Sunshine State Games Coming to Palm Beach County | Sports Destination Management

Sunshine State Games Coming to Palm Beach County

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Jan 27, 2015
Olympic-Style Sports Festival to Take Place at Palm Beach County Convention Center

The Palm Beach County Sports Commission is partnering with the Florida Sports Foundation to bring the Sunshine State Games (SSG) to the Palm Beach County Convention Center this summer on June 12 -14.  Now entering its 36th year (1980-2015), the Sunshine State Games is an amateur sports tradition in Florida and nationwide.  The mission of the Games is to provide quality competition for Florida’s amateur athletes of all ages.

The Sunshine State Games is an Olympic-Style competition featuring a variety of sports.  The Palm Beach County Convention Center will be transformed into a sports palace by hosting the collection of indoor sports that encompasses the Sunshine State Games, which includes wrestling, taekwondo, judo, karate, weightlifting, powerlifting, and fencing.  Over 1,500 athletes from across Florida will compete in a variety of skill levels and age groups (youth to adult).  Each sport features both men and women competitors.  

In 1980, the State of Florida created the Sunshine State Games to provide Florida’s citizens an Olympic-style sports festival they can call their own.  The Sunshine State Games, now in its fourth decade of competition, is one of the nation’s largest and longest standing multi-sport festivals. The Sunshine State Games are conducted under the auspices of the Florida Sports Foundation, a direct-support organization of the State of Florida.  Most competitions are sanctioned or recognized by the Olympic Governing Body for that sport and some serve as Governing Body State Championships or national qualifiers.

The Sunshine State Games and its 1,500 athletes and more than 3,000 total visitors will create a significant tourism impact during Palm Beach County’s shoulder season.  The amateur athletes and their families will create a high volume of hotel room nights and substantial economic benefits for Palm Beach County.   

The Sunshine State Games is familiar with Palm Beach County.  In 2002, the Palm Beach County Sports Commission and Florida Sports Foundation hosted the Games at the South Florida Fairgrounds.  “The Florida Sports Foundation looks forward to bringing the Games back to Palm Beach County,” said Florida Sports Foundation Sr. Vice President’ Stephen Rodriguez. “In 2002, the Palm Beach County Sports Commission was an outstanding host of the Sunshine State Games – Summer Games and we are happy to be returning to the area.

“The Palm Beach County Sports Commission is overwhelmed with enthusiasm to partner with the Palm Beach County Convention Center and the Florida Sports Foundation to host the Sunshine State Games”, says George Linley, Executive Director of the Palm Beach County Sports Commission.  “The Sunshine State Games is the most prestigious multisport that takes place annually in Florida. We are looking forward to converting the Palm Beach County Convention Center into a sports paradise.”

Competition and registration information is available now at www.flasports.com.

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