Top Soccer Clubs from Around the Globe Compete in Disney Cup International Youth Soccer Tournament

July 10, 2010 · Posted in Sports, Wide World of Sports · Comment 
Photo: Disney Photography

Photo: Disney Photography

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (July 8, 2010) – On the heels of the FIFA World Cup, nearly 200 elite youth soccer teams from around the world, including the Haitian National Women’s Under 17 team, will compete in the Disney Cup International Youth Soccer Tournament at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort, July 12-17.

Clubs featuring boys and girls (ages 9-17) from countries such as Brazil, Great Britain, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Malaysia, the United States and others will be joining the Haitian team in creating the largest field in the tournament’s 12-year history.

More than half of this year’s field comes from outside of the continental United States with Puerto Rico leading the international team count with 18 registered clubs. Canada is next (16), followed by Brazil (11). In all, 18 countries are represented.

“This year’s field is one of the most diverse and largest we’ve had in our tournament’s history,” said the event’s tournament director Mark Luster. “The Disney Cup continues to be a great opportunity for teams from around the world to compete against other top young athletes while also getting to relax and enjoy a vacation at Disney.”

Each team will play at least four games before advancing to a single-elimination tournament format. Championship games in various age divisions from under-9 through under-18 take place July 17.

Since 1999, the tournament has attracted teams from more than 20 countries giving participants a unique opportunity to compete on the same fields as teams from the English Premier League and Major League Soccer. For instance, Celtic Football Club, Blackburn Football Club, the MLS Chicago Fire, Houston Dynamo, New York Red Bulls and Real Salt Lake have all competed or trained at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.

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AAU Championships Showcase Nation’s Top Basketball Talent

June 25, 2010 · Posted in Sports, Wide World of Sports · Comment 
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – You recognize the faces from courtside huddles during basketball games on ESPN, but now they’re sitting in the stands just like everyone else. The occasion is the “Super Showcase” – the Amateur Athletic Union National Basketball Championships – an event that annually draws coaches from top NCAA basketball programs to ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.
And as in years past, a “who’s who” of college basketball will congregate around the courts at The Field House and Jostens Center July 20-27 for showcases in the boys 15-, 16- and 17-and-under categories. Each coach will have a similar two-fold goal: to evaluate the top prep players in the country, and identify the top hoop athletes to target for scholarship offers. Noted AAU alumni include LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade.
The AAU, one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the country, sanctions as many as 12 national championship basketball events each year at the complex. In all, the AAU conducts more than 40 national events on Disney property each year, including baseball, girls’ and boys’ basketball, gymnastics, inline hockey, track & field, wrestling and several other sports.

For more information, visit ESPNWWOS.com.

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Disney Cup International Youth Soccer Tournament Begins July 12

June 25, 2010 · Posted in Sports, Wide World of Sports · Comment 
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – No sooner will the curtain come down on the World Cup than the next generation of soccer players will be at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex for the Disney Cup International Youth Soccer Tournament, July 12-17.
Building on the international flavor of the tournament, participating teams will have the opportunity to improve their skills and knowledge of Brazilian style of play at the Zico Soccer Clinic. Zico, a famed Brazilian footballer and former coach, will provide instruction, along with fellow professional coaches and former players from the Zico Soccer Academy in Brazil.
Following the Zico Soccer Clinic, boys and girls in age groups nine-and-under to 18-and-under will play in the Disney Cup International Youth Soccer Tournament. Entering its 11th year, the event features 200 teams from more than 16 countries around the globe.

For more information, visit ESPNWWOS.com.

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ESPN RISE Games at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex July 14-27

June 25, 2010 · Posted in Sports, Wide World of Sports · Comment 
LAKE
BUENA VISTA, Fla. – For two weeks in July, the ESPN RISE Games
presented by Target will bring together more than 13,000 student
athletes at the newly re-imagined ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.
Returning for its second year at the complex, the July 14-27 event
features the country’s premier high school basketball, football,
lacrosse and soccer talent, along with competitive events in baseball,
basketball, field hockey, lacrosse, softball and track & field.
The ESPN RISE Games presented by Target is anchored by four elite high school sports events: 
  • AAU 17-under Boys Basketball Super Showcase presented by Champion
  • Under Armour High School Softball All-America game
  • Champion Gridiron Kings, an elite 7-on-7 high school football event
  • Champion High School Showcase, a US Lacrosse boys and girls event new in 2010.
One
of the first ESPN-themed events since the complex rebranding in
February, this year’s games provide the opportunity for athletes to
experience “the big time” through multiple broadcast platforms. 
The
Under Armour High School Softball All-American game, Champion Gridiron
Kings, AAU 17-under Boys Basketball Super Showcase presented by
Champion and Champion High School Boys Lacrosse Senior Showcase will be
televised on ESPNU live and as pre-recorded shows; and ESPN3.com will
carry live competitive events.
The
ESPN RISE Games presented by Target has grown from hosting 4,000
student athletes in its 2009 inaugural at Walt Disney World Resort to
an expected 13,000-plus this July.

For more information, visit ESPNWWOS.com.

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