Recognizing High School Sports Excellence

Les Schwab is proud to help recognize high school sports teams for their dedication and performance on and off the field. Already, top teams from 1A through 6A have been chosen for September, October, and November, with the rest of the 2018-2019 academic year to be named as nominations are compiled and winners announced by the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA).

Teams that are chosen as the Les Schwab Tires Team of the Month receive a commemorative trophy along with a cash donation to the team’s program. Past winners, as well as the current nomination form, are available at the OSAA website.

Learn more about OSAA and its drive to ensure equitable competition throughout Oregon high schools.

Moving From the Sidelines to the Stands

In five years of coaching the Forest Grove boys soccer team, Coach Angelo Simonetti led his Vikings to a 40-30-11 record, four playoff appearances and the state quarterfinals in 2012. He hung up his whistle at the end of last season after his team had yet again qualified for the Class 6A playoffs. But he’s not leaving Forest Grove student-athletes in the lurch: He just needed more time to cheer his own three children on as they compete.

Simonetti has a 10-year-old son who plays football and basketball, a 12-year-old daughter whom he is readying for high school volleyball in two years, and an older son who as captain of the Tigard High School soccer team led his squad, the Tigers, to the state playoffs his senior year. In fact, the Vikings beat the Tigers narrowly, 3-2, in what turned out to be the final season for both the father and son.

But as the coach told The Oregonian last fall, “I’m going to be there and watch games and always cheer for the kids. Forest Grove is my family. You don’t have an ex-family.”

Vikings athletic director Doug Thompson was clear about his requirements for Simonetti’s replacement.

“I really need the next coach to understand that it’s not just about winning soccer games, it’s about developing kids and making sure they graduate and making sure they’re making a positive contribution in the community. We really had a change during his tenure with that,” said Thompson.

The new coach will have big shoes to fill. Thanks for setting the pace, Coach Simonetti, as a role model and a fan!

Les Schwab Tire Centers is a proud sponsor of the Oregon School Activities Association.

Rip City 3-on-3 Breaks Down Competitive Barriers

Research has shown that attitudes toward those different than us quickly break down through interaction; we better understand and empathize with others perceived as different than us by identifying shared passions.

It is with this research in mind that the 2016 Rip City 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament, Portland’s premier amateur hoops event, will feature a Unified Sports Division for the first time. The Unified Sports Division is just one of six competitive divisions, but it’s the only one that integrates athletes with and without intellectual disabilities on the same teams. The tournament will be held at Portland’s Rose Quarter Campus on July 30 and 31.

“This is a chance for our participants to show what they are capable of,” said Torre Chisholm, Chief Development Officer of Special Olympics Oregon. “It allows non-disabled players to develop an understanding of people with disabilities; it’s amazing for building commonality.”

The tournament also features a Special Olympics Division, as well as others devoted to youth (boys and girls), high school (boys and girls), adult (men, women and mixed teams) and elite (men and women).

This year marks the third year that Special Olympics Oregon has partnered with the Portland Trail Blazers and Les Schwab Tire Centers to put on the Rip City 3-on-3, which has raised more than $50,000 for the Special Olympics.

The funding helps support Special Olympics Oregon, which puts on 30 regional competitions across 15 sports throughout the year— — that’s in addition to organizing practices across the state nearly every day.

Last year’s tournament featured 16 Special Olympics teams, but Chisholm is hopeful that the new Unified Sports Division will bring even more intellectually disabled athletes into the fold. “While we have 13,000 who currently participate in Special Olympics Oregon, there are as many as 100,000 statewide with intellectual disabilities.”

In addition to the scheduled games, the tournament will also feature plenty to keep noncompetitors entertained, including a slam dunk contest, an interactive games area and various vendor booths.

Les Schwab Tire Centers has been a proud partner of the Rip City 3-on-3 Tournament since 2014 and is proud to be the presenting partner this year. For more information on the tournament or to register as a competitor, please visit the official Rip City 3-on-3 website.