Springfield chosen as official Olympic training site; St. John's staff involved
Dec. 16, 2002

The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) announced at a Dec. 15 press conference the selection of Springfield, as a Community Olympic Development Program (CODP) site.  In collaboration with the Greater Springfield Sports Commission and Foundation, USA Weightlifting and USA Tennis, the youth of Springfield will have access to high-quality tennis and weightlifting programs.

“After several years of planning and hard work, everyone is excited to make the Greater Springfield CODP a reality by building on existing programs we currently have with USA Weightlifting and USA Tennis,” notes St. John's pediatrician Bernard Griesemer, M.D., chairman of the Springfield CODP Steering Committee.  “The CODP in Springfield will work hard to give every young athlete in the region the opportunity to participate in the Olympic sports and to progress to their best levels of competition.”

Linda Dollar will serve as the Springfield CODP program manager. Joining her to deliver the programming are two nationally recognized coaches, St. John's HealthTracks Training Center's Brandon Ezell for weightlifting and Amine Boustani for tennis.

Springfield joins CODP initiatives in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn.; Palm Beach County, Fla.; San Antonio, Texas; Atlanta, Ga.; and Moorestown, N.J., in providing opportunities for youth to reach the highest levels of sport.

USOC Managing Director of Sport Performance Jim Page is encouraged by the expansion.

“The CODP is our link to community sports and thousands of kids who could someday be Olympians.  We are pleased with the growing partnerships with national sports organizations and local sports programs and we know this new addition will help ensure increased opportunities for aspiring Olympic athletes in Springfield as well as stronger Olympic teams in the future,” he says.

The USOC Community Olympic Development Program partners with national governing bodies and community sports groups to enhance high-quality, intermediate programs for talented youth to maximize their potential in Olympic sports.