New Sports Competition 'The People's Games' To Launch This Month With New York vs. Los Angeles Showdown

New York, NY & Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) March 2, 2011 Those who have dreamed of representing their city in athletic competition now have a once in a lifetime chance at sports stardom. Organizers today announced The Peoples Games, a new sports concept that offers athletes the opportunity to represent their cities in competition against other US cities in a battle to prove which city has the best athletes in various sports. The program will launch with a basketball competition and will be played at local venues with local sports legends as team coaches. The Peoples Games will tip-off Sunday, March 13th with basketball tryouts throughout New York City and Los Angeles, followed by a best of three finals series in early May. Home court advantage will be determined by a ceremonial coin-toss. Participants can register for tryouts at PeoplesGames.com (or call 800-TPG-3098). The public will also be able to help select their citys team, participate in a variety of social events surrounding the games, and watch key action from the competition on this site. New York Knicks legend Earl the Pearl Monroe will coach New Yorks team, and former UCLA great Lucius Allen, who played on John Woodens National Championship teams and later for the Lakers, will coach the L.A. team. The Peoples Games will be conducted in partnership with the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation & Parks and in coordination with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. A portion of the proceeds from The Peoples Games will be donated to the local recreation and parks departments in participating cities. In the future, The Peoples Games intends to announce additional competitive platforms and participating cities. Armyan Bernstein, award-winning producer and Chairman of Beacon Pictures, is the Founder and Chairman of The Peoples Games. Terry Jastrow, seven-time Emmy Award winner, who has produced and directed six Olympic Games, is the Commissioner and Executive Producer of The Peoples Games. We believe there are great athletes out there who, for one reason or another, never got a chance to have their moment in the spotlight, says Bernstein. This is the opportunity for them to play for their families, communities and cities. They are playing for the love of the game rather than personal glory and will come from every walk of life. All that matters is that they got game Terry Jastrow adds, What compels me most about The Peoples Games is the human drama of athletic competition, the common man or woman in pursuit of their dreams. As people learn more about the Games, we believe that there will be a groundswell of excitement to participate and cheer on their friends and neighbors. Unlike professional sports where star players rarely come from the city they play for, participants in The Peoples Games must be a resident of the city they are representing, 18 years of age or older, and have no professional experience. Competitors will be selected through neighborhood tryouts to create teams which reflect the heart and soul of the city. Open tryouts will begin at various locations on Sunday, March 13. New York City tryouts will take place in the following locations: Bronx: St. Marys Recreation Center, 450 St. Ann's Avenue, Bronx, NY 10454 Brooklyn: St. Johns Recreation Center, 1251 Prospect Place, Brooklyn, NY 11213 Manhattan & Staten Island: Alfred E. Smith Recreation Center, 80 Catherine Street, New York, NY 10038 Queens: Al Oerter Recreation Center, 131-40 Fowler Avenue, Flushing, NY 11355 Los Angeles City tryouts will take place in the following locations: Balboa Sports Complex: 17015 Burbank Blvd., Encino, CA 91316 EXPO Center: 3980 S. Menlo Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90037 Normandale Recreation Center: 22400 Halldale Ave., Torrance, CA 90501 Pan Pacific Recreation Center: 7600 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036 Pecan Recreation Center: 145 S. Pecan St., Los Angeles, CA 90033 Westwood Recreation Complex: 1350 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025 For detailed explanation regarding the tryouts and team selection process, visit PeoplesGames.com. Final team New York City and Los Angeles rosters will be announced at the end of March. Media Contacts New York: Dave Donovan / Lazaro BenitezDKC Public Relations 261 Fifth AvenueNew York, NY 10016 (212) 685-4300 officedave_donovan (at) dkcnews (dot) comlazaro_benitez (at) dkcnews (dot) com Los Angeles:Heather KrugRogers & Cowan8687 Melrose AvenueLos Angeles CA, 90069(310) 854-8156 officehkrug (at) rogersandcowan (dot) com