Hundreds of children ages 6 to 8 spent the weekend in Jefferson City for the 2015 Winter Blast Mite Hockey Jamboree.
Thirty teams from throughout the state are continuing to participate in the Mid-Missouri Tigers two-day tournament at the Washington Park Ice Arena. Mite Hockey Coach Andy Neidert said about 250 children came into the area this weekend, along with parents and grandparents, for the opportunity to play new teams in a new area.
Neidert said the tournament doubled in size since last year when only 15 teams participated. He said having the 6-year-old age group means the annual tournament may be the only chance for many children to spend an entire weekend playing hockey with teams they've never faced before.
Another reason for the growth of the tournament, Neidert said, is thanks to the growth of the Mid-Missouri Tigers program in Jefferson City itself. Teams from the area go to tournaments in other cities and are able to encourage other teams to come to the area for this tournament, he said.
Neidert said the majority of participating teams are from the St. Louis and Kansas City areas, bringing many new faces to Jefferson City.
Chris Wilson, sports sales manager with the Jefferson City Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the tournament has provided an economic benefit for the area, with nearly every team spending a night in Jefferson City and visiting area establishments.
"It's just an exciting event for Jefferson City," Wilson said. "We can definitely get excited about the economic impact that this particular sports event is bringing to Jefferson City. ... The community is certainly going to see a payoff."
Neidert said roughly 160 or 170 rooms at the Capitol Plaza Hotel have been booked just for the tournament itself. And he noted he has frequently been asked by coaches about where to take the entire team out to eat in the area.
"Almost all of these people are staying the night in town," Neidert said. "It's a win for Jeff City."
Wilson said the tournament is expected to continue to grow, largely thanks to the efforts of planners and coaches like Neidert.
Neidert said the tournament would not be possible without the efforts of two other planners and coaches, Brian Hervey and Scott Vodnansky, as well as all the volunteers, parents and coaches who have been involved in the event.
He also singled out the efforts of the Jefferson City Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department, which helped them secure ice time at the arena and prepare for the event.
"We couldn't do this without Parks and Rec," Neidert said.