High School to Host Athletic Competition

Valley-area students who don’t participate in competitive sports will test their athletic skills Saturday at the first-ever San Fernando Valley Youth Olympics at Granada Hills High School.

Students from six West Valley high schools and four middle schools will compete in track and field, tennis, flag football, basketball, baseball and volleyball in the daylong community event sponsored by the Valley Korean American Parents Assn.

The event will also feature a track and field event for parents and a tug of war competition, said Stephen Kim, association treasurer and co-chairman of the organizing committee.

“The main purpose of the event, which is for nonathletes, is to give regular students the opportunity to build a sense of competition and leadership, community involvement and the opportunity to build a bond between parents, students and the community,” said Kim.

About 400 students and 100 parents have signed up to compete at the event, sponsored by the Los Angeles Unified School District, the Los Angeles-based Asian Business Assn. and Valley-area Lucky Food Centers, he said.

Students from Cleveland, Granada Hills, Van Nuys, Chatsworth, Taft and El Camino Real high schools are slated to compete. Middle schools represented in the event are Hale in Woodland Hills, Frost in Granada Hills, Sepulveda in North Hills and Porter in Northridge.

Councilwoman Laura Chick, Supt. Ruben Zacarias and representatives from the offices of U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-Santa Clarita) are scheduled to speak at the 11 a.m. opening ceremony at the Granada High School gymnasium.

The sporting events will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the school’s athletic field, baseball diamond, tennis and basketball courts.

For more information, contact Kim at (818) 834-9860.