“Somebody sent me the percentages of how often it is for an American to become an Olympian, and it's a very, very small amount...For me to be mentioned along with some of the greats that have done it before me and that are currently doing it, it's like I’m writing my chapter in history right now.”

-Omari Jones

Orlando Native and 2024 Olympian

Around The Horn.

• Orlando native and current Valencia College student Omari Jones competed for Team USA Boxing in the 2024 Paris Olympics Round of 16 yesterday! Jones defeated Chinese Taipei's Chia Wei Kan, receiving a score of 30 from each judge over the three rounds and taking the match 5-0. Jones is set to box again on Saturday morning in the men's 71 kg quarterfinals against Bulgaria's Rami Mofid Kiwan.
• GO Sports Executive VP Jennifer Lastik is an honoree in the latest edition of Sports Business Journal's Game Changers! The program is dedicated to elevating and celebrating women in the sports business industry and will be held in New York City this year. Orlando Magic's Katie Stocz Miller has also been selected as a local honoree.
• Orlando City SC's Duncan McGuire and the US men's soccer team are headed to the Olympic quarterfinals for the first time in 24 years after its 3-0 win over Guinea earlier this week. This Olympic team has achieved a feat that no US men's squad has done in a century of Olympic participation: win two group stage matches. The team will look to continue writing history as they face Morocco tomorrow at 9:00am EST.
• Orlando City SC dominated its first Leagues Cup match with an electric 4-1 win over CF Montreal as the club continues to keep the momentum moving forward. The Lions have a chance to prepare and rest before hosting San Luis at Inter&Co Stadium on Sunday, Aug. 4 at 8:00pm.
• The Orlando Pride secured two points and the victory over CF Monterrey last week in its second match of the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup. The Pride earned a point for the initial 2-2 draw, and won the ensuing penalty shootout 5-4 to earn a second vital point. The club will now host Racing Louisville at Inter&Co Stadium tonight at 7:00pm.
• The 2024 NACE annual convention was held at the Full Sail University Orlando Health Fortress on July 17-19, 2024. During this year's National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) annual convention, Full Sail University's Sari Kitelyn was named Director of the Year for her dedication to the advancement of collegiate esports.
• The University of Central Florida football practice fields will be renamed the Wayne Densch Practice Complex in honor of a $2.5 million pledge the program received from the Wayne Densch Charitable Trust. The commitment will cover renovating the Wayne Densch Sports Center, providing a new locker room and constructing a new VIP parking lot and pedestrian promenade.
• The Florida High School Athletic Association's new rule allowing athletes to profit from their Name, Image and Likeness was ratified last week by the State Board of Education. This is a huge amendment to FHSAA bylaw 9.9, which has been in effect for decades and required high school athletes to retain amateur status. NIL opportunities, with some restrictions, are now permitted heading into the 2024-25 school year.
• The Orlando Solar Bears, in conjunction with the ECHL, have announced its home opening game of the 2024-25 season against the Savannah Ghost Pirates, ECHL affiliate of the Florida Panthers, on Saturday, October 26 at 7:00pm at the AdventHealth Rink in the Kia Center.

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

The 2024 NCAA Division II National Championships Festival hosted in Orlando earlier this year has been nominated by the readers of SportsTravel as a finalist for Best Collegiate Sports Event in the 2024 SportsTravel Awards! Voting is open through August 19, 2024, click here to vote now!

In The News.

• GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel, along with six of our board members, were recognized in the latest edition of Orlando Business Journal's Most Influential Leaders! We would like to congratulate: Melanie DiVirgilio, Barbara Drahl, Latria Graham, Chris Mueller, Amaury Piedra and Maria Triscari. Thank you for your leadership and support of sports tourism in Greater Orlando!
• AdventHealth Orlando has been ranked No. 1 in the Orlando metro area among U.S. News & World Report's 2024-25 edition of Best Hospitals. This is the 14th consecutive year the hospital has topped the rankings in greater Orlando. The hospital was also ranked Top 50 in the nation in four clinical specialties. U.S. News evaluated nearly 5,000 hospitals across 15 specialties and 20 procedures and conditions.
• Orlando Business Journal received honors and recognition for reporting, writing, design and digital storytelling in two different journalism contests: the Society of Professional Journalists' 74th Annual Green Eyeshade Awards and the Florida Press Association's 2024 Weekly Newspaper Contest. OBJ's editorial staff and design team won a combined 12 awards, including four first-place honors, in the annual journalism competitions.
• The southwest Orange County community Horizon West was recently listed in StorageCafe's ranking of the 20 fastest-growing housing markets in the US. Featured on the list at No. 7, the report's main findings were based on housing inventory expansion over the past 10 years, with Horizon West boasting a 243% increase during the studied period.
• Skift, a high-quality research firm in the travel industry, published an article highlighting the value and importance of in-person sporting events and the economic juggernaut that is sports tourism. "Sports tourism is part passion, part obsession, and a total economic goliath. Dedicated fans who cross countries and continents are driven by their love for the game and the community it fosters." Click here to read the full article.  
• Lynx, the Orlando-based Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority, received $27.6 million from the U.S. Federal Transit Administration's Low or No Emission Grant program. With these funds, the bus and paratransit service provider will add 30 compressed natural gas buses to its fleet.
• AdventHealth recently kicked off construction on a $220 million, 240,000-square-foot expansion to its hospital in Daytona Beach. The addition will include 104 new beds, including intensive care and progressive care beds, as well as an expanded cardiovascular intensive care unit, expanded pharmacy, a new laboratory department and a dedicated neuro-intensive care unit.
• JetBlue will add two more flights to New England from Orlando International Airport: a Portland, Maine seasonal flight three times a week starting Oct. 10, and a daily year-round flight to Manchester, New Hampshire starting Jan. 23. By February, JetBlue will average more than 225 daily flights from Florida.

A stellar mix of athletes, coaches and support team members has been tapped for induction into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame as part of the 2024 class. The eight-member class represents six different sports and includes a seven-time NBA All-Star, a Super Bowl winner, women’s World Cup champion, a 14-time NCAA Track & Field Championship Coach, a World Golf Hall of Fame member, a four-time national champion cheerleading coach and the first-ever athletic trainer. The eight will be inducted in a star-studded ceremony to be held at the Kia Center in Orlando on October 16.

Stay Engaged.

• Universal Orlando has released details about a high-tech ride coming to its new Epic Universe theme park slated to open next year. A ride dubbed Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry will be armed with large-scale environments and new ride technology, making this the third installment of Harry-Potter themed attractions featured at Universal Orlando theme parks. Set in the British Ministry of Magic, the area will also include various dining options, retail stores and entertainment.
• Walt Disney World has been experiencing a baby zebra boom this summer as four foals were born at Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park and Animal Kingdom Lodge this past June and July. The set of Hartmann's mountain zebras, native to sub-Saharan Africa, will eventually be seen by the public both at the theme park and resort savannah.
• SeaWorld Orlando's Bands, Brew, and BBQ event continues 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.
• Monster Jam returns to Orlando this weekend performing at the Kia Center on August 3-4! Guests can enjoy a field of eight monster trucks controlled by expert drivers that will compete in skills, racing and freestyle competitions. This is the first time in six years that the Monster Jam will be staged indoors at the Kia Center.
• The Merlin Entertainments Group is introducing a new bundled pass for three International Drive attractions: Madame Tussauds Orlando, Sea Life Orlando Aquarium, and the Orlando Eye observation wheel at Icon Park. The ticket, which is named the Merlin Orlando Annual Pass, also includes a year's worth of access to the Carousel on the Promenade at Icon Park. The cost of the pass is $149.99 and can be purchased online.
• 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, Executive VP Jennifer Lastik, Senior VP Brent Nelson, Associate VP Kyle Sturley, and Coordinator Carter Gravitte hosted a small gathering at EA Sports to continue promoting Orlando as an international sports destination, pictured with Chair Elect Caesar Lopez (Orlando City SC/Orlando Pride) and Scott Calabrese (UCF).

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel attended the Manchester City vs FC Barcelona soccer match at Camping World Stadium earlier this week, pictured with board members Allen Johnson (Orlando Venues) and Mike Harris (Uproar PR).

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel pictured with Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Chair Elect Caesar Lopez (Orlando City SC/Orlando Pride) and District 5 Commissioner Shan Rose (City of Orlando) at Inter&Co Stadium earlier this week.

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel attended Camping World Stadium ahead of the Manchester City vs FC Barcelona match earlier this week, pictured with Danielle Hollander (Visit Orlando).

GO Sports Senior VP Brent Nelson, Senior VP Michael Kalinich, Director Jordan Lyda and Manager Elizabeth Caldarelli attended the Arnold Palmer Invitational AJGA Junior-Am at Bay Hill Club & Lodge, pictured with Gary Bassing (Orlando Magic), Brett Reynolds (Orlando Health), and board members Chris Mueller (Hilton Orlando) and Rob Sitz (DS Sports Ventures).

Corporate Partner Spotlight.

GO Sports is proud to welcome our newest corporate partners, SeaWorld Orlando and Kimley-Horn! For more information, click the logos above.

Thank you for supporting sports tourism in Greater Orlando!

Fun & Games.

• What's Happening: Central Florida and Orlando Events
• What's Happening: Theater and Arts
• What's Happening: Restaurants, Food and Drink
• What's Happening: 2024 Paris Olympics