Youth Sports Grow In County

For three years, Pasco County has hosted the state finals for high school cross country at the Little Everglades Ranch, near Dade City. This year, the county becomes an official sponsor of the event - one more step toward building Pasco's reputation as a go-to location for sporting events.

The county's Tourism Development Commission will ask county commissioners next week to approve a contract to make Pasco County one of the official sponsors for this year's Florida High School Athletic Association state finals in November.

The Little Everglades Ranch has been the venue for the state cross country finals since 2005. The Nov. 22 finals drew about 1,800 participants.

The sponsorship lets the county put its name and logo on the event's materials and awards.

"Being the official host or sponsor for the venue builds our brand as a sports destination," county spokesman Eric Keaton said.

In recent years, county officials have worked to attract sporting events - youth-oriented events, in particular - to Pasco as a way of broadening the local economy. All those players, coaches and parents stay in local hotels and eat at local restaurants during their stays.

Florida and Pasco County offer the kind of sports possibilities unavailable in most of the country this time of year, said Bruce Binler, New York-based organizer of the Score at the Shore soccer tournament.

This month, the county hosted the Dick's Sporting Goods Tournament of Champions lacrosse event at the Wesley Chapel District Park. A team from British Columbia, Canada, won.

Next month, Pasco will host the Score at the Shore, a 250-team event that will draw teenage players and their families from the Midwest, Northeast and Canada to play on fields in Wesley Chapel and Land O' Lakes. The tournament will also use two venues in Hillsborough County.

The tournament is a popular place for college recruiters to scope out upcoming talent, Binler said.

"They finally got it this year," Binler said of Pasco officials. "They understand what economic development - tourist development - is about, and sports is part of that."

Last year, Score at the Shore brought in more than $20 million to the region, Binler said.

Score at the Shore is in its fourth year in the Tampa Bay area. The tournament added Pasco locations after outgrowing its original locations in Hillsborough County.

"Once the tournament started to grow, we had to find places conducive to playing soccer," Binler said. "For me, it's quantity of soccer fields and quality of soccer fields."