, whether you have a partner or not, I can recommend dancing to you. It is a fantastic, demanding and challenging sport that is great fun as well. There are few better representations of the love and passion of our lives than man to man or woman to woman dancing. So join in and come dancing.

If you’re a lesbian in Sydney contact JJ’s Dance Studio, Jan 0412 774422, Virginia 9559 6330

If you’re a lesbian in Melbourne contact Dance Cats, Anny (03)9417 6072

If you’re a gay man in Sydney contact United Dance Studio, Michael 9747 4490

If you’re a gay man in Canberra leave a message for Tom on 02 6286 4000

COMPETITIONS IN 1999
FEBRUARY 20TH - Sydney Lesbian and Gay Ballroom Dancing Championships at Leichhardt Town Hall. Contact Michael 9747 4490.

MARCH 20TH - Victorian Gay and Lesbian Dance Championships. Contact Anny (03)9417 6072

OCTOBER 30TH - Gay and Lesbian Australian Dance Championships. Contact Jan 0412 774422.

Millions of Australians get out into parks, roads, beaches, tracks or wherever and strut their stuff. Just go to Centennial Park any day and watch the crowds of people enjoying themselves as they make their way around the 3.7K loop. You will even see some modern derivatives of running - roller blading which is fast catching on as another form of healthy mono-transport.

Running is a very healthy activity which can be both aerobic and fat burning - also good for muscle development, stamina and lowering blood pressure and increasing your overall health. Walking has many benefits too - but to a lesser extent - you will need to get out there and do some speed walking for improvements like cardio-vascular exercise. Both activities can be done by yourself or with groups - so if you want a peaceful exercise where you can reflect on the pressures of life or even forget them - grab some good running shoes, a pair of shorts and a top. Slap on some sun blockout or better still a cap to protect you from the harsh Aussie sun. You are now ready for a fabulous health session. But groups are so much more fun!

After the first four weeks of exercise you will start to feel different - the legs feel stronger and muscles appear. You can breathe deeper and longer, you may sweat easier and your body size starts to lessen. Your appetite picks up - you will be looking for healthy carbo rich foods to satisfy your increased metabolism.

Some people start running/walking more regularly - 3 times a week is ideal! Before you know it they are participating in fun runs/walks with other like minded athletes. The distances become the challenge - either reducing times over a certain distance or increasing distances to push bodies to a new limit. It is exhilarating to complete your first fun run/walk and do a good time. From small community events to the biggest - the City to Surf - almost anyone can achieve personal satisfaction in crossing the finishing line.

Sydney is blessed with some of the most scenic walkways on earth - try the Domain area for a restful flat course or Bondi Beach for a hilly seaside venture. Cooks River pathway leads from Tempe to Homebush for those really adventurous. There are hundreds more to choose from - start at your local park and get off those treadmills and enjoy the outdoors.

If you want gay and lesbian companionship whilst staying healthy look out for the Sydney Frontrunners Club - a group of about 80 members who make Centennial Park their home base and run/walk every Wednesday evening at 6.30pm, Saturday mornings at 9am or afternoon at 4.30pm. Sunday 9am runs are held around the city from locations like Manly or Cronulla and out to Lane Cove. Regular coaching is available and is held on a group basis.

Frontrunners also participate in many fun runs/walks throughout the year and during Mardi Gras host the 5K Fun Run on Wednesday 24 February in Centennial Park at 6.30pm.. There is also a Recovery Run/Walk for those adventurous enough to survive the party and parade! Details are listed in the Sports Festival guide.

Breakfast is also an important part of any runner/walker’s regime and the weekend breakfasts are always well attended - plus plenty of discussion and gossip. Social events occur every few months for those too busy to run with the club. So dust off those shoes - grab your water bottle and join the walking/running hordes of Sydney. You’ll love it .....