SPORTS TALK
Industry
Don Staley Leads New Tuscaloosa Sports Foundation
TUSCALOOSA, Ala.—Former University of Alabama Soccer Coach Don Staley, who resigned his position last November, has become executive director of the new Tuscaloosa Sports Foundation. Staley began working for the foundation in February, but he only recently assumed the role of executive director officially after funding was secured.
The foundation was started by former University of Alabama Basketball Coach C.M. Newton and retired banker Chuck Sittason, who serves as president. The foundation is aimed at raising Tuscaloosa’s profile in the state, regional and national sporting scene. According to news reports, the foundation is looking into a variety of events, including chess tournaments, fishing, youth basketball, baseball and softball, and state high school events.
New Lacrosse Club In Alpharetta
ALPHARETTA, Ga.—Stars Soccer Club in Alpharetta has launched a men’s indoor lacrosse club. The club held an open house July 29 to introduce the new lacrosse club and invite men to play in a “throw around” competition. Games will be played 7-10 p.m. on Tuesdays at The Soccer Barn. Registration is open for teams and individuals at www.starslaxclub.com.
Cobb County CVB Earns Accreditation
ATLANTA—The Cobb County Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) has received the Destination Marketing Accreditation from the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP), an independent international accreditation body.
DMAP accreditation standards include governance, finance, management, human resources, technology, visitor services, group services, sales, communications, membership, brand management, destination development, research/market intelligence, innovation and stakeholder relationships.
USBC Adds Gold-Level Coach
GREENDALE, Wis.—The U.S. Bowling Congress (USBC), the national governing body for the sport, has announced that Bill Monce has earned certification as a gold-level coach for USBC Coaching. Gold is the highest of the organization’s four certification levels.
Monce, 35, is the youngest gold-level coach. He has been a coaching specialist for USBC since 2007 and was a member of the 1996 national championship bowling team from the University of Nebraska. In addition, Monce is a certified technician with the International Bowling Pro Shop and Instructors Association.
New Sales Manager At WPCVB
WAUKESHA, Wis.—Matthew Olson, formerly with the U.S. Bowling Congress, has joined the Waukesha & Pewaukee Convention and Visitors Bureau as sports sales manager. Olson will work with local sports facilities and hotels to solicit new sports tournaments and events to the area and with existing sports events to determine if there are growth opportunities.
Youth
2010 National Soccer Games Awarded To Palm Beach County
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.—The American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) has selected West Palm Beach as the site for its 2010 National Soccer Games. The games are held every other year; Honolulu hosted the 2008 games in July.
The 2010 National Soccer Games will take place over the July 4th weekend at the Palm Beach International Polo Club, where 30 polo fields will be manicured and cut to competition soccer length. Participants will be determined through a national lottery draw of 24 boys and 24 girls from U12 through U19 age divisions and a VIP division for players with physical and/or mental challenges.
Don Dufresne, president of the Palm Beach County Sports Commission, estimates the event to bring in approximately $8 million to $9 million in economic impact.
Citizens Bank Fields Secures 2009 Youth National Championships
FRISCO, Texas—Citizens Bank Fields in Lancaster, Mass., will host the 2009 US Youth Soccer National Championships, scheduled for July 21-16, 2009. Massachusetts Youth Soccer Association will be the local organizing committee.
The national championships will feature the boys’ and girls’ U14 through U19 regional champions and the US Youth Soccer National League.
Indianapolis To Host Youth Bowling Championships
GREENDALE, Wis.—The U.S. Bowling Congress (USBC) has announced that Indianapolis will be the site for the 2009 and 2010 USBC Junior Gold Championships and USBC Youth Open Championships.
The Junior Gold Championships will take place July 11-17, 2009, at Woodland Bowl, Expo Bowl and Western Bowl. The Youth Open Championships will take place July 16-25, 2009, at Expo Bowl. Dates have not been announced for the 2010 championships.
The 2009 and 2010 championships combined are expected to generate approximately $10 million to the local economy.
NCYS Names STRIVE Winners
STUART, Fla.—The National Council of Youth Sports (NCYS) has announced the recipients of the 2008 Hershey’s STRIVE Awards, which recognize individual efforts to show youth that Sports Teach Respect, Initiative, Values and Excellence. Winners were nominated by team members, parents and colleagues and judged by NCYS officials.
The four winners are Ann Cody, national administrator of the year; Dan Dionisio, volunteer of the year; Steve Kelley, coach of the year; and Frank Wilkinson, local youth administrator of the year.
Cody is director of partnerships and public policy for BlazeSports America, headquartered in Atlanta. Dionisio is a volunteer with Olney Boys & Girls Community Sports Association in Olney, Md. Kelley runs the Academic Basketball program at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Lawrence, Mass. Wilkinson, a longtime bowler and former president of the New York State Youth Leaders Chapter of the U.S. Bowling Congress, introduces youth to bowling through their school P.E. classes.
NCYS Executive Director Sally Johnson said, “Honoring America’s hometown heroes on a national scale gives them the praise they deserve.”
STRIVE winners will receive a check for $2,500, each payable to the youth sports organization of his/her choice.
Events
Alabama Mountain Lakes Secures Three Bassmaster Events In 2009
MOORESVILLE, Ala.—Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association has announced that the Bassmaster Elite Series will hold three fishing events in the region in 2009. Each of the three events is expected to generate an estimated $600,000 economic impact.
The events are scheduled for April 2-5, 2009, on Wheeler Lake; May 7-10 on Lake Guntersville; and May 14-17 on Pickwick Lake. Under a two-year agreement, the Bassmaster Elite Series will return to Pickwick Lake and Lake Guntersville in 2010.
Fireball Run Rally Helps Recover Missing Children
TUSCALOOSA, Ala.—The 2008 Fireball Run Rally, a 10-day cross-country motoring event, will come to Tuscaloosa on Sept. 29. The event is designed to help recover missing children along the 3,500-mile rally, with participants solving clues to determine where to post the recovery posters. Last year, 21 children were found as a result of the rally.
The 2008 rally will start in Baton Rouge, La., and finish in Grand Rapids, Mich. In addition to the Tuscaloosa stop, the rally will stop in Shreveport, La.; Jackson and Tupelo, Miss.; St. Louis; and Chicago. The rally will feature such “celebrity” cars as KITT from “Knight Rider,” the time car from “Back to the Future,” and the Trans-Am from “Smokey and the Bandit.”
ISU, U.S. Figure Skating Announce Venues For 2010 Championships
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—The International Skating Union (ISU) has selected Colorado Springs as the host city for the 2010 ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships. The event will be held April 9-10, 2010, at the Colorado Springs World Arena.
The ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships will feature more than 1,000 athletes, coaches and officials from approximately 22 teams from 17 nations.
The United States hosted the event in 2000, the inaugural year of the competition, in Minneapolis.
In other figure skating news, U.S. Figure Skating, the sport’s national governing body and a member of the ISU, has announced the host cities for the 2010 regional and sectional championships, which will serve as qualifiers to the 2010 U.S. Champion-ships in Spokane, Wash. The regional and sectional competitions will start with the Northwest Pacific Regional, Oct. 9-12, in Medford, Ore., and finish with the Pacific Sectional, Nov. 17-22, in Newark, Del. For the complete schedule, visit www.usfigureskating.org.
New Collegiate Baseball Tournament Will Debut In 2009
CHARLOTTE HARBOR, Fla.—Approximately 50 teams from Division II, III and junior colleges will compete in the inaugural Snowbird Baseball Classic, set for Feb. 21-March 28, 2009, in Charlotte Harbor and the Gulf Islands, Fla.
Each team will play approximately six games, with one full day’s rest between games. Team registration is open at www.snowbirdbaseball.com.
Augusta Gets Triathlon Event
AUGUSTA, Ga.—IronMan 70.3, a triathlon including a 1.2-mile swimming, 56-mile cycling and 13.1-mile running competition, will come to Augusta in 2009. The event will take place Sept. 27 with a field limit of 2,000 athletes.
Venues for the three race components will include the Savannah River (continuing through a portion of South Carolina), downtown Augusta, and near Augusta Golf and Gardens.
Premier Event Management will oversee the IronMan 70.3 event, hosted in conjunction with the Greater Augusta Sports Council.
Virginia Beach To Host ISSA Winter Nationals
MANASSAS, Va.—The International Senior Softball Association (ISSA) will hold its inaugural Winter Nationals slowpitch tournament on Oct. 3-5 at Princess Ann Park in Virginia Beach, Va. Teams will compete in seniors’ and masters’ divisions, including a new 35+ coed division.
The tournament is open to U.S. and international teams.
50th Masters Waterski Tournament Set For Callaway Gardens
ORLANDO, Fla.—The 50th Masters Waterski & Wakeboard Tournament, by Nautique boat manufacturer Correct Craft, is scheduled for Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Ga. The tournament will take place over Memorial Day weekend, May 22-24, 2009.
Total prize winnings are expected to exceed $150,000—making it the largest in water sports.
Last year’s competition drew participants from 14 countries.
Venues
Florida Community Selected For Long-Term Bowling Agreement
KISSIMMEE, Fla.—The Osceola County Public Information Office has announced that the U.S. Bowling Congress (USBC) has selected Osceola County as the location for 13 bowling competitions from 2011 through 2019. Osceola County was chosen over four other cities being considered: Wichita, Kan.; Reno, Nev.; Tulsa; and Corpus Christi, Texas.
The tournaments are expected to generate nearly $750 million combined for the area over the course of the events.
USBC will hold seven Open Championships and six Women’s Championships, each running approximately 20 weeks and drawing tens of thousands of bowlers and spectators to Osceola County. The tournaments will be played at a new facility planned at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
The agreement is the result of the combined efforts of USBC, the Central Florida Sports Commission, Walt Disney World Resort and other parties.
Construction Begins On New Indoor Sports Complex In Tennessee
COOL SPRINGS, Tenn.—Sports Land Group LLC has broken ground on the new A-Game Sportsplex in Cool Springs. The facility will feature 67,000 square feet of hardwood courts for indoor volleyball, basketball and other gymnasium-related sports, as well as two indoor ice rinks for hockey and other ice sports. A common area will include concessions, meeting space, a lounge area and wireless Internet access. The facility will be the new home of Impact Volleyball Club, which plans to relocate from Smyrna, Ga., in November.
Oregon Complex Named World’s Busiest
PORTLAND, Ore.—The Rose Quarter received the top ranking for number of shows among similar venues worldwide, according to a recent ranking by Venues Today. With 87 events—not including games for the Trail Blazers and Winter Hawks home teams, the LumberJax games and other select events—the Rose Quarter hosted more events than other venues with a seating capacity of 15,001-30,000. In addition, the Rose Quarter ranked seventh in attendance (366,520) and 16th in total gross revenues ($15,916,963).