Florida Sports Monthly Update - June, 2016 Upcoming Events Florida Sports Foundation awards Florida Sports Commissions for their efforts June 10-12, 2016 Sunshine State Games Swimming Championships The FSF presented six awards to recognize Florida communities Gainesville, Florida and sports commissions for their outstanding efforts in sports tourism in the State of Florida. June 11-12, 2016 Sunshine State Games Sarasota-Bradenton Festival Manatee & Sarasota Counties, Florida Sports offered: Archery, Disc Golf, Paddling, Powerlifting, Racquetball, Rowing, Synchronized Swimming and Ultimate June 18-19, 2016 Sunshine State Games Palm Beach County Festival Palm Beach County, Florida Sports offered: BMX Cycling, Fencing, Judo, Karate, Taekwondo, Weightlifting and Wrestling June 18-19, 2016 The awards were presented at the FSF’s annual Sports Summit, Sunshine State Games held this year in Palm Coast. The awards presented included: Table Tennis Championships Simpson Recreation Center, Lakeland, Venue of the Year (Metropolitan Large Market): Ice Den, Florida Coral Springs (formerly Incredible Ice) – Broward County Sports June 18-19, 2016 Development Sunshine State Games Venue of the Year (Mid-size Market): Apalachee Regional Track & Field Championships Park, Tallahassee, Tallahassee Sports Council Lake Minneola High School, Minneola, Best Awarded Event of the Year: COPA America Centenario Florida Soccer – Orlando City Soccer June 24-26, 2016 Best Event of the Year – Small Market: Snowbird Baseball Sunshine State Games Classic – Charlotte Harbor CVB Water Polo Championships Best Event of the Year – Mid Market: NCAA Men’s/Women’s Coral Springs, Florida Golf Championships, Bradenton Area Sports Commission Best Event of the Year – Large Market: 2016 NCAA Men’s June 25-26, 2016 Frozen Four, Tampa Bay Sports Commission Sunshine State Games Badminton Championships ClearOne Orlando, Florida FSF Sponsors AAU Volleball aims for another record-setting event in Florida The Florida Sports Foundation’s Grant Programs were established in 1996 to assist communities and host organizations in attracting sports events, which generate significant out-of-state economic impact for the state of Florida. Events considered for grant funding include amateur, professional athletic events, or other categories approved by the Foundation’s Board of Directors. Five sports events receiving a FSF grant will take place during the month of June and are projected to bring over 97,000 visitors and more than $53.6 million in economic impact to the state. The COPA America Centenario, played at Camping World Stadium, June 4-8, features matches with teams from Bolivia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Haiti, Panama and during the First Round. Florida Sports Foundation A Division of Enterprise Florida, Inc. 101 North Monroe Street Suite 1000 Tallahassee, FL 32301 (850) 488-8347 The 43rd AAU National Volleyball Championship, played at ESPN Clearwater Satellite Office Wide World of Sports and the Orange County Convention Center, 1501 N. Belcher Road, #238 Clearwater, FL 33761 June 18-26, is the world's largest volleyball event as designated (727) 724-3082 by the Guinness Book of World Records. www.flasports.com SSG in Full Swing in June During the month of June, 20 of the 28 Sunshine State Games sports of the 2016 Calendar of Events will be contested. Beginning with SSG Swimming on June 10 in Gainesville and ending with the SSG Badminton and Water Polo on June 26, there will be 17 days of Florida's Finest Amateur Athletes training and competing. Visit www.sunshinestategames.com for more information about Florida's Olympic-style Sports Festival, a Florida tradition now in its fourth decade of providing amateur sports opportunities for Floridians. SSG Events that have already taken place include Artistic Roller Skating, Dominos, Figure Skating, Rugby, Lacrosse, Basketball and Boxing. For recaps and results take a look at the 2016 Sunshine State Games Press Kit, which will be updated weekly throughout competitions in June. Over 10,000 amateur athletes compete annually in the Sunshine State Games, the nation’s longest standing State Games. 2020 Super Bowl to be held in Miami in renovated home of Miami Dolphins The NFL has chosen Atlanta, Miami and Los Angeles as future Super Bowl host cities . The league announced South Florida's Sun Life Stadium, which is undergoing a multimillion-dollar renovation, will host the championship in 2020. Super Bowl LIV (54) marks a record-breaking 11th time the game will be played in Miami/South Florida. Tampa Bay Lightning could be Pro Sports Franchise of the Year The Lightning has been nominated for the annual Sports Business Awards' Sports Team of the Year by SportsBusiness Journal. The Tampa Bay Lightning is the only NHL team vying for that award against the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors, Major League Baseball's World Series champion Kansas City Royals, Major League Soccer's champion Portland Timbers and the NFL's Carolina Panthers, which lost Super Bowl 50. Pro Bowl in Orlando The Pro Bowl is returning to its Florida roots to Camping World Stadium in Orlando in 2017. In addition to a move away from its longtime base in Honolulu, the now Orlando-based all-star game will feature an AFC vs. NFC matchup. This is the first time since 2012 that the league is using the traditional format following a three-year experiment with unconferenced squads, which featured past NFL legends drafting from pools of Pro Bowl eligible players. Also new is a shift to focus on more youth football activities. Pro Bowl Week will now feature Pro Bowl AFC and NFC practices as well as youth football competitions, activities and fan events at the Disney venue, with 2017 Pro Bowl players able to invite their former youth or high school coach to be a part of the celebrations. Top Sports Executives to meet in Fort Lauderdale The Association of Chief Executives for Sport (ACES) Summer Conference will be held at the Westin Fort Lauderdale, June 21- 23. On Wednesday, June 22, attendees will be involed in panel discussions on sports-related topics such as Technology, Marketing, Relationships between Rights Holders and Event Planners, Managing staff and Protecting All Aspects of Your Event. Moderators include exeucitves from USA Hockey, Professional Bull Riders, On-Peak Housing, Fort Lauderdale Sports Development and Clancy's Sports Properties. ACES is a trade assocation comprised exclusively of CEO's of United States national sport governing bodies. There are over 60 members of ACES and most of the US Olympic Committee National Governing Bodies are members of ACES. The association held a previous conference in Pensacola in the spring of 2014. X Games on the Calendar for South Florida? Broward County's tourism bureau is bidding to host the widely popular X Games, potentially drawing 100,000 more visitors to South Florida. Miami-based Mecca Media Entertainment and the Tourism Bureau have partnered to bid on hosting the 2017 X Games. The X Games are known to bring in 25,000 visitors a day for this four day event, and the economic impact for the city would be approximately $74 million based on prior X Games in Austin, TX. The X Games will bring hundreds of athletes to the city of Fort Lauderdale competing in skateboarding, dirt bike riding and other Moto X competitions. Collegiate roundup The road to the College World Series once again travels through Florida as the state hosts three baseball regional tournaments with 12 teams playing in Tallahassee, Gainesville and Miami. The Florida Gators and Miami Hurricanes are among the top eight national seeds. On the Division II level the Nova Southeastern Sharks have advanced to the Division II National Baseball Championship Game against the Millersville Marauders, in Pennsylvania. The tournament is being played in Cary, North Carolina. The Florida State Seminoles softball team opened play in the Women's College World Series with a 5-4 loss to the Georgia Bulldogs in Pool 1 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and return to the field on Saturday, June 4. This is Florida State's ninth trip to the Women’s College World Series. Florida Division II golf programs fared well at the NCAA Championships as the St. Leo Lions won Division II Men’s Golf Championships. Hugo Bernard of St. Leo also topped the field in the individual championship. It is the first team title in any sport for the Lions. Rollins has now won a record six NCAA Division II Women’s Golf National Championships. Led by head coach Julie Garner each time, the Tars won four-straight from 2003-to-2006. Rollins’ most recent championship was in 2008. Plenty of MLB action for the Marlins and Rays in June Between the Miami Marlins and Tampa Bay Rays, the two teams combine for 29 home games during the monht of June. The Marlins will be on the field for homestands between June 1-5 and June 17-26. The Rays will be at Tropicana Field for homestands Rays homestand June 10-19 and June 27-30 . Besides the action on the field, the teams are providing some fun activities for fans at the ballpark. It's a "Bark and the Park," Day on June 5. Fans are invited to bring their dogs out to Marlins Park to watch the Marlins take on the Mets to support the Humane Society of Greater Miami and the Humane Society of Broward County. The always entertaining "Turn Back the Clock," game for the Rays is Saturday, June 18 when the first 10,000 fans will receive a 1970’s themed poster. An added bonus is the Summer Concert Series performance by the Fray at the conclusion of the game. Major Leaguers in training will be on the field, Saturday, June 18 at the Florida State League All Star Game Fort Myers, at the CenturyLink Sports Complex.