Following a consistent migration pattern, youth teams from the north got an early start on their seasons by participating in three massive tournaments over the Presidents’ Day weekend. These events utilized nearly every patch of grass in the St. George area. Attracting some of the largest crowds this holiday weekend is the Rage Invitational soccer tournament, which includes 266 teams and an estimated 4,000 players, coaches and officials.
The Rage Invitational tournament brings an estimated 11,000 people into the St. George and Washington City area for a fun recreational weekend of soccer according to officials. The Ice Breaker Soccer Tournament brought a significant quantity of visitors to the area, with 246 teams and nearly 4,000 total participants.
In addition to the soccer tournaments, a plethora of out-of-town visitors also come to St. George to participate in the Rocky Mountain School of Baseball’s sizable Presidents’ Day Tournament. The event includes 125 competition teams — adding up to approximately 2,000 players, coaches and umpires.
The economic impact of the youth athletic tournaments is significant, given the fact that each player is accompanied by family members who stay at area hotels, dine at restaurants and spend money shopping or on other outdoor recreational activities. Historically, an average of more than three-quarters of the participants for these tournaments are from outside the area. The sports commission estimates the economic impact of those three tournaments to be approximately $15 million. Utah Business Magazine
