The Patriot Games, a four-day national athletic competition celebrating American spirit, has released its schedule for the first time in history, featuring dodgeball and kickball events for the first time ever.
The games, organized by Freedom 250, will bring together teens from around the country representing states and territories in a days-long competition, part of President Donald Trump's vision for America's 250th Anniversary.
The competitions will be streamed live on the ESPN App from Aug. 9-11, with an additional post-event special about the games airing on ABC Aug. 13. According to the schedule, Sunday's events will include Boys and Girls Presidential Qualifiers, Boys and Girls Dodgeball, and Boys and Girls Kickball.
The lineup for competitions being streamed on the ESPN App includes Boys Varsity Circuit and Boys Operation Endurance on Monday, Aug. 10, as well as Girls Varsity Circuit and Girls Operation Endurance. On Tuesday, Aug. 11, events will include Tug of War and Pop A Shot for both boys and girls.
Freedom 250 describes the Patriot Games as "a national athletic competition celebrating the character, determination, and excellence that define the American spirit." The winners will share a $250,000 scholarship prize pool.
The games are separate from those being hosted by America 250, the bipartisan organization established by Congress in 2016 to lead planning of the country's milestone birthday. Trump launched Freedom 250 in December as a subsidiary of the National Park Foundation to fund his vision for the country's milestone birthday.
The events are being anchored by ESPN's Laura Rutledge, Matt Barrie, Beth Mowins, and Tom Hart.
The schedule is subject to change, and details about events that make up Varsity Circuit and Operation Endurance were not provided. The one-hour ESPN special on ABC, showing highlights of the competitions, features of the athletes, and the moment the winners accept their awards, is scheduled to air Thursday, Aug. 13 at 9 p.m. ET.
The Patriot Games have been surrounded by controversy, with Congressional Democrats and watchdog groups raising concerns about the group's lack of transparency, skirting of federal rules, and allowing companies and wealthy individuals to buy access to the president's office.
Source: Yahoo Sports