What for many athletes gathered here will be the highlight of their sporting careers officially got under way Saturday afternoon as Prime Minister Stephen Harper opened the 2009 Canada Summer Games.
The P.E.I. event mark the 40th anniversary of the Summer Games which began in Halifax. Since then, it’s come to evolve into the country’s largest single sporting event, celebrating athletic achievement amongst the country’s youth.
The program has been a breeding ground for some of the country’s best athletes, namely basketball star Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns, baseball stars Russell Martin of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Jeff Francis of the Colorado Rockies and Olympians Bruny Surin, Anne Montminy, Adam Van Koeverden and Alexander Despatie, to name a few.
Though it was a glorious day in Summerside Saturday — 28 degrees and a cloudless sky — the Games’ opening was staged inside — for whatever reason — which didn’t deter close to 3,000 patrons who filled the brand new Credit Union Place as each of the 10 provinces and Nunavut paraded into the multi-purpose facility (it holds a pair of hockey rinks, swimming pool, gym and bowling lanes) to a boistrous applause.
Flagbearer Rebecca Power, a sailor, led the Newfoundland and Labrador contingent into the ceremonies.
Newfoundlaand is represented by 369 athletes, coaches and mission staff — 199 of whom will be involved in the first week of the Games followed by 170 in the second week.
The first half of the Games will be centered mainly in the Summerside area of the province, while Week 2 switches to the Charlottetown region.
Week 1 sports are male and female basketball, cycling, diving, rugby, sailing, female soccer, softball, tennis, triathlon, beach volleyball, wrestling and rowing. The Week 2 sports are athletics, baseball, golf, male soccer, swimming, male and female volleyball, female wrestling and canoe-kayak.
For updates throughout the course of the games check out The Telegram’s website daily.

Could we be in for results like this with the Mesquite Regional Complex, St. George Marathon, Ford Triathlon and the Huntsman World Senior games.

It would seem that we always do it a little different than the Canadian, but the ongoing sporting events that will be held in and around the St. George, Utah and Mesquite, Nevada will definitely affect people all the way to Las Vegas.

Desert Falls International Sports Resorts is building a 920 acre $500 million sports complex in Mesquite Nevada – Paul Morris of Desert Falls called it “the premier location for amateur sports in the United States.”  The Mesquite sports complex may also draw in professional athletes for off-season training. Like AC Green’s basketball training camps for one example.

The impact the Mesquite sports complex will bring to Mesquite Nevada’s local economy will be huge.  National athletic events will bring in enormous amounts of people. The hotels in Mesquite and in nearby St. George Utah will be filled to the maximum capacity.  The business will also overflow into Las Vegas -  some 75 miles from Mesquite.

Besides the boost to tourism and local housing, Paul Morris of Desert Falls International Sports Resorts has expressed he wants to hire locally as much as possible to eventually fill up to 500 full time positions at the sports complex thus spreading the wealth through job opportunities to Mesquite NV residents and some overflow to St. George people working in Mesquite.

Adidas athletic company has already committed to be a cornerstone.  The Mesquite complex when fully completed can draw a weekend event with 10,000 participants and spectators to Mesquite.

A brief breakdown of participating sports offered at the Mesquite Regional Sports Complex.

• Restaurants
• Training facilities
• Two Olympic-size pools and diving platforms
• Six basketball/volleyball courts
• Racquetball courts
• Indoor Track
• Therapy center (message, saunas, spas)
• Sports medicine facility
• Nutrition center
• 12 sand beach volleyball courts
• 15,000-seat softball stadium
• Softball complex with four diamonds – concession stands – rest rooms – scoring boxes and boards – announcer’s booth and daycare facilities
• 24-field soccer complex and a 400- to 500-seat soccer stadium, plus a park area with pavilions
• 16-court tennis complex plus a 300- to 400-seat tennis stadium and a pickle ball court
• Golf course with 495 residential units (condos, town homes and single-family homes)
• 3,000- to 5,000-seat outdoor football stadium with separate track and field area
• Archery range that would house archery, bow hunting, and a beginner range
• Indoor football/soccer stadium with 5,000 to 10,000 seats
• Attached to the stadium would be a water park with a “lazy river.”
• Open-air street mall with food court – sports brands and exclusive shops – moving sidewalk and mixed-use buildings (commercial and retail) with housing
• Resort hotel and athlete village

I recently attended the Golf Experience during the May 21st-23 opening ribbon cutting and it was a site to see.
It was really a blast to participate and enjoy the progress they have made so far.

Refer to my original blog for more details.

A must see for extra stars and great events. www.sunesports.com category: Mesquite Sports Center

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Sunday, May 24th and Monday, May 25th 10:00AM to 5:00PM

If your not already playing in the 7th Annual Mesquite Amateur golf tournaments, then plan to get signed up for next years extravaganza!

The Regional Sports Complex is on Hardy Way, just West of the Falcon Ridge Parkway intersection, or as locals would say ” when you pass the Walmart just before Pioneer Blvd on Falcon Ridge Parkway, keep going north until you hit Hardy Way, make a left and you can’t miss it.”

This is another of the great events to kick off the Ribbon Cutting (May 21st 2009) for the Mesquite Regional Sports Park…Soon to be one of the largest amateur sports destination in the United States, maybe the world.

With the Huntsman World Senior Games, the St. George Marathon, golf, softball, football,tennis, rugby and the upcoming Ford Triathlon we will still see an economic continuation, even with the current economic conditions.

In the Washington County area alone we saw a 30% increase in 2008 from the 2007 numbers.

It has been projected that the terrorism from sports will see a decrease in the first quarter, as far as the numbers show from bookings of hotel rooms.

In the Mesquite area, we are still seeing similar numbers and we should see those pickup as the Mesquite Amateur Sports Center continues to come online.

The Southern Utah and Nevada deserts have become a very popular destination for international terrorism. With a lot of that terrorism been amateur sports-based.

I hope to see this as a new opportunity for us to continue the tradition of growth, expansion and acceptance of sports.

Sports is a new economic gifts.

Resort developers (Desert Falls) have an enormous undertaking bringing this premiere sports resort to Mesquite Nevada.

Making it one of the largest amateur athletic resorts in the United States.

The resort will cover a gamut of outdoor and indoor sports, primarily oriented to the amateur athlete, but with the facilities of the quality and caliber that professional athletes use.

The Mesquite sports resort package includes a wealth of amenities that include Adidas facilities: Offices; deluxe restaurant;  training facility; two Olympic size pools; two Olympic sized diving platforms and a private workout center.

You will see six flex basketball/volleyball courts, racquetball courts, indoor track and the therapy center.

Included in the amenities will be massage, saunas, spa with a sports medicine facility as well.

Just to mention a few unique facilities, we will see 12 sand beach volleyball courts and a main beach volleyball stadium with 300 to 400 seats.

A 1500 seat softball Stadium with natural turf, a softball Hall of Fame and sports memorabilia center.

A softball complex with 4:5 flex diamonds, concession stands, restrooms, scoring boxes,  boards announcing booth, and a day care facility.

A 24 field soccer complex and a 400 to 500 seat soccer stadium, plus a park area with pavilions.

A 16 court tennis complex 300 to 400 seat tennis stadium and a pickle ball court.

A golf course with 495 residential units, including condo, town-homes and single dwellings.

A 3,000 to 5,000 seat outdoor football stadium with separate track and field areas featuring: long jump, high jump and shot put/discus throw setups.

An archery range that would house archery, bow hunting and beginning range with concession and information center.

And indoor foot ball/soccer stadium with 5,000 to 10,000 seat stadium. Artificial turf would also be used as a lacrosse center.

Attached to this stadium would be a water park with a lazy river.

An open-air street mall with food courts, sport’s brands, exclusive shops with moving sidewalk and mixed-use buildings for both commercial and retail.

A resort hotel and an athletic village.

This new facility would make Mesquite Nevada, the premier location for amateur sports in the United States and the world.

We will see a tremendous economic boost during this downturn in the economy from this new sports Pavilion.