North American Sand Soccer Championships return to Virginia Beach this weekend
After two long years, soccer is finally back on the beach.
This weekend, the 27th Ferguson North American Sand Soccer Championships are being held at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. More than 7,000 participants will play in the two-day tournament, with nearly 700 teams across close to 80 divisions.
“It’s all skill levels, from under 8 to over 40,” executive director Lauren Bland said. “Boys, girls, men, women, co-ed teams, college teams; there’s literally something for everybody.”
The tournament, which was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic, is expecting 60,000 spectators throughout the weekend, all eager to see both the amateur and professional teams.
In lieu of the U.S. Open, which the tournament typically holds for the men’s and women’s divisions, the NASSC will hold Premier divisions.
“Back in March, when we still weren’t sure what was going on with COVID and how it was spreading, borders were closed and international travel was limited, we weren’t comfortable bringing in a lot of international players just out of respect for what was going on with COVID at the time,” Bland said.
The Premier divisions won’t feature international teams or a big purse for the winners. In 2019, the men’s winner took home a $15,000 purse, while the women’s winner earned $3,000.
The teams participating in the Premier divisions are from around the U.S., and include local teams such as HRSC Elite from Virginia Beach and Tidewater Captains from Williamsburg.
Proceeds from the NASSC benefit the Hampton Roads Soccer Complex in Virginia Beach, and the event will also bring in plenty of revenue and business into the area.
“The hotels and the restaurant community have been incredibly grateful. They’ve come down and volunteered at our event for setup just to make the event possible,” Bland said. “Most of the hotels at the Oceanfront are sold out. Restaurants are going to be packed. This is that kickoff to festival season that our region has benefitted from for 30 years. So we’re excited that the beach is open, events are back, and we’re proud to be the first major event back at the beach.”
Matches will be held beginning at 8 a.m. today and Sunday, with a layout that stretches from 15th to 25th streets on the Oceanfront.
“People are just so excited to get back to a sense of normalcy,” she said. “They’re excited to kick off their summer with their friends and teammates. They want to make new memories, they want to come to Virginia Beach and have a great weekend. Everybody has been super upbeat and really just appreciative that we’re having this event.”
Sian Wilkerson, sian.wilkerson@pilotonline.com
