Soccer tournament brings in millions to Cape Fear region

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The Wilmington Hammerheads Youth Soccer League held a tournament today that brings millions of dollars to the Port City each year.

Girls and boys from the Carolinas, Virginia and Georgia played in the Beach Soccer Classic tournament this weekend.

According to tournament director Dani Pittman, of the 140 teams playing, 115 are coming from out of town.

When you consider the two-thousand plus players and their families, there are a lot of people coming into the area and they are spending money.

“The Visitor’s Bureau did a study and it has an economic impact of over two million dollars, so we’re happy about that,” Wilmington Hammerheads Youth Soccer Executive Director Carson Porter said. “It’s people coming to our tournament, staying at our hotels, going to our restaurants and that’s something we’re happy about.”

With these projected numbers, this tournament about wins and losses turns into a win for the Cape Fear Region.

Porter says the large economic boost from the tournament along with the expansion of soccer thanks to the recent park bond makes it a very exciting time for the game in Wilmington.