By Staff
All-Star Sports Week will return to the Rocket City in 2008 and 2009, according to an announcement by Steve Bailey, director of the Alabama High School Athletic Directors &Coaches Association (AHSADCA).
The annual summer event, sponsored by the Alabama High School Association (AHSAA), just completed a three-year run in Huntsville last month and was first held in 1997 in Montgomery.
"Our 11th Sports Week was a tremendous success this year. The weather cooperated, and all games were competitive and went well. Attendance at the clinics increased this year and the City of Huntsville was a gracious host," Bailey said.
Future dates for the week are July 14-18 in 2008 and July 13-17 in 2009.
The week features 350 student-athletes playing in all-star games in six sports, a coaching school, special sessions for athletic directors, rules clinics, an all-sports equipment expo and other related activities.
The nearly 2,000 coaches attending the event approached the number that participated when the Sports Week was held in Montgomery (1997-2004).
The move from Montgomery was necessitated by the renovation of the Montgomery Civic Center, and the decision to return to Huntsville came after several weeks of negotiations. Montgomery was the only other city to bid for the event, according to Bailey.
"I don't know if it's so much we chose Huntsville as Huntsville chose us," Bailey said. "Huntsville has been there with open arms. There has been a warm reception and willingness to help. We'd like to thank the many volunteers, principals, athletic directors and coaches who made this event a success."
Dan Washburn, who retired as AHSAA executive director on July 31, added that Huntsville offers what is needed to make the event successful.
"There are tremendous facilities, including the Von Braun Center and the venues for the games. The hospitality is unparalleled," Washburn said.
-from staff reports