Sports Talk November 2009

Industry

Northwest Florida Introduces New Sports Commission

DESTIN, Fla.—The Destin Area Chamber of Commerce and the City of Destin have created a joint sports commission. The new commission is an initiative to attract tournaments and traveling leagues, particularly during slower seasons. This economic development initiative is designed to not only put Destin’s sports facilities, such as the Morgan Sports Center, to good use but also to draw people and revenue streams to Destin.

Augusta Sports Council Welcomes New Staff

AUGUSTA, Ga.—Carly Kobasiar has returned to the Augusta Sports Council as sales and marketing manager. Kobasiar served as events manager for the Augusta Sports Council from 2001-2005. In her new position, she is responsible for recruiting new members and corporate partners, sustaining existing relationships, and internal and external marketing communications.

Oklahoma Tourism Unveils Sustainable Travel Initiative

OKLAHOMA CITY—The Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department unveiled a new travel initiative called ECO (Encouraging Conservation in Oklahoma), which promotes, educates and encourages sustainable travel in the state. The ECO program approaches sustainable
travel from both industry and consumer perspectives. It includes education, green certification and marketing support for tourism industry partners and helps them embrace sustainable travel practices.
ECO also will identify sustainable travel options such as lodging, restaurants and attractions. Seven pilot programs include businesses from a range of tourism industries, including the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon.

American Swimming Stars Take On European Select Team

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—Team USA will take on the top swimmers from three European nations in the Mutual of Omaha Duel in the Pool, Dec. 18-19, at Manchester Aquatic Centre in Manchester, England. The bi-annual Duel in the Pool is a made-for-TV event, designed to showcase the sport’s most exciting swimmers in non-Olympic years. The event will be aired 2:00-4:00 p.m. EST Dec. 27 on NBC.

Youth

AYF Announces Regional Championship Dates

MIAMI—American Youth Football (AYF) has released dates and locations for its regional and national championships for both football and cheer. Regional championships will be held in November at various locations. The 2009 Under Armour American Youth Football National Championships will be held Dec. 5-11 and 2009 Under Armour American Youth Cheer National Championships presented by Universal Cheerleaders Association will be held Dec. 10-12.
AYF has also created the opportunity for football teams to create a free team website through Shutterfly. The online service allows teams to share and access pictures, manage meetings, practices and games, and quickly access contact information with a team roster.

US Youth Soccer Announces Olympic Development Program Dates

FRISCO, Texas—The US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program (ODP) has been set for November and December for elite-level boys and girls. The US Youth Soccer ODP Thanksgiving Interregional for girls will be Nov. 22-27 in Coral Springs, Fla., and Nov. 27-30 in Orlando, Fla., for boys. The US Youth Soccer ODP Winter Interregional for girls will be Dec. 27-29 in Jackson, Miss., and Dec. 27-30 in Orlando, Fla., for boys.
Also in December, the US Youth Soccer National League, featuring top boys’ and girls’ teams in the U15-U17 age groups, will enter its third season. League play for girls’ games kicks off Dec. 3-6 in College Station, Texas, followed by boys’ games Dec. 10-13 in
Wilson, N.C.

Events

NAIA Women’s Soccer Nationals Coming To Alabama

DECATUR, Ala.—The 2009 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Women’s Soccer National Championship ‰ will be held in Alabama for the first time as the 15-game tournament takes place Nov. 30-Dec. 5 at Jack Allen Recreation Complex in Decatur. The complex will also serve as host venue for the championship tournaments in 2010 and 2011.
The Decatur-Morgan County Convention and Visitors Bureau also will host the 2010 Southern Collegiate Bass Fishing Championships at Wheeler Lake in April 2010 and the 2010 NAIA Softball National Championship, May 20-26, at the Wilson Morgan Softball Complex.

USA Weightlifting Confirms Event In Mobile

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—USA Weightlifting has confirmed that the 2009  American Open will be held Dec. 10-13 at the Mobile (Ala.) Civic Center Arena in Mobile. The competition will feature more than 150 athletes, with the results determining who qualifies for the U.S. National Team in the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

Winter Dew Tour Kicks Off Second Season

BURR RIDGE, Ill.—The Winter Dew Tour will kick off its 2009-2010 season at Breckenridge Ski Resort in Breckenridge, Colo., Dec. 18-20. Totino’s has signed on as event title sponsor. The tour also will stop Jan. 15-17, 2010, in Huntsville, Utah, and will include the Toyota Championship Feb. 5-7, 2010, in West Dover, Vt.

USRA Half Marathon Series Announced

WINTER PARK, Fla.—Reinke Sports Group has announced the inaugural USRA Half Marathon Running Series for small- to mid-sized markets. The series will begin with the Columbia (S.C.) Half Marathon Feb. 17, 2010, and will include stops in Bentonville, Ark.; Lexington, Ky.; Mt. Pleasant/Racine, Wis.; Council Bluffs, Iowa; Worcester, Mass.; Joplin, Mo.; Lafayette, Ind.; Lancaster, Pa.; and Clarksville, Tenn. Each event also will include a 5K and fun run. Organizers expect to add more cities in 2010 and to expand to 20-25 markets within three years.

American Football Coaches Association Returns To Kentucky

LOUISVILLE, Ky.—The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) will hold its annual national convention at the Kentucky International Convention Center Jan. 11-15, 2015, and again January 12-14, 2020. The three-day event will include exhibitions, professional development seminars and various awards to coaches on all four-year college levels.
AFCA previously met in Louisville in 2005. Both the 2015 and 2020 AFCA conventions are expected to draw 8,000 attendees and generate nearly $5 million.

Monroe Awarded Sporting Events

MONROE, La.—The Monroe-West Monroe CVB has announced two sporting events for 2011. The National Horseshoe Pitchers Association World Tournament will be held July 18-30, 2011, at the Monroe Civic Center Arena and Convention Center, while the Sun Belt Conference Baseball Tournament will be held May 25-28, 2011, at the University of Louisiana at Monroe Warhawk Stadium. The winner of the Sun Belt tournament will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament.

Fayetteville To Host Wrestling, Soccer Events

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.—The Crown Exposition Center in Fayetteville will host the Rhino Wrestling Club’s Red, White and Blue National Folkstyle Duals Nov. 21-22, as well as the Rhino Wrestling Club’s Extreme Invitational-Rhino Rookie Tournament Jan. 23, 2010, and the North Carolina USA Wrestling Mat Madness NC Greco-Roman State Championships and Freestyle State Championships in May 2010.
In addition, Fayetteville has been selected to host the Triangle Futbol Club’s Triangle Futbol Friendlies 12th Annual Soccer Tournament. The tournament will take place Jan. 23, 24, 30-31 and Feb. 6-7, 2010, at the Jordan Soccer Complex.

U.S. Conference Will Focus On National Sports Safety And Security

HATTIESBURG, Miss.—The National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS4) at the University of Southern Mississippi will present the National Sports Safety and Security Conference and Exhibition Aug. 2-4, 2010, at the Astor Crowne Plaza in New Orleans. The conference will be the first in the United States to focus solely on sports security and safety and will be themed, “Balancing Safety, Security and Spectator Experience.”

Wenatchee To Host Triple Crown Baseball

WENATCHEE, Wash.—Triple Crown Sports, based in Fort Collins, Colo., has chosen Wenatchee as the host city for a season-opening tournament. The 2010 Wenatchee Valley Season Opener, featuring approximately 30 teams of players aged 9-14 in five divisions, will be played April 10-11 at Walla Walla Point baseball field, Kirby Billingsley Hydro Parks, Dan White Field, Eastmont Jr. High baseball field, Tedford Park, Lincoln Park, and Paul Thomas Sr. Baseball Field at Wenatchee Valley College.

NAIA Selects Sioux City For Volleyball Events

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has announced the host city for its 2010, 2011 and 2012 Volleyball National Championships. The annual championships will be held at Tyson Events Center/Gateway Arena in Sioux City, Iowa. Sioux City hosted the event in 2008, and will host the 2009 championships Dec. 1-5.

Spokane To Host 2010 American Legion World Series

SPOKANE, Wash.—The Spokane Regional Sports Commission and Spokane American Legion Post 9 will host the 2010 American Legion Baseball World Series Aug. 13-17 at Avista Stadium. The tournament will feature the American Legion Baseball league’s top eight teams in the country. American Legion Baseball is comprised of boys ages 15-19.

Venues

Swim Clubs Earn Designation As USOC Training Centers

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—In an effort to increase the training opportunities for elite post-graduate swimmers, the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) has tapped two existing USA Swimming Clubs as “U.S. Olympic Committee Professional and Post Grad Training Centers.”
North Baltimore Aquatic Club and Fullerton (Calif.) Aquatics Sports Team became the second and third clubs, respectively, to join the program. SwimMAC in Charlotte, N.C., was the first club to receive the designation in 2006.