Mead CUSA cup expected to pump $8M into local economy

Area set to host one of biggest soccer tourneys in Midwest this weekend.

High school sports results for May 26
5/26/12
Reds' six-game winning streak broken
5/26/12
Annual Warrior Soccer Classic kicks off today
5/26/12
Dragons' rally falls short against Lansing
5/26/12
WSU baseball ousted from tournament
5/26/12
> More sports headlines

By Greg Billing, Staff Writer Updated 3:30 PM Friday, September 2, 2011

Now in its 32nd year, the Mead CUSA Cup brings a tournament-record 524 soccer teams from 10 states and Canada to Dayton this Labor Day weekend.

And this season, it brings in a scout looking for the next Landon Donovan or Hope Solo. The U.S. national teams team will send a representative to scout the Under-13 and Under-14 boys and girls games for talent to develop, a first for one of the largest tournaments in the Midwest.

“Most of these kids, by the ages of 13 or 14, are used to that pressure,” said Brett Thompson, executive director of the Centerville United Soccer Association (CUSA). “They understand they’re out there playing for some very big titles (during the season).

“To win a Mead CUSA Cup is one of the most prestigious tournaments in the country. To have somebody else watching is just another day at the office for them.”

The three-day tournament at sites in Beavercreek, Centerville and Oakwood starts Saturday and ends Monday with coveted 3-foot championship trophies awarded to each individual on winning teams. About 7,950 players will take part in the 40-division tournament, which will pump an estimated $8 million into the local economy.

The forecast calls for isolated thunderstorms, and Thompson has lived in Ohio long enough to know to expect anything. That’s exactly what the volunteer-staffed tournament has done with extra fields on standby and by taking advantage of social media like Facebook, Twitter and smart phones to alert coaches and parents about schedule changes, Thompson said.

“We usually wait until about a day or so before until we actually go into a mild panic mode,” he said of the threat of severe weather disrupting any of the 899 games. “Each of the sites have their own contingency plans. Each have their own plan for either delaying games or potentially shortening games, and then we go from there.”

As for the tournament, there’s not much more room for expansion. Finding and booking enough officials is the toughest part, said Thompson, who added the tournament turned away 70 teams.

This year the Mead Cup plays host to 18 state champions, 24 state runners-up and 33 semifinalists.

In three years, the tournament truly goes international with a boys and girls team from the United Kingdom. CUSA started a partnership with the St. Albans Youth Soccer Program (STACY) in Hertfordshire and a boys and girls team from STACY will play in the 2014 Mead Cup.

A STACY coach recently visited Centerville to see how CUSA runs its program and an executive will attend this weekend’s tournament. The programs also plan a player exchange in the future.

Mead CUSA Cup

What: Soccer tournament for boys and girls, ages 8-14.

When: Saturday through Monday

Where: Ankeney Soccer Complex, Beavercreek; Oak Grove Park, Centerville; Old River Park, Oakwood.

Admission: Free

Website: www.meadcupsoccer.com

Where the teams are from: Ohio, 315; Michigan, 80; Indiana, 49; Kentucky, 43; Tennessee, 14; Pennsylvania, 12; Canada, 3; Illinois, 3; Missouri, 3; Maryland, 1; West Virginia, 1

Share this article