INDUSTRY

Bass Pro Shops Outdoor Rewards Bonus Points Program For BASS Members

CELEBRATION, Fla.—As part of a larger marketing alliance, BASS and Bass Pro Shops have announced a new BASS member bonus points to be paired with the existing Bass Pro Shops Outdoor Rewards program. All BASS members who sign up for the Bass Pro Shops Outdoor Rewards program will have the opportunity to earn double points for purchasing select Bassmaster Elite Series-related products at Bass Pro Shops.

The select products for which BASS members receive double points will include rods, reels, lures and other items used by the winning angler at each of the remaining 2009 Bassmaster Elite Series events.

K&K Insurance Website Offers Online Sports Quotes

FORT WAYNE, Ind.—K&K Insurance Group Inc. has launched a new website, SportsInsurance-kk.com, to provide online quoting and binding capabilities for sports teams, leagues, tournaments and events. The new site provides an option to purchase coverage using a credit card. The program has been specifically designed to meet the insurance needs of U.S. youth and adult amateur sports teams, leagues and events.

YOUTH

AAU Announces Championship Dates

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla.—The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) has announced the dates for its golf national championships. The 14U National Championship will be July 19-22 at the Cattails Meadowview in Kingsport, Tenn., and the 18U and 16U National Championships will be Aug. 2-5 at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Oxmoor Ridge and Valley in Birmingham, Ala.

In addition, the 2009 AAU Soccer National Championships, featuring boys and girls U9-U19, will be June 26-28 at the Brownsville and Harlingen Texas Soccer Complex. Teams will play a minimum of three games each.

More Than 4,300 Sailors To Participate In US Sailing Regattas

PORTSMOUTH, R.I.—More than 4,300 young sailors are expected to participate in 25 US Sailing regattas that will be held across the country this year. Through the USA Junior Olympic Sailing Festival and the U.S. Junior Championships, more than 4,300 sailors ages 8-21 will have the chance to compete in events scheduled in 16 different states.

The program, now in its 13th season, began the 2009 series this month with two events; it will culminate with the 33rd annual Orange Bowl International Youth Regatta, the largest junior sailing event in the country, hosted by the US Sailing Center and Coral Reef Yacht Club in Miami. Last year, more than 700 junior sailors from 24 countries participated in the international regatta.

The 2009 U.S. Junior Championships will be June 25-30 at the Indian Harbor Yacht Club in Greenwich, Conn.

EVENTS

USC Team Wins 2009 Chick-fil-A Bowl Challenge

GREENSBORO, Ga.—For the second straight year, the University of South Carolina (USC), featuring Head Football Coach Steve Spurrier and former USC Wide Receiver Sterling Sharpe, has won the Chick-fil-A Bowl Challenge golf tournament. The challenge is part of the annual Chick-fil-A Bowl, a charitable tournament that raises money for scholarships and other charities and brings additional exposure to the annual bowl game. Both the golf tournament and bowl game are entities of the Atlanta Sports Council.

As winners, Spurrier and Sharpe received a $120,000 first-place scholarship donation for USC. The total charitable purse for the golf tournament was $500,000.
The third-annual Chick-fil-A Bowl Challenge was held at Reynolds Plantation on Lake Oconee in Greensboro.

NBA Nation Continues Eight-City Tour

NEW YORK—The National Basketball Association (NBA) will bring its mobile basketball playground to eight NBA cities this summer. NBA Nation, presented by T-Mobile USA and Kia Motors, will feature free interactive basketball activities and competitions, including the new T-Mobile myFaves Court; Kia Motors Performance Challenge; Haier Shooting Stars; Sprite Slam Dunk Showdown; and much more. In addition, Darryl Dawkins, who played in three NBA Finals with the Philadelphia 76ers, will serve as the tour's first ambassador.

NBA Nation is a customized, 18-wheel truck that expands into 20,000 square feet of basketball playground. This year, it will travel more than 10,000 miles as it stops in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, Portland, Ore., San Francisco and Washington, D.C. The final stop is at the Taste of Dallas, July 10-12.

Saint Paul To Host Freedom Cup

INDIANAPOLIS—More than 200 acrobatic gymnasts from around the world will compete at the 2009 Freedom Cup, an International Gymnastics Federation World Cup event, scheduled for July 10-12 at The Legendary Roy Wilkins Auditorium in Saint Paul, Minn. This is the first year for the Freedom Cup, now in its fourth year, to achieve World Cup status.

The Freedom Cup includes competition in three divisions: age group, junior and senior. The preliminary rounds will be held July 10-11, with finals on July 12.

The U.S. Acrobatic Gymnastics Junior National Championships will be held July 12-16 in conjunction with the Freedom Cup.

VENUES

Funds Being Raised For New Ice Skating Rink

GOLETA, Calif.—The Greater Santa Barbara Ice Skating Association has secured $2 million in donations for a new ice skating rink near the Camino Real Marketplace in Goleta. Construction is slated to begin when the organization raises an additional $4 million. Wynmark Co., the developer of Marketplace, secured approval in 1997 to install a rink that will measure 44,000 square feet. Architect David Van Hoy has drawn building plans, and the association hopes to initiate the project soon.

Jonesboro Community Center Renovates

JONESBORO, Ind.—The Jonesboro Community Center has a renovation in the works that will include a complete building restoration, new outdoor lighting, parking areas and baseball diamond repairs. The project has been submitted for consideration as a possible recipient of federal stimulus money by the State of Indiana.

A.M. Risher Pool To Become ADA Compliant

LINTON, Ind.—The A.M. Risher Pool is planning renovations that will make it compliant with the Americans with Disability Act (ADA). The project is estimated at $1.1 million.