Prince George will be youth soccer central during the weekend of July 4-7.
During those four days of early summer, close to 2,000 soccer players, officials and spectators are expected for the Les Sinnott Memorial boys provincial B Cup. Teams from the Prince George Youth Soccer Association teams will have a chance to showcase their talents on home fields if they qualify as zone champions.
"Hosting provincials in our community allows us the opportunity to showcase the fantastic facilities and amenities our city has to offer, but this is also a chance for our players to compete in front of their family and friends at an exceptional level," said PGYSA president Kerrie Secor, in a prepared release.
"We have many qualified coaches, referees, and players in our area and are looking forward to offering a great tournament and experience for all involved."
According to Tourism Prince George and the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance's Sport Tourism Economic Assessment Model (STEAM) estimate the event will spur $1.3 million in economic impact for the city, and more than $1.5M for the province.
The games will be played at Masich Place Stadium, Rotary Soccer Fields, and the Prince George Soccer Association Fields.
"We are very pleased to see that the newly redeveloped Masich Place Stadium played a strong role in the application to host the event," said Mayor Lyn Hall. "Increasing sport tourism and sport development in our community is one of the primary reasons the city invested in this important piece of infrastructure and it is fantastic to see a return on our investment so quickly,"
Prince George last hosted the provincial B Cup in 2013.
The tournament is named after Sinnott, a former first vice-president of BC Soccer who moved to Canada in 1965 from his native Liverpool, England. Sinnott was a former chair of the Terrace Soccer Association, where he made his home at the time of his death of a heart attack in 2012.
