POSTED: Friday October 23rd 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sarasota and Her Islands Welcomes 2009 UPA Club Championships

2009 Ultimate Players Association Club Championships - Sarasota, FL

October 23, 2009

Contact:  Jason Puckett

(941) 955-0991, ext. 105

E-mail: jpuckett@sarasotafl.org

Chuck Menke

(303) 447-3472, ext. 113

E-mail: chuck@hq.upa.org

Sarasota, Fla. – The Sarasota Convention & Visitors Bureau is proud to sponsor the 2009 Ultimate Players Association Club Championships.  The event will consist of 60 teams that will compete from Oct. 29-Nov. 1 in Sarasota.  A culmination of 93 qualifying series events held throughout the nation, the Club Championships will feature Ultimate’s best adult teams competing in four divisions: Masters, Mixed, Open and Women’s.

This represents the 31st year in the history of the event, which will be held in conjunction with the Sarasota Convention & Visitors Bureau at the Sarasota Polo Club for the 10th consecutive season. With more than 1,500 athletes and approximately 2,000 fans each year, the event brings in more than $2.89 million to the local economy.  “This event provides a substantial economic boost to our area.  It attracts athletes from across the nation to Sarasota and provides visitors to local businesses, restaurants and hotels,” stated Jason Puckett, Sports Manager for the SCVB.

“The UPA Club Championships event represents the premier adult event for our sport each year,” said UPA Chief Executive Officer, Tom Crawford (Boulder, Colo.). “We’re proud to return to the county of Sarasota, where we have a first-class venue in the Sarasota Polo Club and an outstanding partner in the Convention and Visitors Bureau.”

In addition to Washington D.C., the 60-team field hails from a total of 20 different states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. There are also five Canadian teams in this year’s field, representing three Provinces: Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario.

The 2009 UPA Club Championships are the culmination of a five week-long series of sectional and regional events featuring nearly 700 teams. Slightly less than two-thirds (38 out of 60) of the teams in Sarasota are returning from last year’s UPA Club Championships.  Some of the top players in this year’s tournament will include 18 of the 20 members of the U.S. National Team which captured a gold medal at the 2009 World Games in Taiwan. Team USA will be honored during a special ceremony in Sarasota.  The event is open to the public with no entry fee and free parking.

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For more information on the UPA Ultimate Club Championships, please visit http://club2009.upa.org  or contact Chuck Menke at (303) 447-3472, ext. 113.  The Sarasota Convention & Visitors Bureau (SCVB) leads and supports the tourism industry in Sarasota County by providing the highest quality, and most innovative, marketing programs and promotions to ensure the continued growth of tourism and travel from visitors around the world.  The Sports Marketing Department of the SCVB brings quality sporting events to Sarasota County to create economic impact.  For more information, contact Jason Puckett at (941) 955-0991, ext. 105, or jpuckett@sarasotafl.org.

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Keywords · Sarasota · Florida · ultimate · economic impact · frisbee · sports · UPA · championships · flying disc

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Name: Jason Puckett
Organization: Sarasota Convention & Visitors Bureau
Email:
Phone: 941-955-0991 ext. 105
URL: http://www.sarasotafl.org

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