With the start of summer officially around the corner, lacrosse tournaments around the state of Maryland are heating up. Different parts around the United States are well-known for certain sports, and in the Mid-Atlantic area lacrosse is certainly the sport to watch. In early June, major lacrosse tournaments took place where young players could develop their skills and display their skills in front of college coaches.
One of the tournaments that were held earlier this month was the Salisbury Summer Face-off. It featured different age groups for both boys and girls. James Simmons who is the Assistant Tourism Manager for Wicomico County Recreation, Parks & Tourism mentioned, “The great thing about this event is the venue. The games will take place at Salisbury University – who just won the DIII Men’s Lacrosse National Championship, their 11th Lacrosse National Championship within the last 25 years. It is a phenomenal experience for these teams to get to play on the same facilities that such a storied program plays on as well. That has been a great draw for the event. Everyone knows about Salisbury Lacrosse and it is paying dividends for the event. They know that they could be the next one spotted by the legendary Coach Berkman.”
Being that this was the first time that the Salisbury Summer Face-was held in Wicomico County it is a way to Which is an important step to capitalize on the talented youth lacrosse players in the Mid-Atlantic region and Laxpalooza’s high hopes for the tournament to expand to a wider demographic within the next two years. Another key factor for having the tournament in Wicomico County is “We are geographically located near several major lacrosse hubs. Another added benefit, that many other locations can’t offer, is the closeness of the beach,” said Stan Adams Sports Marketing Representative for Wicomico County Recreation, Parks & Tourism.
Salisbury University is certainly a crucial draw for and one of the biggest reasons for the tournament to be played at such this venue. The Laxpalooza organization is planning to continue growing this tournament within the next few years. “After construction is complete on the new turf surface in the stadium, next year Laxpalooza Salisbury Summer Faceoff will be using the stadium for our games,” said Joe Lodato, Tournament Director for Laxpalooza Lacrosse Tournaments.
Another lacrosse tournament that shows the talent of youth lacrosse players in Maryland and all over the Mid-Atlantic was the Brine Lax Splash hosted by Aloha Tournaments. The Brine Lax Splash, which was held in the Baltimore area on June 3rd through the 5th featured 300 plus teams around the Tri-State area. The locations that were represented were Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia, New York, and Washington D.C. This really helps the players compete with teams who they have never faced before and getting a chance to show their skills to other coaches around different areas.
Also, Aloha Tournaments has done a tremendous job of showcasing a competitive tournament among all the age groups that were represented in the Brine Lax Splash. A essential factor to the success of gaining a more competitive tournament was adding was online registration.
Besides the games that take place on the field the games are not the only aspect of these tournaments that help with the growth of the areas in which they are held in. Kendall Gray who works for Aloha Tournaments said, “This year we created an Aloha Tiki Village which features a variety of national and local retailers, food trucks, which is a way to create this big fan zone experience so that our guest leave with an overall great experience.” By creating an experience that allows for everybody to enjoy more than just the games themselves does create a versatility and flexibility that ensures the customer that whoever is hosting the tournament makes their experience one to remember. For more information and to find an Aloha Tournament in your area click here.
Laxpalooza is an organization that is well known for their youth and high school lacrosse tournaments throughout the United States. Just as Aloha offered their Tiki Village, “At Laxpalooza, we stress doing the little things that most tournaments do not to create an environment that all will enjoy. Whether that means helping families unload and transport heavy belongings from the parking garage to their field,” said Lodato. For more information and to locate an Laxpalooza tournament click here.
The tournaments are important to the players who play in them however, to the parents, and the family who travel to see the games, that is not the only aspect that these tournaments what to be known for. Both Laxpalooza and Aloha Tournaments create the best vending experience that keeps their teams and parents wanting to come back.
With the growth of Laxpalooza and the Aloha Tournaments, it is imperative to have something unique and different each year, as people from different areas come into the state of Maryland and enjoy the sport of lacrosse each summer.
