On behalf of the Evansville Sports Corporation (ESC) I would like to thank the community for its generous support of the 2014 Deaconess GLVC Basketball Tournament. Events like these enhance vibrancy in the community, build civic pride, and drive economic impact and media exposure.
This year’s event featured 16 teams from schools as far as 400 miles away. The tournament as a whole had an Estimated Economic Impact of more than $120,000 on the local economy as our hotels, restaurants, attractions and retail outlets felt the impact throughout the event. All of this was coordinated and operated through private, non-profit entities like ESC and the Great Lakes Valley Conference, along with the help of VenuWorks and their fantastic staff at the Ford Center along with the University of Southern Indiana.
The ESC is committed to enhancing the quality of life in the Evansville region through events we bring to the community, and a big part of our mission involves community and youth engagement. For the second year in a row the tournament played host to the Vectren Youth Clinic for local YMCA kids, the Boys and Girls Club, and the Carver Academy. Through this, GLVC players and coaches worked with hundreds of kids to help teach them basketball skills, life lessons on the importance of working with a team, and good sportsmanship.
We’re pleased that everyone from GLVC commissioners to athletic directors, coaches, and players had positive things to say about Evansville and the GLVC tournament. The Ford Center in particular is building a reputation within the NCAA as one of the premier sporting event venues and we’re excited about what the future has in store.
With another successful Deaconess GLVC Basketball Tournament concluded, we’re gearing up for the 2014 Men’s Division II Elite Eight Basketball Championship March 26-29. The final game on Sunday, March 29th will be broadcast nationally on CBS and we view it as an excellent opportunity to showcase our community to the rest of the country. We’ll do everything we can to pack the Ford Center and send a message to the teams in attendance, and to the country watching at home, that our community is a vibrant, supportive place to be.
As the Evansville Sports Corp’s events like the Elite Eight and the United Leasing Championship gain steam and receive praise from fans and officials of national sporting organizations like the NCAA and PGA, we hope to send a message that sports is synonymous with Evansville. It’s one of our calling cards and in the fabric of our DNA.
The success of ESC events would not be possible without the tremendous support of everyone in our community which includes our great sponsors and our unbelievable volunteer base. We sincerely thank you for teaming with us to enhance Evansville’s vibrancy, build civic pride, drive economic impact and media exposure, and encourage opportunities for youth.
Warm regards,
Jason Sands
Executive Director
Evansville Sports Corporation
