Youth National Soccer Championships to DM

[NOG]

Some more great news for our local economy. We are starting to land quite of few of these sporting events here in Des Moines.

From KCCI:

Des Moines Scores Big With Soccer Tourney
National Championship Comes To Iowa In 2006

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Des Moines has scored another athletic coup.

City leaders announced Thursday that the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships will come to Des Moines in July 2006. The regional tournament was held in Iowa's capital city last year.

One soccer official compared it to hosting the Little League World Series.

"We will have 1,000 players from about 48 teams who will come here to participate in the tournament," said Tim Pearson, with the Iowa Soccer Association.

In 2004, Des Moines hosted the AAU Junior Olympic Games and the Professional Disc Golf Association Tournament.

"The word is slowly getting out that not only do we commit and say we can do this, we actually perform what we say we're going to do," said Greg Edwards, with the Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau.

More than 3,000 athletes and fans are expected during the weeklong championships at the James W. Cownie Soccer Complex in Des Moines.

City officials expect an economic impact of nearly $2.5 million from the soccer championship.

Des Moines was selected over Dallas; Chicago; Milwaukee, Wis.; and Portland, Ore.

[Ingersoll1978]

Very good news...now if Krause can get his soccer stadium built.

[NOG]

It is really nice to see Des Moines land more and more of these type of events. You have to love seeing $7 Million of out of towners money dumped into our economy.

Metro Scores Another Major Soccer Tourney
Midwest Regional Championship Comes To Des Moines In 2007

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Greater Des Moines has been awarded the 2007 U.S. Youth Soccer Midwest Regional Championships. The event will be held June 22 through June 27, 2007.

This event will bring more than 12,000 people and have an estimated economic impact of almost $7 million.

The Greater Des Moines Regional bid committee was comprised of the City of Des Moines, the West Des Moines Soccer Club, the Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Iowa Soccer Association.

The James W. Cownie Soccer Complex in Des Moines and Hidden Valley Soccer Park in West Des Moines will host the championships.

This tournament is one of four U.S. Youth Soccer Regional Championship competitions held annually in the United States, with winners advancing to the US Youth Soccer National Championships.

There will be approximately 212 U.S. Youth Soccer State Champion youth soccer teams from the 14 state associations.

In August, Des Moines was awarded the 2006 U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships, July 25 through July 30, 2006.

"We are so excited and proud to be bringing these two events to the metro area, and their combined economic impact will reach $10 million," said Kim Walker, chair of the local organizing committee for both events.

"This major event proved itself in 2003 and we are delighted to host U.S. Youth Soccer and the nation's finest young athletes again," said Greg Edwards, President/CEO of the Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau. "The $1.5 billion of improvements occurring in the metro area help entice events to return."

Tim Pearson, president of the Iowa Soccer Association, said that the Cownie Soccer Complex and Hidden Valley facilities are some of the best fields in the state.

[dmluvr]

This is great!!!!
Also just more proof that we should be able to get some NCAA tournaments!!!

However, if I ever read or hear that we missed an NCAA shot because of these freaking high school tournaments, well, I'll just be incredibly pi**ed.....god, I really hope these people aren't dumb enough to do such a thing.