"We came here to do something. We came here to do a job, and today we accomplished that job...We took a loss to Texas, we battled all the way back, and here we are to talk about how we won this whole thing."



-Coach Jonathan Anderson

Lake Mary All-Stars

Around The Horn.

• The Lake Mary All-Stars rallied to beat Chinese Taipei 2-1 in eight innings last weekend to secure the Little League World Series title! Lake Mary is now the first team from Florida to ever win the championship, and the city is honoring these achievements by hosting a celebratory parade and block party this Saturday, August 31 at 10am. The parade will feature a procession of public safety vehicles, elected officials, a marching band, local professional team mascots, former MLB players and Little League State Champions.
• UCF Football kicks off its season tonight as they are set to host the University of New Hampshire at FBC Mortgage Stadium at 7:00pm. UCF is entering its second season in the Big 12 Conference since being added last year, and will look to make an impactful start in their quest for the playoffs.
• Orlando City SC has signed forward Duncan McGuire to a new contract that runs through 2027 with a team option for '28. McGuire has been a key contributor for the Lions since being selected with the sixth overall pick in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft. A native of Omaha, Nebraska, McGuire has scored 20 goals across 48 MLS appearances for the Lions.
• The Orlando Pride defeated the Houston Dash 1-0 last Friday to extend their league-record unbeaten streak to 18 straight games dating back to last season. The Pride (12-0-5) continue to sit atop the NWSL standings with just nine games remaining in the regular season. The Pride will look to continue their unbeaten streak as they host Gotham FC this Saturday at 6:00pm.
• USA Triathlon and Streamline Events announced the 2024 Women's Collegiate Triathlon National Championships will compete in Clermont, Florida, earlier this week. The triathlon will take place on November 9, and will feature the nation's top women's varsity collegiate triathletes to race for national titles. The event will crown champions for Division I, Division II and Division III schools from across the nation.
• The Orlando Solar Bears are offering an exclusive combo ticket deal for the Tampa Bay Lightning preseason game and the Solar Bears' opening game against the Savannah Ghost Pirates. The Lightning will play on September 25, while the Solar Bears begin their season on October 26. The ticket deal can be purchased on the team website.
• UCF has unveiled new renderings of the $88 million expansion of the Roth Tower attached to FBC Mortgage Stadium, along with some additional details for its premium seating options. The project will expand the existing structure by 58,000 square feet, with approximately 15,000 square feet dedicated to club space. This includes 42% more club seating, loge suites with seating, 28 luxury suites and 34 new outdoor sky suites.
• The Orlando Valkyries announced the team launched an online team store that is now live with numerous merchandise options available. Fans can shop a wide variety of official Valkyries shirts, outerwear, novelties and more! In addition to the launch of the team store, the team also announced that Valkyries season ticket holders can take advantage of a 15% discount.
• The Orlando Magic will kick off the Emirates NBA Cup 2024 with a home game against the Charlotte Hornets on November 12. The Magic will also host the Philadelphia 76ers in a group stage match on November 15, and tickets for both games are currently on sale. The tournament, which will consist of two stages including group play and the knockout rounds, starts November 12 and will end with the title game on December 17 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

GO Sports is proud to announce five award winners that will be honored during the 2024 Celebrating Women in Sports Luncheon presented by Orlando Health Jewett Orthopedic Institute. Congratulations to Tiffany, Angela, Joanne, Grace and Pennie!

If you haven't purchased your table for 2024, reach out to Michael or Chase on our team today and join us to celebrate this year's class of award winners (announced at a later date) and hear from our 2024 featured speaker, Hall of Fame broadcaster and lead NBA Analyst for ESPN and ABC, Doris Burke. For more information, visit https://greaterorlandosports.com/celebrating-women-in-sports/

Michael Kalinich - michael@greaterorlandosports.com

Chase DeMayo - cdemayo@greaterorlandosports.com

Join the Orlando Pride at Inter&Co Stadium this Sunday, September 1 at 6:00pm to welcome back seven players from the 2024 Paris Olympics and cheer on the NWSL's top team! Purchase your tickets through the link below and receive a special discount off the single match rate.

In The News.

• Full Sail University and EA Sports' Madden NFL Esports announced a strategic collaboration earlier this week for Madden NFL 25 Championship Series Competitions to take place at the university. As part of the partnership, all MCS 25 regular season events will take place at Full Sail, right down the road from EA's headquarters.
• The election results from Florida's August 2024 primary election for federal, state, circuit, county and city races in Orange, Seminole, Osceola and Lake counties are in! View the full list of elected officials and their margins of victory.
• Orlando Health has been deemed the successful bidder for Steward Health Care's East Central Florida operations after the deadline for bids ended earlier this week on Monday. Orlando Health made a bid earlier this month valued at $460 million and will acquire a total of four medical centers in the transaction, including the 298-bed Rockledge Regional Medical Center.
• A massive mixed-use community coming to Apopka has revealed the first look at its village area and is asking for public input on the plan. The 255-acre Wyld Oaks development, which broke ground in January of this year, unveiled a new master plan along with renderings of what the community will look like. In addition to 4,000 residential units, Wyld Oaks will include 200,000 square feet of commercial space, trails, parks and more.
• Rollins College has a pair of projects currently in the works worth a combined $80 million. The private college located in Winter Park has began construction on a new 300-bed dorm and a new building for its tennis and golf programs. The $70 million dorm will replace the 80-bed Holt Hall, and the $10 million project will include six tennis courts built in the center of campus.
• The Orange County Convention Center has announced its plans to build a new tasting room for food and beverage. City commissioners will consider a $1.48 million bid put forth to build out a 3,000-square-foot space in the west building. The room would serve as a space for clients to taste and experience the culinary offerings provided by the chefs.
• Orange County is rolling out a new initiative called 'Ready Set Orange' designed to increase available housing. The plan seeks to speed up and encourage the buildup of starter homes and accessory dwelling units by offering eight pre-approved floor plans for small, detached homes. Landowners can apply for approval of their desired plan through the county.

Visit Orlando's Magical Dining presented by Orlando Health is back and better than ever! Don't miss your chance to enjoy three course, prix-fixe dinners at a record-breaking 150+ top Orlando restaurants for just $40 or $60 per person, plus tax and gratuity. The lineup includes nine MICHELIN Guide honorees, as well as 24 venues participating for the first time.

A stellar mix of athletes, coaches and support team members has been tapped for induction into the Florida Sports Hall of Fame as part of the 2024 class. The eight-member class represents six different sports and includes a seven-time NBA All-Star, a Super Bowl winner, women’s World Cup champion, a 14-time NCAA Track & Field Championship Coach, a World Golf Hall of Fame member, a four-time national champion cheerleading coach and the first-ever athletic trainer. The eight will be inducted in a star-studded ceremony to be held at the Kia Center in Orlando on October 16.

Stay Engaged.

• Walt Disney World is celebrating the Lake Mary All-Stars' Little League World Series victory with a honorary parade at Magic Kingdom Park today. The All-Stars will go down Main Street, U.S.A. in front of park guests, similar to what other professional sports teams receive. Lake Mary is the first team from Florida to win a LLWS championship after defeating Chinese Taipei 2-1 last Sunday.
• Universal Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights begins this weekend for the 33rd year of scares, complete with 10 haunted houses, five scare zones and live shows throughout. Single-night tickets for the after-hours event start at $82.99 per person, and the event will run on select nights in September and October.
• SeaWorld Orlando has brought back its Fun Card deal for admission to the theme park for the rest of 2024 and 2025. The current Fun Card price is $137.99, with a version that includes access to Aquatica water park available for $198.99. The deal is valid for residents of the US and Canada, and can be purchased on the SeaWorld Orlando website.
• Disney On Ice presents "Let's Dance" this weekend at the Kia Center with six different shows to dazzle fans of all ages. Show times vary from August 30 - September 1, view the full schedule and purchase your tickets here.
• Island H2O Water Park in Kissimmee is running a sale on its passes that allow entry for the remainder of the 2024 season and all of its 2025 season. The benefits of the attraction's season passes include free parking, a souvenir cup and one friend ticket to be used this year and another one next year. Current passholders can renew for $49.99, and first-time buyers can purchase the season pass for $109.99.
• Do you work downtown? Join the Downtown Orlando Partnership from September 9-12 for its inaugural Downtown Employee Appreciation Week presented by the Downtown Development Board! The free come-and-go event will reward downtown Orlando’s dedicated workforce with a fun-filled week of incentives, daily giveaways, live music, employee discounts and more.
• Florida residents can save up to $65 on select multi-day tickets at Universal Orlando theme parks when buying online. Click here for current offers.
• Florida residents can save big while visiting Walt Disney World Resort theme parks. Click here to view the current list of special offers.

In The Community.

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel and his wife Sarah Grafton attended the Orlando Youth Alliance fundraising dinner earlier this week, pictured with board member Dan Pollock (AT&T).

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel attended the Florida Sports Hall of Fame press conference on Tuesday this week, pictured with Ginger Kane (TKO) and Rick Hatcher (Play Treasure Coast Sports Tourism).

Corporate Partner Spotlight.

GO Sports is proud to welcome our newest corporate partner, Holiday Inn Resort Orlando Lake Buena Vista! For more information, click the logo above.

Thank you for supporting sports tourism in Greater Orlando!

Fun & Games.

• What's Happening: Orange County Things To Do
• What's Happening: Seminole County Things To Do
• What's Happening: Osceola County Things To Do
• What's Happening: Lake County Things To Do