Alabama Beaches Announce Spring Sports Schedules

Local, regional and national athletic events are beach bound as the Alabama Gulf Coast comes off a record-breaking 2014 with an unprecedented 102 events, resulting in 76,024 room nights and $30.8 million in visitor spending – a 5.7 percent increase over 2013. According to the Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Sports Commission (GSOBSC), the destination is already gearing up for a stacked 2015 spring sports schedule.

“The continual growth of sports tourism in our beach communities is a pleasure to see and an honor to promote,” said Beth Gendler, vice president of sales for GSOBSC. “Sports events have a strong economic impact on our local communities through room nights, restaurant meals and retail sales. Many of these events bring athletes, their families and fans to our area in our shoulder seasons, which means added business for our tourism businesses. Along with the cities of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach and our exceptional sports commission sponsors, we celebrate a record year for last year, but we are already hard at work on sports events planned this spring and throughout the year.”

Some of the headliners this spring are the Alabama Tennis Invitational (April 16-19), American Open Beach Handball Championships (April 23-26), Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) Outdoor Track & Field Championship (April 24-26), SSAC Softball Championship (April 30-May 2), American Volleyball Collegiate Sand Volleyball National Championships (April 30-May 3) and the Alabama High School Athletic Association 4-5-6-7A Track Championship (April 30-May 2).

For information on upcoming athletic events along Alabama’s Gulf Coast, visit GulfShoresOrangeBeachSports.com, or call 1-800-745-SAND.

Spring 2015 Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Sports Commission Events:
March 6-8: NAIA Gulf Coast Invitational Softball Tournament
March 9-11: Gulf Coast Classic I Softball Tournament
March 9-11: Gulf Coast Classic I Baseball Tournament
March 14 -20: University of South Alabama Spring Break Track & Field Training
March 21: Gulf Coast Region USA Volleyball Beach Series I
March 21-22: Orange Beach Soccer Shootout
March 23-25: Gulf Coast Classic II Softball Tournament
March 23-25: Gulf Coast Classic II Baseball Tournament
March 27-28: Gulf Coast Classic Soccer Tournament
March 28: Flora-Bama's Interstate Soft Sand Run (5K and 1/2 marathon)
March 28: 3rd Annual Shrimp Basket Giving Run
March 30-April 1: Gulf Coast Classic Softball III Tournament
March 30-April 2: Gulf Coast Classic III Baseball Tournament
April 10-11: South Alabama Track & Field Invitational Meet
April 10-12: Orange Beach Cheer and Dance Nationals
April 11-12: USSSA Global Sports Baseball Sandlot Spring Lead off Super NIT Tournament
April 16-19: Alabama Tennis Invitational
April 18: South USA Grappling Alabama State Championship
April 18-19: USSSA Softball-Orange Beach Fastpitch Frenzy
April 18: Mullet Man Triathlon
April 22: Mullet Swing Golf Classic
April 23-26: American Open Beach Handball Championships
April 24-25: SSAC Outdoor Track & Field Championship
April 24-25: Pleasure Island Showdown-Softball Tournament
April 25: Gulf Coast Region USA Volleyball Beach Series II (juniors and adults)
April 25-26: USSSA Global Sports Baseball Bats on the Beach
April 29-May 2: AHSAA State Track Championship (4-5-6-7A, boys and girls)
April 30- May 2: SSAC Softball Championship
April 30-May 3: AVCA Collegiate Sand Volleyball Championship
May 2-3: Gulf Coast Region USA Volleyball Beach Series III (juniors and adults)

About Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Sports Commission: Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Sports Commission is a partnership between Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism (GSOBT), the Coastal Alabama Business Chamber and the cities of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. In 2007, this commission became a department within GSOBT. In this role, the commission - along with assistance from both cities – works to bring quality sporting events to Alabama’s Gulf Coast. To learn more about a whole different state of play, please visit GulfShoresOrangeBeachSports.com.