Ryder Cup Captain's Dinner
Monday, November 6th was a day that will live on as a great day for
Kentucky golf. On that day, Paul Azinger was named the Captain of the
2008 U.S. Ryder Cup Team that will compete at Valhalla in Louisville.
But what made it great were the events of the day – the announcement, the press conference in downtown Louisville and the State Dinner hosted by the Governor and First Lady that night in Mr. Azinger’s honor. The first two events provided world-wide media exposure and more international coverage than we have ever seen.
The Captain’s Dinner accomplished even more, with showing the world that Kentucky knows how to put on and prepare for big events. In fact, Mr. Roger Warren, President of the PGA of America, stated that night, “the PGA has been a lot of places, but nobody has ever treated us as well as Kentucky has today.”
What does that mean to all of our communities you might ask? What it does is cause one of the largest rights holders in the country to be an ambassador for Kentucky. Word travels quickly in this industry and as we host events that display our abilities on a world stage, the water rises and lifts all boats.
Our job as a group is to make sure we utilize that same effort, feeling and ability, when working with the National Softball Association, the National Bicycle League, FLW Outdoors or any other rights holder with which we work.
As we mature in this industry we will build a reputation. We want to
make sure it is one of success and understanding the needs of our clients.
Each event we work on is important and helps us add a building block
of success for all of us. The Ryder Cup Dinner was one such event.
“The Mouse That Roared”
Owensboro, Kentucky
Small Midwestern city makes big impact in the sports event industry
“America’s Northernmost Southern City” Those were
the words used to describe Owensboro, Kentucky a centrally located
small town at the Amateur Softball Association’s 70th annual
convention in Winston Salem, North Carolina October 2001. A true anomaly
in the sports event recruitment world.
Owensboro is nestled on the banks of the Ohio River nearly half way between Louisville, Kentucky and Evansville, Indiana. A town of only 60,000 people with beautiful sports playing facilities that boast 2 large baseball / softball complexes, two 10 field soccer complexes, a brand new state of the art 4 field football complex, a 5,000 seat indoor arena and more gymnasiums than you can shake a stick at.
In addition you will find in excess of 6,000 motel rooms that are within a forty five minute drive of the event venues. Couple with that the beautiful Executive Inn Rivermont a 500 room host hotel with tons of meeting space that affords Owensboro the administrative ability to host these major events.
For a town of its size obviously Owensboro more than has the bases
covered in the area of sporting event infrastructure.
In just 6 short years Owensboro has hosted 20 National Championships
in baseball and softball spanning 4 major organizations. Not to be
outdone, 3 more national championships will roll into Owensboro in
the summer of 2007 and more are scheduled for 2008.
It is not just about baseball and softball in Owensboro anymore, annually large regional basketball and soccer events are also conducted in this quaint river town. Recently it was announced that in 2007-2008 two national governing bodies of sport, USA Taekwondo and USA Fencing will be bringing Olympic qualifiers to town. Even more major events are being planned currently and will be announced soon
Currently it is projected that sports tourism will create nearly 30 million in economic impact for this relatively small community this year alone.
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It was “A long and winding road”, as the process began
for Owensboro in Dallas, Texas in September of 1999 at the USSSA baseball
meetings. Owensboro Superintendent of Recreation at that time, Jim
Voyles attended the meetings planning to partner with USSSA, an organization
that was working hard to revitalize its program image by moving into
youth baseball. USSSA did not award Owensboro a tournament that first
year but one year later after the persistent efforts of Mr. Voyles
and former Kentucky USSSA State Baseball Director Pat Powers they succumbed
and reluctantly rewarded Owensboro as the host for USSSA’s first
ever “AA” Baseball Nationals. Proudly Jim, Pat and Owensboro
took the ball and ran with it.
In 2001 Owensboro hosted its first true national championship and
had 54 teams in 5 divisions. After proving their worth with USSSA Owensboro
was again awarded the “AA” Nationals for 2002 and amazingly
43 teams of the original 54 teams returned and brought another 74 teams
with them. Suddenly the new “AA” baseball program had become
the largest USSSA baseball tournament in the country and the USSSA “AA” program
was off the ground and running. All together Owensboro hosted four
consecutive USSSA “AA” Nationals and they have not looked
back yet.
*****
“
Same city different result”. In that same month November of 1999
Jim Voyles and the local ASA Commissioner, Bill Bollinger found themselves
back in Dallas, this time in front of nearly 300 delegates of the ASA
National Convention preaching the gospel of Owensboro.
This was Jim’s first trip to ASA and it paid off with Owensboro being awarded the Girl’s 12 and under Slow Pitch Nationals for 2001. Since that event Owensboro has hosted 6 ASA National Championships and next summer will host it’s seventh. Ranging from forty one, 12 year old girls’ slow pitch teams to the largest in ASA’s 75 year history, The Girl’s Class “A” 18 and under Fast pitch national Championship with one hundred and forty four teams from 40 states which was conducted this year.
“We are not Atlanta, Louisville or Indy. We don’t have the Olympics, the Derby or the 500 but what we can do is grow events and run them the best way we know how”. Voyles recently told the Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce.
Regularly at conventions Owensboro finds itself in opposition to major
cities bidding for the same events. Even more regularly Owensboro finds
itself winning the bids and bringing home first class national events
to this centrally located small town.
*****
“The third national organization is a charm but four is even better”.
That must have been the thought process for the event organizers. After hosting
2 National Championships in 2001 and 2002 for both USSSA and ASA Owensboro wanted
to add yet another major event to they’re already busy summer. So in the
fall of 2002 they traveled to Lexington Kentucky for the NSA/BPA national convention.
The National Softball Association, a Kentucky based organization which
has grown tremendously in recent years was hosting its 20th annual
convention and to help celebrate that milestone, NSA was beginning
its own fledgling baseball program named The Baseball Players Association.
Voyles again and Jared Bratcher a Recreation Supervisor for the Parks
Department, had made the trip to attempt to lure an NSA event to Owensboro
for 2003. By the time they departed for home they had been awarded
the NSA Men’s Northern Zone World Series Class “E” and
as a bonus for which they never dreamed, Owensboro had been chosen
as one of the sites for the inaugural BPA Youth Baseball World Series.
From 2004-2007 Owensboro has been chosen each year to host additional NSA Men’s Championships and a BPA World Series.
*****
“
The name has changed but not the faces”. In December of 2002
both Voyles and Bratcher left the City’s Parks Department. Less
than one month later negotiations began to enable Owensboro to hold
its place in the Sports Event Recruitment field. The City, County and
Tourist Commission entered into an agreement with Team IP Events of
which Voyles, Bratcher and Bill Bollinger are officers. This group
has continued to carry the torch for this little city with huge ambition.
In fact for 2008, Owensboro has already been awarded The ASA’s Girls 16 and under Class “A” Fast Pitch National Championship, a One hundred and fifty team, nine million dollar event. No wonder the residents and business people of Owensboro open they’re arms gladly to the traveling athletes, they’re families and fans.
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WAL-MART BFL ANNOUNCES 2007
SCHEDULE OFFERING $8.8 MILLION, NEW VOLUNTEER DIVISION
Weekend anglers have opportunity to participate in three no-entry-fee
championships with payouts exceeding $3 million
BENTON, Ky. (Nov. 6, 2006) – FLW Outdoors announced Monday that
competitors in the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League (BFL) will compete
for $8.8 million in 2007 and the opportunity to participate in three
no-entry-fee championships with total payouts exceeding $3 million.
Also announced was the introduction of a new Volunteer Division for
anglers in eastern Tennessee.
The BFL, the nation’s most affordable, close-to-home weekend
tournaments for bass anglers, is made up of 28 divisions, each with
four $45,000 one-day qualifying tournaments and one $67,500 two-day
Super Tournament. In the $45,000 qualifying tournaments next season,
the winning boater will earn as much as $6,000 in cash, including $5,100
plus a $900 bonus if the winner is the registered original owner of
a Ranger boat. First-place co-anglers will earn as much as $3,000 in
cash. Top boater payouts in the $67,500 Super Tournaments will be $9,000,
which includes $7,650 plus a $1,350 Ranger bonus, while top co-anglers
will earn as much as $4,500.
Ranger Boats will award an additional $1,000 to winning boaters if
they participate in the Ranger Cup incentive program, or $500 to the
highest-finishing Ranger Cup participant, at each qualifier and Super
Tournament in 2007. If “Powered by Yamaha” guidelines are
met, Yamaha will award an additional 50 percent of Ranger Cup winnings.
The highest-finishing Ranger Cup co-angler in each regular-season tournament
will receive a custom Ranger jacket. Bombardier will also award a $1,000
bonus to the winning boater in each regular-season tournament if the
winner’s boat is equipped with an Evinrude E-TEC or Direct Injection
outboard that was purchased new from an authorized dealer after Dec.
31, 2005. These bonuses boost the potential top boater award to $7,500
in qualifiers and $10,500 in Super Tournaments.
After four one-day qualifiers and a two-day Super Tournament in a division
are complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers from the division
will advance to a three-day no-entry-fee Regional Championship. Here
boaters will compete for a Ranger 519VX powered by Evinrude or Yamaha
and a Chevy truck, and co-anglers will compete for a Ranger 519VX powered
by Evinrude or Yamaha. The top six boaters and six co-anglers in each
of seven Regional Championships will also advance to the $1 million
no-entry-fee 2008 All-American championship presented by Chevy. Anglers
who enter all five tournaments within a division but do not advance
to a Regional Championship will be eligible to fish a Chevy Wild Card
regional, which will also send six boaters and six co-anglers to the
All-American.
Anglers who qualify for the $1 million All-American will fish for as
much as $140,000 in the Boater Division and $70,000 in the Co-angler
Division. Additionally, the winning boater and co-angler from the All-American
will advance to the $2 million no-entry-fee Forrest Wood Cup presented
by Castrol. The Forrest Wood Cup will feature pros/boaters competing
against top anglers from the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series,
Stren Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, TBF (The Bass Federation)
and Ranger owners’ tournaments for a $1 million first place prize – the
biggest award in the history of competitive bass fishing.
“Our company was founded on providing affordable, close-to-home weekend
tournaments for bass anglers,” said Charlie Evans, president and CEO of
FLW Outdoors. “These anglers are the heart and soul of FLW Outdoors, and
we take great pride in providing them with the best possible tournament options
as well as a clear pathway for advancement to the sport’s highest levels – namely
the Stren Series, Wal-Mart FLW Series and Wal-Mart FLW Tour. Nowhere else do
anglers have the opportunity to fish five close-to-home tournaments with a shot
at advancing to not just one, but three no-entry-fee championships, including
the sport’s biggest championship where they could win $1 million cash.”
The top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers from every BFL division in 2007 may also
advance to the Stren Series in 2008. All-American champions are eligible to
advance directly to the FLW Tour for a shot at top awards of $125,000 to $200,000
in every tournament. Each season the top 10 pros and 10 co-anglers from each
Stren Series division are eligible to advance to the FLW Series for a shot
at top awards of $125,000 in every tournament.
In the BFL’s boater and co-angler format, the boater supplies the boat,
controls boat movement and competes against other boaters. Co-anglers fish
from the back deck against other co-anglers.
Field sizes will remain the same for 2007, with 200 boaters and 200 co-anglers
comprising a full BFL field. Entry fees also remain the same, with boater entry
fees of $200 for qualifiers and $300 for Super Tournaments. Co-angler entry
fees are $100 for qualifiers and $150 for Super Tournaments. Pretournament
meetings for each tournament will be held at the local Wal-Mart store hosting
the event.
The complete BFL schedule is posted at FLWOutdoors.com. Anglers fishing the
Bulldog, Dixie, Everglades, Louisiana, Savannah River, South Carolina and Volunteer
divisions may register Dec. 18. Anglers fishing the Bama, Choo Choo, Cowboy,
Gator, Mississippi, Music City and Okie divisions may register Dec. 19. Angler
fishing the Arkie, Empire, LBL, Mountain, Ozark, Piedmont and Shenandoah divisions
may register Dec. 20. Anglers fishing the Buckeye, Great Lakes, Hoosier, Illini,
Michigan, North Carolina and Northeast divisions may register Dec. 21. Registration
may be made online at FLWOutdoors.com or by calling (270) 252-1000. Phones
are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central time Monday through Friday.
Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW Outdoors
administers the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Stren Series, Wal-Mart
Bass Fishing League, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail presented by Abu Garcia,
Ranger Owners’ Tournament Trail, Stratos Owners’ Tournament Trail,
Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish
Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series, Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series and Wal-Mart
FLW Striper Series. These circuits will offer combined purses exceeding $43
million through 247 events in 2007.
For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, visit FLWOutdoors.com
or call (270) 252-1000.
Wal-Mart and many of America’s largest and most-respected companies support
FLW Outdoors and its tournament trails. Wal-Mart signed on as an FLW Outdoors
sponsor in 1997 and today is the world’s leading supporter of tournament
fishing. For more information about Wal-Mart, visit Wal-Mart.com.
