 Cortland, NY - The Cortland community will host the 2008 New York State West State Cup Final Four Soccer Championships next month, an event that over three days will bring in more than 60 teams and pump an estimated $500,000 into the local economy.
Sponsored by the Cortland Regional Sports Council in partnership with the Cortland County Youth Soccer Association, the tournament is set for May 30-June1. Teams from Buffalo to Rochester, Corning, and Syracuse will be participating in eight age brackets. New York West has committed to Cortland for next year's event, as well.
"Local hotels, restaurants and stores will reap the benefits of having this many soccer players, coaches and spectators in town for this event, " said sports council executive director Machell Phelps. "We're thrilled because once again we've shown that Cortland can be a viable venue for sports and recreational activities. People want to be here and of course we're happy to have them here."
Winners of the New York State West State Championships advance to the US Youth Soccer Region1 Championships in Portland, Maine. Winners at the regional level advance to the national finals to be held in Little Rock, Arkansas in late July.
This tournament had previously been played in Rochester but was awarded to Cortland for 2008 and 2009 through a competitive bidding process.
The round robin format tournament will be played on fields at the SUNY Cortland Stadium Complex as well as the new Tompkins Cortland Community College Athletic Complex. Play begins on Friday, May 30, with under 17 and under 18 age divisions taking the field.
"The quality of competitive soccer you will see, especially in the older age divisions, is unparalleled," says James Jacob, president of the Cortland County Youth Soccer Association. "This is the level of play that many coaches and players strive for".
Each summer the United States Youth Soccer Association crowns a boys and girls national champion in each of its age divisions, from under 14 through under 19 brackets. The National Championship Series provides approximately 185,000 players on 10,000 teams from 55 state associations the opportunity to showcase their soccer skills against the best competition in the nation, while emphasizing teamwork, discipline and fair play.
A form of the US Youth Soccer National Championships were first held in 1935 and, after adding age groups throughout the years, reached the present format in 2001.
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