76th Annual AYF-YOARF Olympics
Just in case you’re wondering, AYF-YOARF is the abbreviation of Armenian Youth Federation- Youth Organization of the ARF. This year was the 76th Olympic Games and it took place in Providence, Rhode Island. The main purpose for the AYF Olympics each year is to bring the AYF chapters, and the members of them, together and closer while in a friendly competition. This year, there were twelve AYF chapters participating in the Olympic Games, one being from California. Each day, for three days, the chapters compete against each other in the following: tennis, swimming, softball, and track and field. The chapter that won this year was the Providence Chapter, the host. On the night of each day, going from 9-3 and 3-6 were parties. The first party, from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m., was a party consisting of traditional Armenian dancing songs that last from 5-10 minutes each. The second party, called the hook-ups, is when you would go back to your rooms and change into jeans or sweats and dance some more, but to American music.
The events and parties I went to are the softball game, which was in a park right next to the beach, all three parties (one on each night but didn’t stay long at all), and track and field. I would have to say the most fun one I went to was the softball game because my family and I knew the people that were playing. Although we arrived to the track and field event 10 minutes before it ended, I was able to see 5 and 6 year olds running on the track. It was the cutest thing! I was disappointed that I missed tennis though because my cousin played and I really would have loved to see him play tennis.
Although the late night parties may seem fun to you (or maybe they don’t, I don’t know), Armenian dancing all night long, they really weren’t, for me at least. I’m not a very good Armenian dancer so I basically just watched other people dance or have a conversation with my parents and their friends. I was out of the party by 10:30- 12:00 each night, and we entered the Rhode Island Convention Center, where it took place, at around 10:00- 11:00.
I have to say that the highlight of the Olympic Games was not really the games at all. It was seeing my cousins that I hadn’t seen in years.
Just in case you’re wondering, AYF-YOARF is the abbreviation of Armenian Youth Federation- Youth Organization of the ARF. This year was the 76th Olympic Games and it took place in Providence, Rhode Island. The main purpose for the AYF Olympics each year is to bring the AYF chapters, and the members of them, together and closer while in a friendly competition. This year, there were twelve AYF chapters participating in the Olympic Games, one being from California. Each day, for three days, the chapters compete against each other in the following: tennis, swimming, softball, and track and field. The chapter that won this year was the Providence Chapter, the host. On the night of each day, going from 9-3 and 3-6 were parties. The first party, from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m., was a party consisting of traditional Armenian dancing songs that last from 5-10 minutes each. The second party, called the hook-ups, is when you would go back to your rooms and change into jeans or sweats and dance some more, but to American music.
The events and parties I went to are the softball game, which was in a park right next to the beach, all three parties (one on each night but didn’t stay long at all), and track and field. I would have to say the most fun one I went to was the softball game because my family and I knew the people that were playing. Although we arrived to the track and field event 10 minutes before it ended, I was able to see 5 and 6 year olds running on the track. It was the cutest thing! I was disappointed that I missed tennis though because my cousin played and I really would have loved to see him play tennis.
Although the late night parties may seem fun to you (or maybe they don’t, I don’t know), Armenian dancing all night long, they really weren’t, for me at least. I’m not a very good Armenian dancer so I basically just watched other people dance or have a conversation with my parents and their friends. I was out of the party by 10:30- 12:00 each night, and we entered the Rhode Island Convention Center, where it took place, at around 10:00- 11:00.
I have to say that the highlight of the Olympic Games was not really the games at all. It was seeing my cousins that I hadn’t seen in years.