On August 20th 2006, the "2nd Annual BC Sports Fest" was held in Clifton, New Jersey. With the mission to "Create and Strengthen Local and Regional BC Communities and BC Culture through Sports and Fellowship," the New Jersey Youth Group, under the leadership and organization of Jin Kwon Kim, an elder member of the American "Second Generation," hosted this year’s BC Sports Fest. Jin Kwon, with the support of other members of the New Jersey Youth Ministry Team, including Rev. Barry Geller and George Kazakos, and in collaboration with youth leaders from across the east coast, organized the one-day event with the hopes of attracting about 150 youth from 5 different regions. Their expectations were far exceeded when more than 200 youth, representing Boston (New England), Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia and even Ohio showed up for the event.

The Sports Fest, true to its name, catered to youth interested in a wide variety of sports. BCs had the option of playing recreational sports such as soccer, football and matanage, or competitive sports such as volleyball, basketball or Ultimate. For the competitive sports, crystal trophies were awarded to the first-place finishers. Ohio, on the shoulders of 3 talented young men who also traveled the longest distance to attend the event, earned the first-place trophy in basketball. A talented team from New Jersey made it worth while to host the Sports Fest by taking home the coveted trophy in volleyball.

The main event (and most competitive) was Ultimate, a cross between soccer and football, but played with a Frisbee. Teams from across the east coast, in the weeks prior to the event, planned and practiced in order to get ready for the Sports Fest. They even did a little brotherly trash-talking prior to the competition. They came to the Festival sporting their regional colors, and home-made jerseys. They were ready to play. The competition was intense. In the tradition of the Unification movement, players gave their blood (literally), sweat and an occasional tear in order to represent their regions dutifully. Ultimately, Maryland was awarded the first-place prize as they barely outscored a tough New York team in the Championship Game. While Maryland took home the trophy, all the teams from Boston, Connecticut, New Jersey and New York deserve high praise for fearlessly representing their regions.

After the competition, Blessed Children embraced each other in a spirit of fellowship as they listened to Rev. Geller’s speech about connecting their experience at the Sports Festival to God’s desire for one global family under His lineage.

After all was said and done, it was an extremely successful event, and we look forward to the "3rd Annual BC Sports Fest."

Report by Dave Hunter
A Member of the Second Generation

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