Comstock Shootout is coming

It's been a tradition rite of spring for sometime now and once again Carson City will be invaded by soccer players from all over the West in the upcoming Comstock Shootout.

The boys tournament will be held April 21 and 22 while the girls tournament will be held April 28 and 29. Once again the girls tournament is filled to capacity as there's 95 teams entered in the event, plus three teams on a waiting list.

Participants for the boys tournament has increased over last spring as there will be 81 teams in the tournament this year as compared to 75 last year. Several factors, including Northern Nevada's unpredictable weather, has cut into the participation in the tournament during its first weekend over the years.

But with 176 teams, the Comstock Shootout remains one of Nevada's largest youth sporting events and at times the tournament has been the state's largest youth sporting event.

Classes will range from under-10 to under-19 and most age groups will have three divisions, Sierra, Cascade and Coastal, with Sierra being the highest and Coastal being the lowest. All 12 fields - 10 and Edmonds Park and two at Mills Park - will be used all day Saturday and Sunday morning during both tournaments with the championship games to be held on Sunday at Edmonds.

The tournament is an open event with American Youth Soccer Organization all-star teams and United States Youth Soccer Association clubs among those entered. About two-thirds of the teams are AYSO all-star select teams who play during the spring.

The Comstock Tournament and the Davis Cup in Northern California have become the two biggest AYSO Tournaments in the spring in this region. "These are the top two AYSO tournaments," said tournament co-director Joe Briggs about the Comstock and Davis Cup.

Teams from California, Oregon, Idaho, Southern Nevada and Northern Nevada will compete in the event. The tournament has drawn some of Northern Nevada's highest level teams.

"We have all the top teams from Northern Nevada," Briggs said. "In the Sierra brackets we'll have some very good teams playing.

"All of the top teams in Northern Nevada want to come play here. The competitioin is always fairly tough."

Over the years, college coaches have attended the event. WNCC women's soccer coach Hillary Arthur is among those who makes it a point to always attend the event.

The tournament is a major undertaking for Carson City AYSO, the Capital City Soccer Club and Carson City's Parks and Recreation Department.

"It's a tremendous amount of work there's no doubt about it," Briggs said. "It's a community effort."

Briggs said the tournament can be held due to the cooperation of the city and a facility like Edmonds.

"We wouldn't be abble to have a tournament of this size and caliber without having Edmonds," Briggs said.

The tournament is also obviously a huge ecomonic boost to the area. It's been estimated that the economic impact the event brings to the area is in excess of $3 million.

"I know all the hotels and restaurants are booked solid both weekends," Briggs said.

•CharlesWhisnand is the Nevada Appeal Sports Editor. Contact him at cwhisnand@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1214