Going For Gold With Team ALA

United States Olympic Committee (now the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee). The Inaugural Alabama State Games took place in Auburn, Alabama in 1983 featuring 600 athletes competing in four different sports. The Games now host thousands of athletes annually with 20+ sports featuring both team and individual competitions, making it Alabama’s largest annual multi-sport event for athletes of all ages and abilities. The Alabama State Games program has grown significantly under the umbrella of the ASF Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, committed to supporting the Alabama State Games and other programs that serve as a statewide mentor organization for teaching our youth the importance of academics, athletics, healthy lifestyles and good citizenship.   The Alabama State Games is part of a nationwide network of state games with a national organization called the National Congress of State Games (NCSG). These programs began in the early 1980s -- with Alabama being one of the first programs started -- as part of a grass roots effort to get more athletes involved and aware of olympic sports and to encourage them to possibly pursue participating in the Olympic Games. The NCSG is a membership organization comprised of 30+ Summer State Games and 10 Winter State Games organizations and is a member of the United States Olympic Committee's Multi-Sport Organizational Council.  The mission of the NCSG is to support State Games member organizations in the promotion of health, fitness, and character building through multi-sport competitions and physical activities. The NCSG was created in 1986, to serve as the official association of the State Games Organizations.  The state games programs provide a motivational goal for all athletes within the state in which they are organized. Recreational and competitive events alike are offered in most states, so whether participants compete for the fun of it, or as the first step to their ultimate dream, there's something for everybody in the State Games.