Talin Khechoomian
talin0805@yahoo.com
On President’s Day weekend a rather large portion of the Armenian youth was missing in action. And in action they were as they along with all the other Armenian athletes of the West Coast were at the annual Homenetmen San Diego Tournament held at the Alliant International University. The tournament is organized by the local San Diego “Sevan” Chapter and run by the Regional Athletic council (RAC). This year a total of 73 basketball teams and three volleyball teams participated traveling from cities as far as San Francisco and Las Vegas.
“The games have been organized for 24 years now. Next year marks a milestone for the San Diego Sevan Chapter 25 years of success in organizing the second largest Games in the West Coast— the first being the Navasartian Games,” said Chairperson of the RAC, Nyree Derderian. “The purpose of these games is to bring Armenian youth from all over to San Diego in order to encourage their community.”
Unfortunately, because the basketball program has grown significantly over the years, volleyball membership is gradually declining. In efforts to reverse this effect, RAC invited volleyball teams to partake in the games as well.
“We wanted to bring volleyball back to the San Diego games to encourage youth and others to participate in the sport. Other sports have not been discussed, considering the weather is always too cold and raining to organize any outdoor sports,” said Derderian.
The gym that hosts up to six basketball games simultaneously, reached unpleasantly cold temperatures. Though uncomfortable for spectators, the cold did not stop the athletes from bringing the heat.
“It gets pretty cold because the ceiling looks like it is made out tent material, but when you’re playing you don’t pay so much attention to it. It’s actually one of the nicest and ventilated gyms I’ve ever played in,” said ten-year Glendale Ararat member Aaryn Aroustamian. “What I also love about these games is that there is almost always an enthusiastic crowd watching which really hypes you up.”
The San Diego tournament is not only place for fans to express their loyalties; it is also a place to make new friends from all over the West Coast.
“We’ve pretty much grown up playing the same teams. Because we see them so much we end up talking to them after games or at different events and make friends with them,” said Pasadena Azadamard basketball player Hovsep Marganian. “These games are a good way to keep in touch with Armenian friends who live in cities and even states that are too far to visit on a regular basis.”
Though most people who make the trip to San Diego are actual participants of the tournament, people come for a wide variety of reasons.
“This year instead of playing, I went to support the other Ararat teams that I grew up playing basketball with,” said 10-year Glendale Ararat basketball player Eileen Abrahamian.
“Almost everyone I know goes to this tournament to either play, watch the games, hang out with friends or all of the above.”
The teams compete in different divisions based on age and gender and strive to claim first place victory. This time around, the first place teams included: for AA men’s Los Angeles 2, 1-A Sartarabad 2, 2-A men’s Shant 2, 3-A men’s Massis 1, A Women’s Ararat 1, B Boys’ Shant 1, C Boys’ Ararat 2 and C Girls’ Ararat 1
The San Diego games on President’s Day Weekend have become almost as popular as Palm Springs during Spring Break. Not only is it a unique social gathering, it provides an atmosphere where rival chapters get to compete against one another and prove their skills.
“Every team has their rivalries and during the games people get really competitive,” said La Crescenta Shant basketball player Arthur Kamali. “Although the competition is intense most Homenetmen players share a mutual respect among each other because the tournament is intended to unite Armenians from across the country.”
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