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Website helping athletes find 'sports-buddies'

Monday, June 18, 2007

(New York-WABC, June 18, 2007) (WABC) -- Lots of weekend sports warriors need partners or teammates to pursue their athletic interests. But if your friends or family members aren't game, what do you do?

Eyewitness News reporter Jeff Pegues shows us a new website that can help you team up with "sports Buddies".

When Michigan native Steven Trayer moved to New York City he wanted to start a volleyball team.

"Coming from Michigan,everything is overwhelming here -- the social scene, sports scene, any type of scene," said sports enthusiast, Steven Trayer.

A tall order in the Big Apple, and he didn't know where to start. But, Steven quickly found two teammates, Melissa Reid and Kristine Blinn.

They all met through a new website called "sportsvite.com", a nationwide, online social network that connects people who want to play sports.

It also gives them a free set of tools by which they can organize their games among friends, in recreational leagues or just pickup," says the website's co-founder, Vin Bhat.

And skill level doesn't matter.

Its for weekend warriors, and the casual player too.There are about 125 sports on the site, both conventional and not.

"We ve got, the sports people have made up quickest and even things that,you know. In ice hockey, someone actually came up with a sport that combined ultimate frisbee and hockey, to call it "frockey", said Bhat.

And, if you can't find the sport you want, you can add it.

To find teammates, just log on www.sportsvite.com, setup a profile, then pick a sport. Users can also create a team.

Bhat says, "you go and indicate all of the team's details...gender, skill level, where it is actually playing, and any other description. And, you talk about where you are playing, when you are playing, if you need players and if accepting challenges".

For Steven, Melissa and Kristine, they not only became volleyball teammates, but they became "sports buddies" too.

"It is actually made my life easier, I have two new best friends," said sports enthusiast Melissa Reid.

"We hang out all of the time. We go to dinner and do whatever, no matter how many other places we find friends, I would still like, you know, speed-dial Melissa and Steven", said sports enthusiasts Kristine Blinn.

The website can also be used to find partners for activities like yoga, skiing, golf, even poker and bridge.

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