Sports Talk
Industry
Event & Conference Center Planned For 2009 Opening
Women’s Sports Television Now Online
NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Women’s Sports Television has partnered with Suncastv.com to broadcast women’s sports programming on the Internet. Advertising revenues will be split between both companies.
In addition to games, online programming will include content provided by the National Women’s Football Association, the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association, the Women’s Pro Raquetball Tour, Women’s Professional Rodeo and the International Softball Federation. Women’s Sports Television online will include sports-related talk shows.
NRPA To Offer Directors School
ASHBURN, Va.—The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) has added The Directors School to its educational program. The first year of the school will be offered Aug. 23-29 at the Oglebay Resort and Conference Center in Wheeling, W.V. Applications for admission must be received by May 1.
The two-year school is designed to prepare new and potential directors of park and recreation programs for the challenges of leading and managing effectively.
The Directors School is sponsored by NRPA, the Olgebay Foundation, and the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management at North Carolina University.
Products
Carmichael Training Systems Partners With CycleOps Power
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—Carmichael Training Systems (CTS) and CycleOps Power have entered a partnership that gives CycleOps Power naming rights to CTS PowerTraining classes. In exchange, CycleOps Power will supply CycleOps Trainers and PowerTap SL 2.4 Wireless to be used at all CTS Regional Centers’ indoor PowerTraining classes, camps and clinics.
In addition, representatives from CycleOps will be on site at the camps to provide instruction and assistance for their products.
Events
Brett-Robinson To Sponsor Alabama Coastal Triathlon In May
GULF SHORES, Ala.—The Alabama Gulf Coast Sports Commission has announced Brett-Robinson Vacation Rentals as the title sponsor of the second-annual Alabama Coastal Triathlon, scheduled for May 3 in Gulf Shores. The triathlon is a production of the sports commission and Team Magic, a race-management organization with more than 30 years’ experience.
The triathlon will include a 1,000-yard swim in the Gulf of Mexico, a 20-mile bike ride and a 5-mile run. More than 500 athletes are expected for the event, which is sanctioned by USA Triathlon and serves as the organization’s Intermediate Distance Alabama State Championships.
In other Alabama Gulf Coast Sports Commission news, Nicole Hutto has been hired as event coordinator. She will serve primarily as the on-site coordinator of logistics, volunteers and registration at sports events hosted by the sports commission.
Grand Lagoon Saltwater Fishing Tournament Set For August
PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla.—The Grand Lagoon National saltwater fishing tournament is scheduled for Aug. 20-24 in Panama City Beach. Its sponsors include Boatyard Marina, Boatyard Restaurant and Captain Anderson’s Pier, among others.
Grand Lagoon National saltwater fishing tournament will feature six fishing categories. Tournament Chairman Bill Spann, who founded the Bay Point Annual Billfish Invitational, expects the Panama City Beach event to attract 2,000 anglers and 40,000 spectators.
Jasper Among $9.5 Million Wal-Mart FLW Tour Stops
BENTON, Ky.—Lewis Smith Lake in Jasper, Ala., will be the second stop on the $9.5 million Wal-Mart FLW Outdoors bass fishing tour of 2008. The Jasper event, scheduled for April 3-6, will award $1 million in total prizes, including the $125,000 top prize in the pro division and $25,000 top prize in the co-angler division.
Weigh-ins will be at Lewis Smith Dam April 3-4 and at the Birmingham- Jefferson Convention Center April 5-6.
Hampton Cup Regatta Celebrates 82 Years
HAMPTON, Va.—More than 100 hydroplanes and runabouts are expected for the 82nd Annual Hampton Cup Regatta, to be held Aug. 8-10 on Mill Creek at the entrance of Fort Monroe. The Hampton Cup Regatta is the nation’s oldest continuously running hydroplane boat race.
The regatta will be highlighted with a “Bash at the Bridge” party at the East Mercury Boulevard Bridge at 7 p.m., Aug. 8, with live music, entertainment and food and beverages. The regatta and bash are both free and open to the public.
Spectators can watch the regatta from the bridge and from the fort. Vehicle registration and photo ID are required for entering the fort, which is still an active military base.
Races will start at noon and end at 5 p.m. daily.
Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10K To Serve As Men’s 10K National Championships
RICHMOND, Va.—The ninth-annual Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10K, to be held April 5 in Richmond, will serve as USA Track & Field’s Men’s 10K National Championships. The women’s field will not feature a national championship competition.
The Men’s National Championships field will start at the head of the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10K field, but only natural-born or naturalized American citizens are eligible for the national championships. Overall purse for the men’s event will be $25,000; first place for the women’s race will be $2,000.
Mud Run Returns For Third Year
BIG SUR, Calif.—Big Sur Marathon, the Presidio of Monterey and Cal State University-Monterey Bay (CSUMB) will present the third-annual Mud Run on March 29. The race will be held on the former Fort Ord property.
The Mud Run will feature five miles of road, trails, mud pits, walls and other obstacles. It will start at CSUMB’s Freeman Stadium and end with a final shower and lap around the stadium’s track.
Participants aged 15 and older may compete alone or as part of a five-person team; all five team members must cross the finish line together with linked arms to be eligible for awards.
Ohio To Host Junior Water Ski Championships
POLK CITY, Fla.—The eighth-annual Junior U.S. Open Water Ski Championships for USA Water Ski will be held June 21-22 at Voice of America in West Chester, Ohio. The Lotta Watta Skiers of Hamilton, Ohio, will serve as the local organizing committee and host.
The 2008 water ski championships will feature junior men and junior women (ages 17-21) and boys and girls (ages 16 and under) divisions.
The Junior U.S. Open Water Ski Championships is a two-round, world-record capability water ski competition. Four athletes set Junior U.S. Open records at the 2007 championships.
Youth
Adidas Selected Official Sponsor Of National Lacrosse Classic
BALTIMORE—Level 2 Sports, producer of the 2008 National Lacrosse Classic, has selected Adidas as the official event sponsor. The tournament is set for July 18-20 at Discovery Sports Complex in Baltimore.
The nation’s top 500 boys in grades 9-11, from 20 teams covering eight regions across the country, will compete in the event and showcase their talent to college coaches and scouts. The winning team will represent the United States against Canada for the Brogden Cup in December.
Venues
Baseball Complex Planned For Cumming
CUMMING, Ga.—Wilwat Properties Inc. has requested a zone change that would allow construction of an outdoor baseball field as part of a new baseball complex in Cumming. The $4.8 million project would include a 78,978-square-foot building complex, baseball field and 343 parking spaces. The complex would be located on the east side of Post Road, 280 feet north of the Harris Springs Drive intersection.
Sports Complex Construction To Begin In April
FOREST LAKE, Minn.—Construction is expected to begin in April on a sports complex on city-owned land in Forest Lake. The sports complex would include an arena with a permanent ice sheet and a field house with a five-month ice sheet that could be used for turf or field sports the remainder of the year. The project, estimated at $5 million, would be built and managed by the Forest Lake Area Athletic Association.
Chattanooga Plans Softball Complex
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.—The City of Chattanooga is planning a $1 million “Summit of Softball Complex” at 8700 Apison Pike, currently in the pre-construction stage. The softball complex would include three single-story buildings totaling 5,586 square feet that would house bathrooms, meeting areas and concessions. Completion date for the complex was not indicated.
Soccer Center To Expand
SPOKANE, Wash.—A conditional-use permit modification to accommodate expansion of the Spokane Soccer Center was approved in January. The $3.8 million expansion would include construction of a 26,343-square-foot building—doubling the capacity of the center. Designs for the project have not been finalized and the construction schedule has not been set.
New 49ers Stadium Proposed
SANTA CLARA, Calif.—Two proposals have been made for a new stadium for the NFL San Francisco 49ers. The current proposal calls for the construction of a new, $916 million, 68,500-seat stadium in Santa Clara, while another proposal still under consideration would build a new stadium in Candlestick Point.
It has not been decided if the city would create a stadium authority that would accept the lowest bid or if the team would use its own architects and general contractor. The team is expected to contribute $19 million to the city’s general fund.
Once a plan for the new stadium is approved, the new stadium is tentatively scheduled to open in 2012. The new stadium would be available to host concerts, festivals and other sports events in addition to 49ers games.
Governing Bodies
USAT Adds CEO Challenge
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—USA Triathlon (USAT) has added a CEO Challenge to the 2008 Age Group National Championships to be held Sept. 20 in Portland, Ore.
The CEO Tri Challenge will allow CEOs to compete in the 1.5K swim, 40K bike and 10K run championship event without qualifying at a regional event. CEOs will compete for two male and two female spots in the world championships, as well as the opportunity to compete in Gold Coast Australia in fall 2009.
USAV Hires Beach Volleyball Master Coach
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—USA Volleyball (USAV) has hired Danalee Corso as technical coordinator and master coach. She will work in USAV’s new beach volleyball office in El Segundo, Calif., and will work closely with Ali Wood, USAV’s director of beach programs.
Corso will serve as junior national team coach and will provide technical assistance to U.S. athletes during international competition; organize youth and junior beach volleyball performance camps; coordinate the selection and training of youth and junior athletes for international tournaments; and develop an education program to certify and train beach volleyball coaches.
USACK Nominates New Coaches
CHARLOTTE, N.C.— USA Canoe/Kayak (USACK) has nominated Nathan Luce, Mac Hickox and Stein Jorgensen as new coaches, pending final approval by the U.S. Olympic Committee Board of Directors.
Luce would be the sprint head coach, Hickox the sprint assistant coach and Jorgensen the sprint replacement assistant coach for the U.S. Sprint Canoe/Kayak Team at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.