VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The 30th annual North American Sand Soccer Championships hit the sands June 7 through 9 at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront.
More than 800 amateur and professional sand soccer teams were expected to compete.
“We have teams from Central and South America, Europe, Canada, and over the United States as well,” stated Matt Whalen, Director of Operations for the North American Sand Soccer Championships (NASSC). "So we bring in the best beach soccer players from around the world right here to Virginia Beach every single year."
Watch more about the Championships from News 3 Sports:
The economic impact this three-day event has on the city is significant.
Organizers say it usually draws an estimated 100,000 people. According to a study presented to Virginia Beach City Council in the Fall of 2023, nearly 80% of that number live outside of Virginia Beach. Between 8,500-11,000 hotel room nights are attributed to this tournament.
“Our city sees a great return on investment for our event,” said Lauren Bland, Executive Director of NASSC. “Our city provides us with about $25,000 in some cash plus some city services and we generate about $14 million. Their direct return from our event is about $650,000.”
Brenda Conners, who enjoys it yearly, said she believes it’s a big money maker.
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“Here in Virginia Beach, they don’t do much of anything if they don’t get money; you better believe that,” she said, laughing.
“Everybody benefits: every hotel, every restaurant, all the bars, shops, retail,” Bland said.
NASSC goes along the boardwalk from 7th to 33rd Streets. The stadium is located at 28th Street.
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