“To go down to 10 players so early on in the game and show the character that we have been talking about all season long is just incredible...To come to this environment, we knew that it was going to be a tough game. We had the same amount of points, same amount of wins, same amount of ties and there was nothing between us in this game. Then I think we showed our class on the day, our character and personality.”

-Seb Hines

Orlando Pride Head Coach

Around The Horn.

• The Orlando Pride now sit atop the NWSL standings after defeating the second-place Kansas City Current 2-1 last weekend on the road in Kansas City. The Pride (11-0-5) have now extended their unbeaten streak to 17 games dating back to last season, and continue to dominate as the club seeks its first-ever NWSL championship. The Pride will look to gain one step closer to that goal as they travel to North Carolina to play the Courage on July 20 at 7:30pm.
• Manchester City FC has announced they will host an open training session in Orlando ahead of their FC Series friendly matchup against FC Barcelona at Camping World Stadium on July 30. The session will take place at Osceola Heritage Park on July 29 at 6:30pm, just one day before the exhibition. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Monday, July 15.
• Orlando City SC secured a commanding 5-0 win last weekend against D.C. United on a night honoring former player Kaka as the first inductee into the team's Legends' Terrace Hall of Fame. The Lions (7-9-6) put on an impressive display for their second win in a row with five different goal scorers contributing to the match. Orlando City will look to continue its success as they travel to New England for a match this Saturday, June 13 at 7:30pm.
• The Orlando Solar Bears, ECHL affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lightning, welcomes their parent club to the AdventHealth Rink at Kia Center when the Lightning host the Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers in a NHL preseason matchup on September 25 at 7:00pm. This will mark the sixth exhibition for the Lightning at Kia Center, and tickets for this year's game will go on sale to the public at a later date to be announced.
• UCF men's basketball coach Johnny Dawkins signed a two-year contract extension that keeps the veteran coach in Central Florida through the 2026-27 season. UCF is (148-103) under Dawkins since his arrival in 2016 and has made remarkable progress, as seen by the team's Big 12 Conference debut last season where they beat three ranked opponents.
• The Orlando Magic officially signed No. 18 overall pick Tristan da Silva last Saturday to a rookie-scale contract with a projected first-year salary of $3.6 million. Da Silva, who averaged 16.0 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.4 assists as a senior at Colorado, spent four years in college before committing to the NBA Draft.

If you haven't purchased your table for 2024, reach out to Michael or Chase on our team today and join us to celebrate this year's class of award winners (announced at a later date) and hear from our 2024 featured speaker, Hall of Fame broadcaster and lead NBA Analyst for ESPN and ABC, Doris Burke. For more information, visit https://greaterorlandosports.com/celebrating-women-in-sports/

Michael Kalinich - michael@greaterorlandosports.com

Chase DeMayo - cdemayo@greaterorlandosports.com

In The News.

• Full Sail University celebrated its 100,000th graduate crossing the ceremony stage last week during a graduation held on July 3 at its state-of-the-art venue, Full Sail Live. Confetti and streamers flew through the air as Isabel Miller received her bachelor's degree in Film, marking this significant milestone for the university and its alumni.
• A report released by PODS Enterprises, LLC, a moving and storage company, showed that Orlando remains one of the hottest destinations in the country for relocation. In the PODS study, Orlando ranked No. 18 nationally among cities with the highest number of move-ins last year. Florida cities Ocala and Jacksonville were also among the list of Top 20 cities being moved to in the US.
• A unique arts-focused gathering space has started work near downtown Orlando's oldest commercial building. The Downtown Arts District and City of Orlando officials held a ceremonial groundbreaking for the Ford-ify The Arts Courtyard at CityArts yesterday, July 10. The space will not only be available to the public, but can also be used for private events and parties, including weddings and holiday parties.
• A new Four Seasons Private Residences luxury project is underway within the Golden Oak community at Walt Disney World Resort. The project is set to include 40 homes, 31 of which will be within a mid-rise tower; the other nine units will be attached boutique homes. Construction for the project is expected to be completed by early 2026, and will sit adjacent to the Four Seasons Resort Orlando.
• Porter Airlines will soon expand its capacity in Florida, including adding a new flight from Orlando to Nova Scotia, Canada. The low-cost Canadian airline will add service from Orlando International Airport to Halifax Stanfield International Airport, on Dec. 6, along with up to 14 weekly departures on existing routes to Toronto and Ottawa.

Don't wait, register now for the inaugural Lake Nona Triathlon! This sprint triathlon is a thrilling point-to-point race, starting at the scenic Lake Nona Adventure Park and ending at Boxi Park for post-race festivities and awards.

Stay Engaged.

• The International Drive entertainment complex Icon Park has announced that a Blue Man Group show is coming to a new 500-seat theater within the park. The goal is to have the show available to the public by the end of this year, and the theater entrance would be on the Universal Boulevard side of the 20-acre complex. Blue Man Group performed at a prominent location accessed through Universal's CityWalk for 14 years before the show was discontinued in 2021.
• Mecum Auctions is back at Osceola Heritage Park this week from July 10-13 for the 2024 Florida Summer Special. There is estimated to be over 1,500 American muscle cars, classics, Corvettes, trucks, exotics, Hot Rods, customs and more. Visit the Osceola Heritage Park website to register and buy tickets.
• Universal Orlando continues to release new information about its upcoming Halloween Horror Nights event debuting on August 30 this year. The latest release came earlier this morning when the theme park announced the return of an Insidious-themed house, which was last seen at HHN back in 2015. View details of the house and a list of the other house themes.
• The new version of Walt Disney World's Country Bear Jamboree features new songs and costumes while maintaining the spirit of the original attraction, which first opened back in 1971. The show, found in Frontierland at Magic Kingdom, boasts the new name "Country Bear Musical Jamboree" and features a new voice talent, singer Emily Ann Roberts from TV's The Voice.
• SeaWorld Orlando's Bands, Brew, and BBQ event began last weekend and will continue on Saturdays and Sundays at the Nautilus Theater at 6:00pm through August 25. There are 17 food and beverage stops throughout the park, the artists are a mix of big names, local bands, and cover bands, and the concerts are included with regular SeaWorld admission.
• Florida residents can save up to $65 on select multi-day tickets at Universal Orlando theme parks when buying online. Click here for current offers.
• Florida residents can save big while visiting Walt Disney World Resort theme parks. Click here to view the current list of special offers.

In The Community.

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel attended the Canada v Chile Copa America soccer match at Inter&Co Stadium on June 29, pictured with GO Sports Chairman Sharon Line Clary (AdventHealth) and Chair Elect Caesar Lopez (Orlando City/Orlando Pride).

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel and Associate VP Chase DeMayo attended the 3rd annual Fatherhood Breakfast for All-Star Dads, pictured with host Kevin Sutton (All-Star Dads).

GO Sports Associate VP Lindsey McBride pictured at the US Olympic Team Trials - Swimming in Indianapolis, Indiana while visiting with associates from the NCAA and the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee.

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel spoke at the 3rd Annual Fatherhood Breakfast for All-Star Dads, pictured with panelists Jarrod Dillon (Orlando City/Pride Soccer), Kevin Lewis (Former NFL Player), Clay Townsend (Father to Super Bowl Champion Tommy Townsend), and moderator Steve Montiero (WKMG).

GO Sports Director Jordan Lyda attended the XP League North American Finals at Full Sail University's Orlando Health Fortress, pictured with Sari Kitelyn (Full Sail).

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel spoke at the Event Management Conference at UCF's Rosen College of Hospitality Management, pictured with Associate VP Chase DeMayo.

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel joined Ken Pozek of the Orlando Real podcast to celebrate Orlando's tourism community, shine a spotlight on regional stakeholders, and share our organization's strategic vision for the next 5-10 years.

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel seated with Mike Bianchi, Marc Daniels, and Brandon Kravitz at the Hilton Orlando Altamonte Springs for the annual Mikey Awards.

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel and Chair Elect Caesar Lopez (Orlando City/Orlando Pride) participated in a segment for FOX35 News highlighting Orlando's two Copa America matches.

GO Sports Associate VP Kyle Sturley, chair of the Downtown Arts District board of directors, participated in a ceremonial groundbreaking for the Ford-Ify The Arts Courtyard project at CityArts alongside other D.A.D. board members, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Interim District 5 Commissioner Shan Rose (City of Orlando), David Barilla (Downtown Development Board), and Barbara Hartley (Downtown Arts District).

GO Sports Senior VP Brent Nelson and Associate VP Lindsey McBride attended the Lake County TDC meeting, pictured with Commissioner Kirby Smith (Lake County) and Ryan Ritchie (Discover Lake County).

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel and Associate VP Chase DeMayo attended Mike Bianchi's 'The Mikey Awards' at the Hilton Orlando Altamonte Springs, pictured with RJ Harvey (UCF) and Chretien Lukusa (Morgan State).

Corporate Partner Spotlight.

GO Sports is proud to welcome our newest corporate partners, Renewal by Andersen and Sunbelt Rentals! For more information, click the logos above.

Thank you for supporting sports tourism in Greater Orlando!

Fun & Games.

• What's Happening: Orange County Things To Do
• What's Happening: Seminole County Things To Do
• What's Happening: Osceola County Things To Do