By Dawn Bryant, The Sun News, Myrtle Beach, S.C. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News
Sep. 10--COLUMBIA, S.C.--Myrtle Beach scored its second sports-related nod in a week Tuesday when the Beach Ball Classic was named one of South Carolina's most outstanding events.
The high-school basketball tournament was recognized for contributing to the economy and bringing youth athletics and academics to the forefront. It took home the award as the most-outstanding event in a community with more than 15,000 people.
Last week, Myrtle Beach nabbed the name of 'SportsTown USA' for South Carolina because of its emphasis on sports with parks, recreational opportunities and the beachfront.
The one-two punch shows Myrtle Beach, long known for its golf courses, also is getting a reputation for its other sports offerings, leaders say.
'We are involved in sports more than people realize,' said John Rhodes, Beach Ball's executive director.
The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce has been gearing up to more aggressively tackle the opportunities sports events offer by earmarking resources to pursue that segment.
The goal is to lure events, including youth athletic tournaments, to rev up the Grand Strand's off-season.
'It's recognition for what we've done and also points to the fact that sports marketing is a great growth opportunity for us,' said Stephen Greene, the chamber's communications vice president.
The Beach Ball Classic, a 10-day tournament in December that fills in that end-of-year tourism gap, lured 12,000 out-of-state visitors to the Grand Strand last year.
Those players, coaches and fans spent $2 million, according to Beach Ball statistics.
Chad Prosser, director of the S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, presented the award to Rhodes and tournament founder Dan D'Antoni.
Beach Ball started in 1981 and has featured some of the up-and-coming high-school basketball talent, including Vince Carter and Kobe Bryant.
The tournament also has generated free publicity worth $100,000, according to the PRT.
'The Classic has successfully combined an exciting sporting event with the state's most exciting venue,' Prosser said.
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(c) 2003, The Sun News, Myrtle Beach, S.C. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.
