[IMGCAP(1)]

NEWPORT BEACH, CA—The third annual Y Games, NAIOP SoCal Young Professionals Group's annual sports competition event, drew nearly 200 men and women to the Newport Back Bay on September 19 for a day of spirited fun and contests. Twenty teams of real estate pros met on the field of competition, and this year the winning team was Team McEnroe.

Team Mario Cart took second place in the competition, where points were earned in events that included water-balloon launch, kayak and tricycle relays, team costume contests, basketball free throw and one of the more popular: the “joust,” among others. This year, the two best teams faced off in a championship dodgeball game.

The event is open to all YPG, NAIOP Developing Leaders, young commercial real estate professionals and graduate-program students enrolled in a real estate education program. Team captains were NAIOP board members or industry leaders. Title sponsors for this year included Panattoni Development and KPRS Construction. Participants also donated gently worn professional clothing to Working Wardrobes.

The YPG is NAIOP SoCal's professional-development and leadership program. Each year, a select group of 35 real estate professionals unite to take part in the 12-month, 72-hour course designed to educate, develop, connect and elevate the commercial real estate industry's emerging leaders. Following completion of the program, graduates join the ranks of the YPG Alumni. This group now numbers more than 350 industry professionals.

Darren Foster, director of

CRE

Recommended For You

Website_s.NAT
November14|&utm_content=|JPG
Editorial|&utm_term=|Website-Editorial-NAT(Website)|"> Auction.com and NAIOP SoCal YPG chairman, tells GlobeSt.com, “Each year, we include young professionals along with a senior board member or senior industry leader as members of the various teams. That makes Y Games a way for the up-and-coming professionals to interact in an informal setting with industry leaders. Plus, the format is designed to be fun and relaxing, with a little competition thrown in, so it's a great way to build new relationships.”

Dan Park, who handles acquisitions and leasing for Greenlaw Partners, is this year's Y Games chair and is on the YPG Social Committee, tells GlobeSt.com, “This year's theme was 'Bigger Stronger Faster,' and that is just what this event turned out to be. We hit record attendance for our third year. More than that, everyone really participated on all levels. Our industry always enjoys a little friendly competition, but I think that what made this Y Games even better was that people were there to have fun. You could tell by the amount of costumes and themes from all the participants. And we had an amazing amount of donations for Working Wardrobes.”

[IMGCAP(2)]

[IMGCAP(3)]

[IMGCAP(4)]

NOT FOR REPRINT

© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.

Carrie Rossenfeld

Carrie Rossenfeld is a reporter for the San Diego and Orange County markets on GlobeSt.com and a contributor to Real Estate Forum. She was a trade-magazine and newsletter editor in New York City before moving to Southern California to become a freelance writer and editor for magazines, books and websites. Rossenfeld has written extensively on topics including commercial real estate, running a medical practice, intellectual-property licensing and giftware. She has edited books about profiting from real estate and has ghostwritten a book about starting a home-based business.