The city of Foley has another big weekend ahead of it as it gets ready to host the 35th Annual Gulf Coast Invitational beginning April 13.

The Foley Sports Tourism team expects 150 soccer teams to compete in the tournament that will be played at two sites, the Foley Sports Tourism Complex and Foley Sports Complex (Ralph Schumacher Soccer Complex) soccer fields, which will host the boys’ and girls’ teams, ages 9-19.

With so many teams expected to descend upon the Gulf Coast region, the Foley Sports Tourism group expects its community to enjoy a significant economic impact from the event.

“We are excited to serve as host for the 35th annual Gulf Coast Invitational and welcome all of the teams to Foley,” said Foley Sport Tourism Deputy Director Don Dukemineer. “We hope to continue to build upon the success of this event, and our beautiful complexes will offer that unforgettable experience to the 150 teams that travel to compete.”

Games will start Friday evening (April 13) and continue through Sunday (April 15). You can visit the Gulf Coast Invitational tournament website to check out the schedule. There will be a $5 parking charge at the Foley Sports Tourism Complex.

Among the many tournament features include U9 to U19 first and second-place awards; vendors at the site with soccer products and certified athletic trainers on site.

“We want these visitors to experience Foley at its finest,” said Dukemineer. “We realize these families are going to make an impact in our community by visiting our attractions, eating at our restaurants and exploring all that our community has to offer. We love to hear the comments about how much they love it here and how that they can’t wait to come back.”

For information on this tournament or other upcoming events hosted by Foley Sports Tourism (FST), visit the Foley sports tourism website to learn about more. You can also contact Deputy Director of Sports Tourism Don Dukemineer, by email at ddukemineer@cityoffoley.org, or by phone at (251) 923-2119.