Impact Update for Thursday, June 20 | |
“The AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships are the premier event for AAU’s largest sport. Thanks to the incredible relationships we’ve built with our community partners, including the Orange County Convention Center, Greater Orlando Sports Commission, and Visit Orlando, this has become one of the best amateur events in the world.”
-Jo Mirza
AAU President
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Quote of the Day.
"Never say never because limits, like fears, are often just illusions."
-Michael Jordan
NBA Hall of Famer and Sports Icon
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Around The Horn.
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The world's largest volleyball tournament kicked off in Orlando last week and will run through July 7 at the Orange County Convention Center! The AAU boys and girls Junior National Volleyball Championships boasts over 5,800 teams and over 117,000 athletes and coaches from across all 50 states, Canada, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. This year's event is set to be the largest sporting event in OCCC history, breaking last year's record.
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The Orlando Pride continue to break records this season as they remain one of two unbeaten NWSL teams following a scoreless draw on the road last weekend against the North Carolina Courage. The Pride (8-0-5) are now the first team in NWSL history to go 11 consecutive matches without trailing at any point. Orlando will return to Inter&Co Stadium tomorrow, June 21 for an 8:00pm match against the Utah Royals.
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The three Orlando bowl games have released the dates, TV coverage and times for the 2024 season. The new 12-team College Football Playoff has led to some reshuffling for a few of the bowl games, including the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl which will now be held on New Year's Eve at 3:00pm and air on ABC. The Pop-Tarts Bowl will again be held on Dec. 28 with kickoff scheduled for 3:30pm on ABC, and the StaffDNA Cure Bowl will begin at noon on Dec. 20 and will air on ESPN.
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UCF men's basketball coach Johnny Dawkins has 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.
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Orlando City SC fought hard in North Carolina last night to secure a 2-2 draw against Charlotte FC and earn one point for the club. The Lions (4-8-6) battled back from one-goal deficits twice in the match after Charlotte scored early in the match and then again in the 77th minute. Orlando City will look to build on this momentum as they host Chicago this Saturday, June 22 at Inter&Co Stadium at 7:30pm.
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Orlando is hosting two Copa America soccer matches this summer, and you can get there using Brightline! In partnership with Orlando Health, fans can ride Brightline to its Orlando station and avoid traffic for the June 29 match of Canada v Chile, and the July 1 match between Panama and Bolivia. Visit the Brightline website for more information and how to book your ride.
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In The News.
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The City of Orlando launched a new program on Tuesday earlier this week called DTOLive! that is set to run through June of next year. Downtown Orlando will see an influx of musicians, artists, and more as 12 public areas will host 850 events and art experiences at different times throughout the day. All of the events will be free to attend with a goal in mind to generate more foot traffic for local businesses.
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AdventHealth got approval from the City of Winter Garden last week to expand its hospital by three floors. The $145 million project was unanimously approved by Winter Garden commissioners and is expected to be finished by 2026. The construction will add an additional 105,000 square feet to the building and add over 100 new jobs.
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SunRail has began using new ticketing machines and a mobile app for riders to have quicker and easier service. The new services debuted at all stations on June 17 earlier this week, and now have virtual tickets and allow for payment through the app. SunRail recently announced they surpassed 1 million riders in this past fiscal year for the first time since 2019.
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UCF has announced its plans to lease a building that will help them become a national leader in hypersonic and space research. The university's board of trustees will review and consider the lease at a hearing scheduled for June 25 next week. UCF has led research in the development of technology to pave the way for hypersonic flight of Mach 6 to 17.
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Embassy Suites is opening a new hotel concept in Kissimmee that will allow investors to buy property for profit, fun or both. For the first time ever, people can buy into the Embassy Suites brand by purchasing individual rooms or suites in the hotel. Customers will have the option of living or vacationing in the resort, or entering a rental program, letting the company rent the rooms out and splitting the proceeds with the hotel.
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JetBlue announced last week they will be adding a new local flight to Orlando International Airport this Fall. Starting on October 24, Orlando will have service once a day to New York's Long Island MacArthur Airport. As of June this year, only Southwest and Frontier airlines offer service to Long Island.
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Stay Engaged.
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Universal Orlando has released more details about Dark Universe, the monster-themed land under construction for its new Epic Universe theme park. Visitors may encounter a dark ride featuring Dr. Frankenstein, a Wolf-Man inspired rollercoaster and a vampire-themed restaurant called Das Stakehaus. According to the model of Epic Universe located at Universal's CityWalk, Dark Universe Land will be wedged between Super Mario Land and the 500-room Helios Grand Hotel.
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Mecum Auctions returns to Osceola Heritage Park 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.
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The Mennello Museum of American Art has two new exhibitions that shine a light on the natural world through various drawings and paintings. The larger of the two exhibits, titled "Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America," features 36 drawings first created by French-American artist John James Audubon. The second body of work on display comes from Florida-based painter Mark Messersmith, and is titled "Long Summer."
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A new gallery is on display at Inside American Adventure located inside Disney's Epcot theme park. Titled "Portraits of Courage: A Commander-In-Chief's Tribute to America's Warriors," park guests will see dozens of larger-than-life paintings of post-9/11 veterans created by President George W. Bush. The subjects of the photos are people who Bush has met over the years.
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The 2024 Orlando Sentinel Foodie Awards winners for the Summer quarter have been announced! Visit their website to see which of your favorite local restaurants are highlighted, and what new places you may want to try.
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Walt Disney World's newest attraction features playful animatronics, a catchy soundtrack, a dramatic finale, and the strong possibility of getting wet. Those are the basics to describe Tiana's Bayou Adventure at the Magic Kingdom theme park, which is currently in previews ahead of its debut date next week on Friday, June 28. The ride is replacing the long-tenured Splash Mountain with characters and settings from Disney's 2009 film, "Princess and the Frog."
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The Lake Nona Town Center is hosting Lake Nona's Great American Block Party on June 29 from 3pm - 11pm. Guests can enjoy an evening laser light show, food trucks, live music and carnival rides. If you would like to participate in the pie baking or chicken wing eating contests you can sign up ahead of time using the QR codes here.
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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.
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Florida residents can save big while visiting Walt Disney World Resort theme parks. Click here to view the current list of special offers.
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GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel attended the Orange County State of the County event last week, pictured with Jose Gonzalez (Disney Parks & Resorts). | |
GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel attended the AAU boys and girls Junior National Volleyball Championships at the Orange County Convention Center last week, pictured with Jo Mirza (AAU) and Bobby Stone (AAU). | |
GO Sports board members Malik Thomas (Playfly Premier Partnerships) and Latria Graham spoke at and moderated a panel discussion for Black Sports Professionals' Orlando chapter quarterly meeting, pictured with panelists Malcolm Mompoint (Orlando Magic) and Reshina Warren (USTA). | |
GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel spoke at the 3rd Annual Fatherhood Breakfast for All-Star Dads earlier this week, 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 Associate VP Lindsey McBride pictured at the US Olympic Team Trials - Swimming in Indianapolis, Indiana earlier this week while visiting with associates from the NCAA and USOPC governing bodies. | |
GO Sports Executive VP Jennifer Lastik and Intern Pierce O'Lenick attended the Downtown Orlando Partnership Chow on Church event at Inter&Co Stadium earlier this week, pictured with Sam Kearns (Workscapes). | |
GO Sports Executive VP Jennifer Lastik and Associate VP Kyle Sturley attended the Greater Orlando WISE Board and Committee Meeting at Jack & Honey's restaurant in downtown Orlando. | |
GO Sports Executive VP Jennifer Lastik attended the Downtown Orlando Partnership Chow on Church event at Inter&Co Stadium earlier this week, pictured with Danny Betancourt (Brightline), board member Ben McCarney (Grand Bohemian), and Paul Dayton (JPMorgan Chase). | |
Corporate Partner Spotlight. | |
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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!
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