On a nice, pleasurable day in the city of Carson, SCMAF held its 40^th Annual SCMAF Institute at the Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald Center sponsored by Cal South and Musco Lighting. Over 300 hundred registrants from over 40 agencies across Southern California embarked on a day of learning, networking and playing table tennis.

The primary goal of the SCMAF Institute is to provide students, coordinators, supervisors, administrators and commissioners with a valuable and affordable training opportunity. Registrants have the opportunity to select two educational session topics among 18 subjects ranging from marketing, teen programming, online coach’s training and customer service. In between each educational session, registrants can visit the vendors’ fair which offer agencies a chance to meet with local vendors on such services as trophies, photography, sports uniforms and field products. One of the highlights of the vendor’s fair was a demonstration from the Los Angeles Table Tennis Association. Registrants were able to play against and receive some quick lessons from two former table tennis Olympians.

After the educational sessions ended, everyone involved with the Institute was invited to lunch in the main ballroom. This year’s keynote speaker was sports reporter Allen Hopkins from ABC/ESPN. Allen shared some stories growing up as an “Army Brat” and how using the many different cities’ park and recreation programs helped integrate himself into his many new neighborhoods growing up. He also thanked all the parks and recreational personnel for their hard work and dedication to their profession. Allen considered himself a “legacy” to the city park and recreation programs which helped shaped his future success. Allen then passed on his keys to success and how they can be successfully integrated into the parks and recreation profession.

Also during the lunch portion of the Institute, SCMAF presented three student scholarships to the following recipients: January Luong of Long Beach State, Michael Adams of California State University, Fullerton and Emily Rodin of California State University Dominguez Hills. Each student received a check sponsored by the Guerrero Family Scholarship fund and money raised by SCMAF’s 50/50 raffle from the 60^th Anniversary Luncheon. The three scholarship winners are now registered as student members of SCMAF through the 2010 calendar year. SCMAF was able to raise an additional $298.00 from this year’s 50/50 Institute raffle which will benefit the 2010 scholarship recipients.

SCMAF would like to thank the Institute Committee for all their hard work on once again putting together another successful event, all the agencies that participated in the Institute, the speakers which put together this year’s educational sessions and to our vendors and sponsors for participating. SCMAF looks forward to holding this event again in 2010.

VIDEOS:

Scott Williamson Demonstrates Table Tennis with Olympian Tawny Banh #1
Scott Williamson Demonstrates Table Tennis with Olympian Tawny Banh #2