Wicomico County will host the 2012 USSSA World Series

At a press conference yesterday at the Wicomico Youth and Civic Center, USSSA State Director Bill Dowell and County Executive Richard M. Pollitt, Jr. announced Wicomico County will host the 2012 USSSA World Series.  This will be the sixth consecutive year of the tournament in Wicomico County; however, the volume of games hosted in the region will be far greater (only Kansas City, MO and Orlando, FL will host larger tournaments).  The event will run from July 18-29, featuring 320 teams from 17 states and Canada.

The event is expected to bring a significant economic boost to the Wicomico region with $6 million generated in the county and an additional $6 million generated regionally. 

High School Sports Shine in Holiday Spotlight

Sports fans had a lot to look forward to this holiday season: the NBA was finally starting its season, the NFL was wrapping up its regular season and college bowl games were getting underway.  But if you are a fan of high school sports, Maryland was the place to be for the holidays. Two major high school sporting events took place in Maryland during the last week in December, the Governor’s Challenge and the Chesapeake Bowl.

The Season for Spinning

Yes, the election is only six weeks away, and spin doctors are pedaling in overdrive about their candidates.  But a different kind of spinning gets our adrendline pumping in Maryland every fall.

I always look forward to this edition of Spokes Magazine because it features so many major cycling competitions, fund-raising rides and fun tours that take place throughout Maryland.  This issue was chock full of news about the first successful Tour de Frederick, certain to be come an annual event in the historic piedmont region.

However, the feature article was about the upcoming Seagull Century which originated 21 years ago as a function of the Salisbury State Bicycle Club.  From the first outing with 68 riders, the Century has grown to the largest bicycle event in the Mid-Atlantic region.  It is on track to exceed the 8,300 registered riders who participated last year.

As a three day event, the Century has significant economic impact in addition to being a rally for cycling enthusiasts.  As a “ride” and not necessarily a race (although there is determined competition among some teams who participate) the Century attracts cyclists of all skill levels to Maryland’s Eastern Shore.  It also fills hotel rooms all the way to Ocean City.

Because of the growth of the race, an additional route is being added this year to prevent overcrowding and to give riders another slice of Eastern Shore hospitality.

The St. Mary’s Century takes place next weekend, starting and finishing in Leonardstown at the College of Southern Maryland.  Formerly known as the Amish 100, this 21st annual ride sponsored by Patuxent Velo offers the traditional century (100 miles) plus a 62 mile or 35 mile course. 

The routes take riders through the scenic peninsula along the river and bay and farmland of Southern Maryland.

Like the Seagull, the St. Mary’s event is considered a tourist boon because of all the overnight visitors it brings to enjoy Maryland hospitality.

Leafing through the pages of Spokes, I was very encouraged to see how many Maryland counties had display ads touting their cycling appeal.  Talbot County, which dedicated six heritage bicycle trails last year, portrayed the beauty of the trails and countryside in a colorful collage.  Dorchester County, the “Heart of the Chesapeake” showed cyclists enjoying a trail ride along a tidal basin.  Caroline County offered their free cycling guide with 11 bike routes through picturesque small towns, while Worcester promoted their View Trail 100, encouraging visitors to explore the beach and countryside.

Fall is definitely the time to pedal around Maryland, whether you enjoy the challenging grades of the mountains, or the gentle roll of the seaside trails.  The competitions are fun and exhilarating, but the everyday outings with family and friends remind you how much our state has to offer in outdoor recreation facilities.

Check out these sites to plan your next adventure, get some exercise, or simply explore Maryland.

AND SPEAKING OF CYCLING,  Terry is still working on that proposed “Tour de Maryland” at a future date.  There should be more to report in a few months.

Flacco Pulls Through for. . . . Shorebirds?

That’s right.  The word from the Shore is that first baseman Mike Flacco (younger brother of You Know Who) went three for three last night against the Lakewood Blue Claws and drove in the winning run.

Team Terry just visited the Shore and paid a visit to Perdue Stadium, home of the Delmarva Shorebirds, and were very impressed by the attractive multi-use stadium in Salisbury.

Minor league ball is a big draw in Maryland.  Not only do we have nice community stadiums that offer families the opportunity to see the Orioles of Tomorrow in an affordable setting, but the teams themselves have interesting promotions that make them even more fun to attend.

This week, the Frederick Keys are continuing their  local celebrity bobblehead series as Bryan Voltaggio, chef of Volt in downtown Frederick, will be featured with the first 1,000 fans receiving the bobblehead giveaway tomorrow.  Voltaggio gained national recognition as a finalist on the Top Chef reality series, a competition which his brother eventually won.

Volt will also run a concession stand that will raise money for the charity Share Our Strength that night.

So whether it’s in Frederick, Hagerstown, Waldorf, Bowie, or Aberdeen, the minors of Maryland have major impact on quality of life and tourism.  And they are great facilities for a multitude of events that bring economic dollars to Maryland.

Team Terry on Tour — Explore the Shore

Next week tout le Team Terry will be crossing the bridge to check out the natural resources and facilities that comprise the Eastern Shore sports scene.

Our primary destination is Somerset County, home of the Somer’s Cove Marina in Crisfield – largest state-owned marina in Maryland.  It is also a popular venue for public events and maritime activities like fishing tournaments and boat docking competitions.

(Boat docking contests among the watermen is somewhat like rodeos are to cowboys.  It’s the opportunity to establish supremacy working the tools of the trade, and it’s something to behold.  Virtually all maritime festivals and celebrations feature boat docking contests and they are real crowd pleasers.)

But I digress.  This trip will give Team Terry the opportunity to see some real gems in our state park system, like Janes Island, which has some of the best water trails in Maryland.  Tweety and Blogue are planning a little kayaking adventure there.

Hopefully, we’ll have time to follow the Old Indian Trail (one of Maryland’s Scenic Byways) to Assateague Island in Worcester, where the flat terrain, beautiful wetlands and ubiquitous wild ponies make it a favorite for recreational cyclists.

We know there’s a lot of sports and recreation facilities to see on Maryland’s southern Eastern Shore and our itinerary is still up in the air.  But look for it on the blog next week.

Touting de Tours

This is the week Terry and representatives from Medalist Sports will meet in Annapolis to determine the level of support for staging a week-long, statewide Tour de Maryland in 2012.  Terry invited tourism representatives from every jurisdiction, because an event of this magnitude brings visitors from all over.  It cannot happen without support from local governments to assist with logistics, either.

And yes, while corporate support is the lifeblood of any professional event, the place where the gears shift and the tread hits the trail is with the fans and cycling community.  This is where the outreach occurs and the volunteer base germinates.  Fortunately, Maryland has a thriving network of clubs, activities and events that will only be enhanced by the presence of a high profile, multi tiered event like Tour de Maryland.

The cycling community has many components, from the folks who use it as basic transportation to the daredevils who push the envelope with tricks and obstacle courses to the environmentalists who enjoy the experience of the many natural resources Maryland has to offer, to the fitness buffs who compete in triathlons and other challenges.

A large scale professional race like a Tour de Maryland taps into all these enthusiasts.  It gives them a platform to advocate cyling issues and draw attention to local businesses and resources that support bicycling.  It also includes them in the festivities and attractions in a festival atmosphere.

A good regional example of this model is the recent BikeJam in Baltimore.  I went last year and saw the professionals as they whizzed through Patterson Park in a day-glo colored blur.   Reminded me of a psychedelic poster I had in my dorm room.  But the races were only one of the attractions.  There were recreational rides, seminars on health and safety, and demonstrations of trick riding.

There are other bicycle events in the coming months that focus more on recreation, health, and fitness.  Tour Dem Parks, Hon in Baltimore began eight years ago as a way to showcase the newly opened Gwynns Falls Trail.  It has expanded over the years to include four different routes.  The 14 mile family ride (that’s the one I did,) a 25 mile that adds Druid Hill Park, a 35 mile which includes even more of Baltimore, and a metric century (64 miles) that extends to Patapsco State Park.

You can tell who’s there for the long haul.  They show up in matching spandex and sunglass ensembles.  They are either part of a racing team or a triathlon training program.  And they carry more water than a camel.

The event has grown every year.  In 2009, more than 1,000 participated.  Even more are expected this June 13.

Because almost all the courses take riders through the Camden Yards complex, this is a good way to learn how bicycle-friendly and easily accessible the stadiums are.  This year, a large map of the Gwynns Falls Trail and Baltimore will be in place at the corner of Warner and Ostend.  This will remind all our visitors just how convenient we are to downtown and the public/alternative transportation routes.

The inaugural Tour de Frederick is a little more ambitious, lasting the weekend of August 13-15 and giving participants the opportunity to take in the piedmont experience with trips to the ballpark and museums. (Can you see the tourism factor now?)

In October, the Sea Gull Century is planning its 22nd annual event, beginning and ending at Salisbury University and taking in many of the sights of Maryland’s Eastern Shore.  Last year, more than 6,000 participated.

So you can already see how well the bicycle community is organized in three major regions of Maryland with entirely different demographics.  Just imagine an event that would showcase the entire state’s bicycle community and enhance the many resources and activities we already have.

We’ll find out a lot more of what is possible and what needs to be done to make this happen in Maryland.

If you are part of the cycling or tourism communities and want to learn more about this informational meeting, blip Tweety at info@marylandsports.us.