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Featured Article |  |
The rosters for the 86th East-West Shrine Game are nearly complete. The East Team includes UCF's own Bruce Miller & Jah Reid. Miller & Reid both served as team captains this year as UCF went 11-3, won the Conf. USA Championship, and defeated Georgia in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.
In addition to the two UCF standouts, 88 of the best college seniors from around the country have committed to play in the game. Some of the most notable players include: Tyrod Taylor - Virginia Tech's electrifying quarterback who led the Hokies to an ACC Championship and an Orange Bowl berth; Scott Tolzien - Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award winner who quarterbacked Wisconsin to a Big Ten Championship and a Rose Bowl appearance; Jeff Maehl - Oregon's standout wide receiver who led all receivers with 9 catches and 133 yards in the Duck's last second loss in the BCS National Championship; Ryan Whalen - Stanford's leading wide receiver helped the Cardinal to a Orange Bowl victory; and Ricky Dobbs - Navy's dual threat quarterback holds the NCAA record for most rushing touchdowns (41) by a quarterback in back-to back years.
Dan Reeves & Wade Phillips will coach the game, which will be played at the Citrus Bowl on Jan 22. Reeves & Phillips both have impressive records as NFL coaches and collectively support the true purpose of the Game, which is to raise funds and awareness for Shriners Hospitals for Children.
The Game will kick off at 4pm, and tickets start as low as $5. Click HERE to get yours today!
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A PERSONAL MESSAGE FROM SAM
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We hope this month's activity letter finds you well, as the Central Florida Sports Commission continues its extensive work to bring new and exciting sports related events and activities to Osceola County.
On behalf of the Central Florida Sports Commission, I would like to thank everyone for all of your hard work which made 2010 a very successful year for both Osceola County, and the Sports Commission. Although we were pleased with the results of 2010, we are excited about what 2011 will bring, and how we can continue to market Osceola County as a premiere destination for Sports Entertainment.
We ended December, and began January, with the Eastern College Athletic Conference's Holiday Festival Tournament at the Kissimmee Civic Center. The event hosted seven men's and women's teams from across the country, with the tournament occurring over four days. The ECAC was very pleased with the entire outcome of the tournament, and hopefully we can bring them back to Osceola County.
 Kicking off 2011, January is one of the strongest months of the year in Osceola County. Soccer Six returned to Austin Tindall Park for its annual 6 on 6 soccer tournament, January 8-9. Also returning to Austin Tindall, The United States Flag & Touch Football League National Championships will be held January 14-16. Lastly, BASS returns to Lake Toho January 20-22 with their Bassmaster Southern Open.
On the business development front, the month of December found Glen connecting with existing event partners to determine their interest level in returning to Osceola County for 2011 and beyond. Glen touched base with Florida Amateur Wrestling Association, National Christian College Athletic Association and American Youth Football & Cheer, among others, to get the process started for their potential return to our community. Each of the aforementioned event partners have expressed a strong desire to return, so the Sports Commission plans to spend January developing proposals for each. Stay tuned.
Thank you for your continued support as we continue to market Osceola County as the "Amateur Sports Capital."
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Best Regards,
Sam Stark
President/CEO
Central Florida Sports Commission |
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IN THE PIPELINE  |
In early December, the Sports Commission sent staff to the US Sports Congress in Ft. Myers, Florida. The US Sports Congress brings a select number of Sports Commissions and event organizers together to network and discuss the state of the industry. Over 25+ event organizers were in attendance at this year's conference such as Big Shots Basketball, Youth Basketball of America, USA Wrestling, and the Amateur Athletic Union, just to name a few. We plan to follow up with each organization to identify which of their event properties might be good fits within our venues in Osceola County. 
In addition, the CFSC is sending staff to the NCAA Convention in San Antonio, Texas from January 11 - 14, 2011. This convention will provide the Sports Commission the opportunity to network with college administrators, coaches, and event partners to promote Osceola County as a destination for future sports events, meetings, and team trainings. We will share more details about our trip in next month's impact reports. |
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| | WINS & LOSSES | |
(As of November, 2010)
Bids Submitted - 12
Wins - 8
Losses - 2
Rocky Mountain Nationals Games of Rome will be returning to Osceola County in January 2011. The event will take place over MLK weekend, and will be held at Osceola Heritage Park. Last year, this one-day event generated over 300 room nights and over $100,000 in economic impact for the tourism community.
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| UPCOMING EVENTS | |
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| COMMUNITY PROFILE |
Osceola High Wrestler, Pete Baldwin Jr., set a new national record for career victories with a first-round pin Saturday, January 8th, in the A.J. Jones Memorial Duels. Baldwin, now with 305 victories, broke the record of 304 victories shared by Travis Sullivan of Monticello High, Kentucky, and Josh Johnson of John Hardin High, Kentucky. Pete Baldwin Jr. has signed to wrestle for Old Dominion University this fall. Look for a follow up article in Thursday's edition of the Osceola Gazette, and congratulations Pete!
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