If you are tired of snow and freezing cold temperatures, you can be forgiven if your thoughts turn to summer.
How about Sun, Fun and Soccer On The Beach?
That would be the 22nd annual 2015 McDonald’s North American Sand Soccer Championships, June 5-7 between 14th and 36th street at the Virginia Beach Boardwalk.
The tournament began in 1992, and over the past two decades has grown with corporate and civic support.
Ten youth divisions for boys and girls are scheduled this year, including an U-8 division for the first time. Teams include up to 10 rostered players
There is also a College Division (Under-23), as well as Open Divisions, Over 30 Divisions, Over 40 Divisions, and a coed high school division.
The NASSC has offered a cash prize division for top men’s pro/am teams since 2001, with games played in a beach stadium that is the focal point of the 22-block of sand soccer fields.
Last year’s winner, Team Canada, is returning to defend their title.
This year’s tournament will attract over 10,000 players from more than 12 states and Canada, many of whom have played in the tournament multiple summers. These games, which typically feature more than 60 shots a game, keeps them coming back.
In all, the tournament is expected to attract over 50,000 visitors for the tournament weekend.
The Virginia Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau estimates the event will generate approximately 2,500 room nights and an estimated $2.6 million in direct spending over the weekend.
Tourism is a driving force for Virginia Beach’s economy, creating jobs and generating a strong economic impact.
The North American Sand Soccer Tournament is included on the Southeast Tourism Society’s Top 20 Summer Events.
The North American Sand Soccer Championships began in 1992 as a small on-the-beach tournament, The Hampton Roads Soccer Council was formed as a consortium of several Virginia Beach area travel and recreation soccer organizations, which backed the sand soccer event.
The first sand soccer tournament in Virginia Beach took place in May 1994 when 26 youth and adult teams braved a blustery nor’easter to play on six fields in what was then called the “Beach Soccer Kickoff.”
That event was co-sponsored by Beach FC and the Virginia Beach Rotary Club. The success of that tournament spread rapidly throughout the soccer community and tournament entries began to grow.
The return rate of players from one year to the next has been as high as 93%, and through the 2013 tournament, when the last statistics were released, the tournament had host more than 127,000 players.
The administration for the tournament is headed up by Executive Director Dick Whalen, along with Gina Koehler (Administrtor), Karen Knott (Scheduler), Matt Whalen (Assistant Director/Operations), Kristen Whalen (Director for Volunteers & Registration) and Kerry Sentiff (Social Media/Web Operations).
Deadline for applications for the 2015 tournament is April 15. See North America San Soccer Page 20.