Published: November 02, 2009 08:41 pm      

Soccer tournament

Event good for community, visitors

“If you build it, they will come.”

It may be a famous prophetic line from a far-fetched movie, but it’s certainly true when it comes to the YMCA Youth Sports Complex.

Sixteen teams, 20 or so players each, plus their families and fans are expected to converge on Beckley this weekend for the state soccer tournament. That’s great news for southern West Virginia.

For one thing, those visitors will be lodging here, eating in area restaurants and visiting other area attractions. The economic benefits are difficult to pinpoint, but undoubtedly significant.

For another, if past tournaments are any indication, these visitors will return and spend even more money. Brian Williams, who owns Pasquale Mira’s Italian Restaurant, reports that his business is busy not only during the tournament but for months afterward as players return to the area.

“People come in and say they were here for the soccer tournament and wanted to come back,” Williams said. “It’s a huge benefit.”

And why wouldn’t they want to come back?

Southern West Virginia has so much to offer them — an array of outdoor recreation, including ATV riding, fishing, golf, rock climbing and more. Families might return to see outdoor dramas in the summer, to ski in the winter or to whitewater raft between May and October.

For all the boon it may bring to Beckley, putting on the tournament is no small expense. The two-day event, which begins Friday, involves expenses such as security, ticket-takers, medical personnel, motel rooms for officials, a hospitality room for coaches and VIPs, temporary fencing and even Porta-Potties.

Business sponsors who have stepped up to help clearly recognize the benefits of this important event. Everyone should.

Beckley is fortunate to be home to places like Laurel Lodge Enterprises, Pasquale Mira’s, Chick-fil-A and other businesses who engage themselves in community events and help to make them happen.

The city is also fortunate to be home to the state office of the West Virginia Soccer Association and its executive director, Dave Laraba, who also serves as tournament committee chair. Laraba has for years done a tremendous job for soccer and the youth of this community.

The people of Beckley are also fortunate to have the YMCA’s Youth Sports Complex. Many people contributed, including the Cline and Carter families, so that these state-of-the art fields could be constructed. Almost immediately after its completion, people started coming, they started spending, and they started returning.

Beckley and the surrounding area should embrace this event and the people it brings with it. Our visitors are every bit as important to our community as the people who live here and make good things — like hosting this state tournament — happen.

If you would still like to help support this weekend’s event, contact Laraba at 304-252-9872 (ext. 303) or via e-mail at dave@wvsoccer.net.

And try to make it out to the event itself, which begins at 10 a.m. Friday and will run through the evening. Four championship matches begin at 10:30 a.m. Saturday.

If that isn’t enough to convince you, there are also two local boys’ teams, Woodrow Wilson and Oak Hill, in the final four of their respective classifications competing for a state championship.

Get out to the end of Grey Flats Road this weekend and cheer them on.