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OPINIONS
Editorial: Soccer tourney gives Tri-State a chance to shine
The Huntington-Cabell Convention and Visitors Bureau has prepared wayfinder signs to guide visitors to the soccer tournament in Huntington.
Purchase this photoThe Tri-State will be faced with an opportunity -- and a test -- starting later this week when as many as 21,000 people descend on the Huntington area for the 2009 U.S. Youth Soccer Region I Championships.
Rarely does the region have so many visitors. Generally the only other times so many people come to the Tri-State for an event are for Marshall University football games. But the bulk of those people are familiar with Huntington and are here for just the day of the game and perhaps an overnight.
The soccer tournament -- involving about 280 soccer teams from 13 states -- will have a six-day run, starting Thursday with opening ceremonies. All of the teams will be here for pool play Friday through Sunday, before the number of teams still standing starts to shrink for the semifinal and then final matches on Monday and Tuesday. Matches in the tournament, which is scheduled to be here again in 2010, will be played at the Barboursville Soccer Complex inside the Barboursville City Park and the YMCA Kennedy Center on W.Va. 2.
Most of these visitors -- players, parents, coaches and referees -- have not been to the Tri-State before, thus will be forming their first impressions of the area.
We all have a role in making those first impressions good ones.
Dozens of people have been working toward that goal for months, and many, many more are gearing up this week to do their best to make the soccer tournament visitors feel welcome and enjoy their stay here. Volunteers are signed up to help in a variety of ways, from helping with traffic and parking, guiding visitors around the area, distributing informational materials, helping with the tournament games themselves, staffing booths, etc. Preparing for an onslaught of so many people is a mammoth task, and local officials and volunteers have been diligent in making preparations, including making the 22 fields in Barboursville and the Kennedy Center suitable for tournament play.
The opening ceremonies and activities at Marshall University's Joan C. Edwards Stadium promise to be exciting, a grand start to this event.
And businesses and visitor attractions appear to be ready.
The estimated economic impact of this tournament is $12 million, which makes this year's tournament highly significant in itself. But how well the region accommodates the tournament and tends to the needs and wants of the visitors can have an impact far beyond just this tournament. If done well, it can set the stage for expanding the Tri-State's attractiveness as a place to conduct large-scale events, whether of a sporting nature, such as the soccer tournament and youth baseball and softball tournaments planned a month later, or otherwise.
And that can have an impact on the region for decades to come if we perform ably this year and build on that success.
Even people who are not involved directly in conducting or helping with the tournament can contribute. With 21,000 visitors in the region, virtually all of us are likely to encounter someone here for the event, and at times the extra traffic and congestion in restaurants and stores might test the patience of some. But be prepared to treat everyone with a smile and with respect. Be helpful if asked to provide information or offer a tip. Make the visitors appreciative of the people here. Let them know that the Tri-State is a good place to be.
If we all put our best foot forward, the dividends could be great.
