The Months That Were

The Months Ahead  

OSM Update   

Media Blitz 

TEAM Maryland Spotlight  

 From the Director's Desk  

Hello from Maryland!

The past sixty days has been a busy, productive and enriching time for the Office of Sports Marketing and our TEAM Maryland partners. It started with a trip to Ireland where I was part of a Sister State Mission trip. More importantly as it pertains to sports, I met with senior members of the University College, Cork Athletic and Physical Education staff where we discussed sports and several exchange opportunities that could bring students and teams to Maryland. We look forward to hosting numerous "friendly" sports matches as well as exhibitions of non-traditional US sports. In addition, I met with senior members of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) staff. We discussed opportunities and partnerships here in Maryland, as well as, in the States. There are unique opportunities for us in sports like rugby, field hockey, Irish Football and hurling as they grow in popularity.

Shortly thereafter, OSM attended the NASC Small/Mid-Market Segment,USOC Sports Link and US Olympic Assembly meetings in Colorado Springs.The dialog amongst our groups was very informative.Lastly, TEAM Maryland embarked on the TEAMS Conference and Expo in Detroit where we sponsored the eCruisers (a huge hit), exhibited and conducted appointments at the tradeshow.

As mentioned, the past sixty days since our last Maryland @ Play have been a busy time for cultivation, networking and site visits for OSM and TEAM Maryland. However, we have been just as busy hosting events as you'll see in the features below.

All the best,

TH

The Months That Were 

The 2012 Labor Day holiday was an eventful weekend for Maryland Sports. In addition to the Grand Prix of Baltimore, McLean Youth Soccer and Adidas hosted the 2nd annual McLean Premier Soccer Tournament at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Montgomery County, welcoming boys' and girls' soccer travel or select teams. Invitations were extended to participants in age groups ranging from U13-U19 with national and regional division champions being recognized. Off the soccer field and near the shores of the Chesapeake Bay the 46th Annual CBYRA Race Week occupied the city of Annapolis. National sailing and yachting were showcased during this regatta. These three days of racing were also accompanied by daily tent parties at the Annapolis City Dock and awards ceremonies.

Medalists from the London Olympics could be found in Western Maryland canoe and kayak racing at the Deep Creek Open held on Sept 8-9. Senior international teams gathered to compete on ASCI's man- made river channel in Garrett County. The racing in September continued on foot and on bicycles, especially on Sunday September 9th. Wicomico County accommodated the 3rd Annual Hidden Treasures Half Marathon 5K. This was a qualifying event for the NYC Marathon which was highlighted for its flat trails. On the same day, in Charles County, the Southern Maryland Century Bicycle Ride -The Indian Head 100- was presented by the Oxon Hill Bicycle and Trail Club. The bicycle riders had routes of 16, 29, 43, 60 to 100 miles to choose from starting at the Indian Head Village Green

Prince George's County welcomed out-of -state College Football to the Washington Redskins' FedExField. West Virginia Mountaineers defeated James Madison Dukes on September 15, 2012 with a score of 42-12. And two weeks later on September 29th, spectators could catch a rematch of the 2009 Orange Bowl between Virginia Tech and Cincinnati. But unlike the outcome of that bowl game, the Bearcats defeated the Hokies with a score of 27-24. Action continued on the 29th in Dorchester County as the ChesapeakeMan Endurance Festival took place. Riders gathered at Great Marsh Park for the event which benefits the Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Mid-Atlantic. Also on that day, Shawan Downs' signature event, the Legacy Chase, took place as it was benefited and hosted by GBMC Healthcare. This facility is located in Baltimore County and consists of a day filled with multiple steeplechase races. This event also featured a $50,000 purse.

October kicked off with the annual Discovery Cup soccer tournament at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Montgomery County. On the October 15th, the Baltimore Running Festival took over Baltimore City as 27,000 runners invaded just about every inch of the city for the Festival. The racing options included the Under Armour Baltimore Full marathon, Legg Mason Team Relay, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield half-marathon, 5K and the Kids fun Run. Camden Yards Sports Complex was the venue for this USATF certified Boston Qualifier Course. In Harford County, the Brine Indian Summer Lacrosse Tournament was held at the Maryland Polo Fields. This competitive lacrosse tournament was divided with Middle School and High School girls competing on October 20th and U11, U13 and U15 boys competing on October 21st. The top Boy's teams in the U13 and U15 divisions will receive invites to attend the Dick's Sporting Good Tournament of Champions in Wesley Chaple, FL.

The Months Ahead   

This November we have a number of great events happening here in Maryland, one of them is taking place November 2- 4 at the Maryland International Raceway in St. Mary's County. The U.S. Army World Cup Finals (Import vs. Domestic) will have over 600 drag racers competing in ten different classes to bring you side-by-side action of every type of genre in drag racing with the top cars from virtually every sanctioning body and series in the country!

Thanksgiving weekend NATT & JOOLA will host the 15th Annual North American Teams Table Tennis Championships, at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore City. Nearly three thousand players and spectators from around the world attend this event every year!! Watch this incredibly fast-paced sport live in person or streaming on-line!

The NSCAA Baltimore Junior College Showcase Presented by Under Armour will be at 4 different locations within Howard County (Covenant Park, Rockburn Regional Park, Cedar Lane Park, and Western Regional Park). This is a US Club Sanctioned tournament. All teams must be affiliated and their players registered with USYSA through their respective state associations or US Club Soccer. Premier, elite and classic brackets may be available, depending on entries.

On December 26-29 we have the Governor's Basketball Challenge in Wicomico County at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center in Salisbury, Maryland. Governor O'Malley (MD) and Governor Markel (DE) have thrown down the gauntlet to see which state will take home the title as the winner of the 2012 Governor's Challenge. Both Maryland and Delaware will be represented by 20 high school boys' basketball teams.

Heads Up...  

 OSM Update   

OSM's "Year of Education" is underway! We are making our way through Maryland to talk about the sports travel & event industry to local colleges and universities with Sports Management/Marketing programs. Next group? Stay tuned.

 Media Blitz  

• Office of Sports Marketing Gives Maryland Huge Boost
• Grand Prix will return to Baltimore for third year
• The hidden benefits of the Grand Prix
• Potomac bass tourneys give Charles spending boost
• Charm City Cyclocross returns this September
• Pride of Maryland
• OC Crowds Set Dew Tour Attendance Record
• Oriole Park eyed for concerts, more sporting events

TEAM Maryland Spotlight 

November 2-4

US Army World Cup Finals

Maryland International Raceway

St. Mary's

November 9-11

ACC Men's Soccer Championship

Maryland SoccerPlex

Montgomery

Tournament of the Americas

USNA LeJuene Hall

Anne Arundel

14th Annual Frederick Cup

Skate Frederick

Frederick

November 17-18

Warrior Dash Diamond Lacrosse Showcase

St. Paul's School

Baltimore

November 17-18

American Youth Football Regional Tournament

December 1st

Ocean City Christmas Classic- Dance World Bid Event

Powell Convention Center