HARTFORD – The Nutmeg State Games returns to Trinity College in Hartford on Saturday, July 31, and offers 22 sports for all Connecticut residents.

The Nutmeg State Games will be the largest multi-sport festival in Connecticut in 2004, with more over 7,000 athletes competing. The Games are an Olympic-style competition for Connecticut amateur athletes, ages 8 to 88 years old. Both individual and team sports will be represented in the Nutmeg State Games with bowling and rowing as the newest sports.

More 40,000 spectators are expected to attend.

“We are excited about returning to Trinity College and their state of the art facilities,” said Bill Mudano, executive director for the Nutmeg State Games.

Trinity College boasts four soccer fields, including a new lighted artificial turf field hockey field, baseball and softball fields, track, as well as an artificial turf football field. Sports to be held at Trinity College include baseball, basketball, wrestling, diving, soccer, field hockey, softball, track & field, and swimming.

Other sites slated for use include Saint Joseph College and the Duffy School in West Hartford, Veterans Rink in West Hartford, East Hartford High School and Middle School.

Rowing will take place in the Farmington area.

The team sports are featured in the games are baseball, basketball, fast pitch softball, field hockey, ice hockey, lacrosse, roller hockey, and soccer. Individual sports featured in the games will be archery, bowling, cycling, diving, fencing, figure skating, gymnastics, judo, mountain biking, track for the physically-challenged, shooting, swimming, track & field and wrestling. 

“These Games offer an opportunity for the whole family to do something fun and healthy together,” said Mr Mudano.

A new feature at the Games will be the NBA Jam Van, offering fans of all ages an authentic NBA experience. NBA Jam Van features free basketball and interactive activities, including electronic games, displays and contests as well as a state-of-the-art video wall featuring the latest NBA action.

The 67-foot, 18-wheel Jam Van transforms into 8,000 square feet of free basketball activities allowing NBA fans of all ages the opportunity to play like the pros. In addition to jamming slamdunks and sinking three-pointers on two basketball areas with four different size baskets, fans can participate in a huge array of interactive off-court activities.

NBA Jam Van activities include:

Get-A-Grip/Arm Span/Walk of Fame – Fans can compare their hand, shoe sizes and arm span to those of NBA and WNBA players.

Tall & Short of It – Fans can compare themselves to images of the NBA’s and WNBA’s tallest and shortest players.

NBA Video Arcade – Video game buffs can play one-on-one in the NBA Jam Van video arcade.

Video Action – The huge video display wall showcases the NBA’s hottest action.

Contests include:

Play a.d.i.d.a.s – Fans have 30 seconds to spell ADIDAS from a variety of shooting spots.

AOL 8.0 Free-Throw Shooting Contest – Fans of all ages have the opportunity to show off their free-throw shooting skills and accuracy in this fast paced free-throw contest.

McDonald’s Beyond the Arches 3-point Shootout – Putting a new twist on making a 3-point shot, fans have 30 seconds to shoot twelve balls from three different locations behind the 3-point line.

NBA Slam Dunk Contest – The NBA Slam Dunk Contest allows fans at the end of the day to show off their high flying skills on seven, eight, and nine-foot baskets.

NBA Trivia Challenge – When taking a break from the courts, fans have the opportunity to test their mental skills and knowledge about NBA entertainment, players and game related questions.

Speed Stick 24/7 Challenge – A crowd favorite from the 2003 NBA All-Star Jam Session, fans have 24 seconds to successfully make baskets totaling exactly seven points from shooting spots.

The Jam Van will be at opening ceremonies of the Games on Saturday, July 31, from 3 to 7 pm, and will also be on hand Sunday, August 1, from 12 noon to 4 pm. It is open free to the public. WNBA stars Nykesha Sales and Lindsay Whalen of the Connecticut Sun are scheduled to appear on August 1, from 2 to 4 pm.

The Jam Van launched on April 9 and continues onto 100 event stops until October, traveling more than 150,000 miles bringing the experience of the NBA to hundreds of thousands of fans across the country.

The NBA Jam Van is a mobile version of the NBA All-Star Jam Session, the league’s popular fan event that attracts tens of thousands of fans during NBA All-Star festivities. Since its debut at the 1996 NBA All-Star Weekend in San Antonio, the NBA Jam Van has made more than 600 stops around North America and recorded more than eight million visitors.

The Nutmeg State Games are endorsed by the Governors Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, and recognized by the National Congress of State Games and United States Olympic Committee.

The Nutmeg State Games is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit, tax-exempt corporation governed by a thirty-five member board. This marks the sixteenth year for the Nutmeg State Games, which were founded by William G. Mudano, Executive Director.

For more information about the Nutmeg State Games go to www.nutmegstategames.org.