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Field of 64 girls teams vying for AAU crown

Published July 2nd, 2009 | 0 Comments

KINGSPORT — Opening ceremonies for the 2009 AAU Girls Basketball 12 & Under Division I National Championship will be held tonight starting at 6 p.m. at Dobyns-Bennett High School.

The guest speaker will be D-B head football coach Graham Clark.

Sixty-four teams from across the nation are scheduled to compete for the national crown. Pool play begins on Saturday and concludes Sunday.

Championship bracket play will take place Monday and Tuesday, with the final held Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. at Dobyns-Bennett.

All teams that do not qualify for the championship bracket will go directly into the consolation bracket.

“This competition will bring some of the most talented 12-year-old girls basketball players in the country,” said Frank Lett, the Kingsport Convention and Visitors Bureau’s Director of Sports Marketing. “We are excited about the number of visitors this event will bring to the area, as well as the economic impact it will have on our region.’’

The tournament will bring more than 3,000 visitors from 26 states to Kingsport. Games will be played at Dobyns-Bennett, Sullivan South, Sullivan North, Ross N. Robinson, John Sevier, Daniel Boone and the Boys & Girls Club of Kingsport.

A projected economic impact of more than $3 million is expected for Kingsport from this year’s event. All proceeds from the tournament will be returned to the host schools and their athletic programs. Since 1989, AAU tournaments have returned more than $850,000 to area schools.

The KCVB has given AAU participants flags to display on their cars to denote they are visitors to Kingsport. This is to encourage the special Kingsport hospitality for which this city is so well known with hopes that residents will “roll out the red carpet’’ for the visitors.

Tickets may be purchased for $10 a day or $40 for the entire event. Children’s tickets are $6 for a day or $20 for the event.

Children under 5 are admitted free and parking is complimentary. Tickets may be purchased at the door.

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