Waukegan to host national youth soccer tourney

This summer, Waukegan will host a national girls’ youth soccer tournament that is expected to draw more than 11,000 attendees during the four-day event.

The Elite Clubs National League Championships will take place June 24-27 at the Waukegan SportsPark, bringing some of the nation’s brightest young female soccer stars to Lake County.

Waukegan City Clerk Wayne Motley, a member of the park district’s board of commissioners, was one of the key organizers in bringing the tournament to the city. He said it will be a boon for the local economy.

“All those people will be eating here, sleeping here and patronizing our businesses,” Motley said. “It’s a shot in the arm for the community.”

The tournament should prove lucrative for the Waukegan Park District as well, as it will rake in at least $8,000 in field rental fees. Officials expect more revenue from concessions, as well as $5-per-vehicle parking around the complex.

Waukegan SportsPark has hosted numerous national youth sports competitions since opening in 2010. The park met opposition from some residents before it replaced Orchard Hills Golf Course, but Motley said it has proved its economic value to the city.

“This park has been a godsend for the park district,” Motley said.

The ECNL formed in 2009 to create a more competitive landscape for elite talent and to improve scouting for national teams. The nonprofit league has five age group divisions, from under-14 to under-18. In its third year, the league has 66 teams composed of more than 2,000 players from across the country.

The league championships last year took place in Aurora, Colo., near Denver. Seattle hosted the inaugural event in 2010.