One of the nation’s top summer sports festivals kicks off June 5-7 on the famed Virginia Beach Oceanfront as the North American Sand Soccer Championships (NASSC), and its associated beach games, invade twenty sandy blocks along the resort strip. Known internationally as the crucible of amateur and pro/am beach soccer, the Championships are anticipating over 9,500 sand soccer players plus a fan base of 30,000. The City of Virginia Beach will serve as the huge festival’s “Presenting Sponsor” for a second consecutive year, along with key sponsors Deer Park Water, UMBRO USA, and Premier Soccer Hilltop among over a hundred corporate partners and advertisers.
The centerpiece of the monster tournament is the “U.S. Open” men’s pro/am cash division, now in its eighth year, which features ten of the top international/national teams competing over three days in a large beach stadium for the U.S. National Championships. Included in the Open are players from several countries who have competed for their respective national teams in the FIFA World Cup of Beach Soccer. Several Brazilian and Southern California teams will attempt to wrest the national title from the HRSC “Elite,” who took the ’08 crown with a host of former college and professional stars hailing from the region.
Imbedded within NASSC 2009 are the highly popular “SideKick” venues of Beach Wrestling, Beach Rugby, Beach Coed Flag Football, and Beach Lacrosse. Joining the action are Beach Tennis USA from the West Coast, and the rapidly developing craze of Beach Cornhole (a bean bag tossing game).
Guest celebrities from the professional sports and entertainment worlds will be on hand, along with free fireworks displays, kids' clinics, beach movies and other attractions, ensuring an action-packed, fun-filled weekend for all.
SURF, SUN and SAND SOCCER – You just can’t beat it as the best way to kick off the summer, as verified by the 75,000 athletes who have enjoyed Virginia Beach sand soccer since its 1994 inception.
NASSC is a 501c3 charity event produced by the Hampton Roads Soccer Council (HRSC) specifically for the continuing development of the privately operated 75-acre, 19-field Hampton Roads Soccer Complex at Princess Anne Park. HRSC affiliate clubs include Beach FC Travel Soccer/NYSL, the Virginia Rush, and the Southeastern Virginia Women’s Soccer Association (SEVWSA).
Complete information is available by visiting www.sandsoccer.com. |
