Tri-State visitors have plenty of options for fun, dining, more

BARBOURSVILLE -- There are plenty of options for food, fun and shopping for the approximately 14,000 soccer players, parents, coaches and referees visiting the Tri-State as part of the U.S. Youth Soccer Region I Championships, not to mention the hundreds more who will descend on the area in late July for baseball and softball tournaments.

The six-day soccer championships will pit 280 teams from 13 states against each other at newly renovated fields at the Barboursville City Park and Cabell County 4-H camp in Barboursville and the YMCA Kennedy Center on W.Va. 2.

Opening ceremonies begin on July 2 at Marshall University's Joan C. Edwards Stadium in Huntington, then each competing team will play one game a day on Friday, Saturday and Sunday to determine which teams advance in the tournament. Games will be played at the new Barboursville Soccer Complex at Barboursville City Park and at the YMCA Kennedy Center fields on W.Va. 2.

The Tri-State will roll out the welcome mats again at the end of July, when the 2009 Little League Southeast Region Tournament brings young athletes from all over the south to Mitch Stadium in Kenova, W.Va. Softball play is scheduled from July 30-Aug. 3; baseball is Aug. 7-14.

At the same time, League 3 in Huntington will host the Tournament of State Champions, featuring 9- and 10-year-old baseball. That tournament is scheduled for July 31-Aug. 5.

That means that most of the players, coaches and their families will be in the area at least three or four days for the soccer, baseball and softball tournaments. Playing only one game a day for the first few days of the soccer tournament, especially, leaves a lot of time to explore the Tri-State's shopping and entertainment options, according to Tyson Compton, director of the Cabell Huntington Convention and Visitors Bureau.

"We have an exciting variety of shopping opportunities," Compton said. "We have the Huntington Mall, which has a number of diverse shops, and we have the lively atmosphere of Pullman Square and downtown Huntington."

But for the tournament participants who are staying farther away from Barboursville and Huntington, Compton said there are plenty of options from Charleston to Ashland, Ky., and all points in between.

With tournament play occurring in the Tri-State, Compton said visitors have food, shopping and entertainment options in West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio to choose from every day -- which means families can do some leisurely shopping and sightseeing one day, then experience the thrills and chills of Camden Park -- West Virginia's only amusement park -- the next.

Aside from the shops and malls, Compton said visitors can taste everything from classic burgers and fries and Italian and Mexican cuisine to down-home West Virginia favorites at the Tri-State's countless restaurants.

"There's a lot of unique, one-of-a-kind restaurants that offer very casual atmospheres and others that offer sophisticated dining experiences for couples and families that are also very enjoyable," Compton said. "But one of the greatest things about West Virginia is that we have a lot of homestyle restaurants."

As part of a two-year agreement, the Tri-State will host the Region 1 soccer championships in 2010, as well -- so if you can't squeeze in everything this time around, this guide should give you a jump-start on planning your activities for next year's tournament.

The Herald-Dispatch

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