NCAA First Team Summer Conference Returns to Tampa

The NCAA hosted close to 250 prep basketball players between grades nine and 12 at its sixth annual First Team Summer Conference, held on August 9-12 at the Grand Hyatt in Tampa.

The First Team Summer Conference provides male basketball prospects with resources to help them and their parents navigate the collegiate recruiting process and understand the role athletics plays in the educational process.

Other conference highlights included guest speakers from all levels of basketball, including current and former student-athletes, who talked to the First Team participants about their experiences. Past speakers include former coaches and NCAA student-athletes such as John Thompson, Reggie Minton, Bill Raftery, John Lucas, Charles Barkley, Jarrett Jack, Michael Curry, Clark Kellogg and Doug Collins.

"This was a special year for the NCAA First Team Summer Conference," said Anne Little, director of the NCAA First Team Program. "For the first time, we had participants from all over the United States and this year's conference featured another big first-program alumni. Several former First Team participants who recently completed their first year as college student-athletes joined us in Tampa," said Little.

First Team is a year-round NCAA program designed to help highly talented prospective student-athletes and their parents as they experience the NCAA recruiting process. Participants receive monthly communication, attend the Summer Conference and remain in the program throughout high school. New candidates complete an application process, which is reviewed by a committee to determine selection. Program participants are identified based on their athletic ability and recommendations.

The First Team program is the result of recommendations from a subcommittee of the NCAA Basketball Study Group, later named the NCAA Basketball Issues Committee. The subcommittee, which was created in 1998, asked that education initiatives be developed to address negative influences impacting the game of basketball, including a year-round mentoring and educational program.

First Team conferences have been held in Portsmouth, Virginia (2006), Colorado Springs, Colorado (2005); Charlotte, North Carolina (2004); Tampa, Florida (2003) and in Indianapolis, Indiana (2002). The NCAA partners with the National Federation of State High School Associations and the National Association of Basketball Coaches on the First Team program.

For more information on the NCAA First Team Program, visit www.ncaafirstteam.org.

National Softball Association Continues to Drive Tampa Softball Market

For the second consecutive summer, the National Softball Association (NSA) brought both their youth and adult state championships to Tampa.  Over the past year the Tampa Bay Sports Commission (TBSC) has hosted the Youth  A and B State Championships, back to back Adult State Championships and the Adult Winter World Series, resulting in over 325 teams and generating 4,135 room nights.

"The softball market has absolutely exploded over the past two years here in Tampa and NSA has been at the forefront," said Jason Aughey, sales and events manager of the TBSC. "The relationships that we have cultivated on both a state and national level have paved the way for some tremendous hosting opportunities for the community."

2007 USA Hockey 60 & Over National Championships Nominated for a SportsTravel Award

SportsTravel magazine has announced that the 2007 USA Hockey 60 & Over National Championships have been nominated for a 2007 SportsTravel Award.  After hosting a succesful  50 & Over National Championship at the Brandon Ice Forum in 2006, USA Hockey returned this year adding the 60 & over age group, drawing 31 of the nation's best teams.

Events are nominated and then voted upon by readers of SportsTravel, the sports world's event magazine. Criteria for nomination and voting include superior organization of and attendance at the event, a superior experience for the competitors and/or spectators at the event, and how the site or venue served to enhance the event. Final balloting is open through September 15, 2007. Winners will be announced at the TEAMS 2007 Conference & Expo, held on October 23-27, 2007, in Louisville.

"Since the location of the event is a major part of the criteria for being nominated, the people of Tampa should take great pride in knowing that an event held in their city is being recognized for its excellence," said Timothy Schneider, publisher of SportsTravel magazine, which organizes the TEAMS Conference and Expo.

"SportsTravel readers are the leaders of the sports-event industry and they really know what it takes to execute a high-quality athletic event," said Schneider. "The SportsTravel Awards      program is an opportunity for them to honor their peers and the cities that host sporting      events for a job well done."

Official ballots are available in the August and September issues of SportsTravel magazine. Readers may vote online at www.SportsTravelMagazine.com.