Avalanche Invitational conjures up images of fierce competition involving unstoppable power and increasing momentum. In contrast, Park City, Utah invokes an image right out of a travel brochure - a quaint historic town, surrounded by magnificent mountains and incredible outdoor scenery. While these two images may seem to be at odds with each other, together they provide an accurate portrayal of what one can expect at the 2012 Avalanche Invitational soccer tournament taking place June 1^st through June 3^rd in Park City, Utah.

The exclusive soccer tournament enjoyed an incredibly successful first-year launch in 2011, attracting 85 teams and dozens of college coaches from across the country. This year’s tournament is based on that winning formula. According to Avalanche Invitational Director Scott Butler, “this tournament is about the high level of competition, the beauty of the surroundings, and providing an incredible 5-star experience. We are all about hospitality. Our goal is to take care of our teams, the college coaches, the club coaches, and our tournament referees.”

The tournament, for female athletes of all ages, combines high-caliber competition with a fun and memorable experience in one of the country’s ideal destinations. Female players have the opportunity to showcase their talent in high-level competitive play; at the same time, college scouts and coaches have an opportunity to watch and evaluate top talent as part of their recruiting efforts. Dozens of coaches, representing colleges and universities from around the country, plan to attend this premier club soccer competition.

This may be a competitive tournament but that doesn’t mean coaches and players won’t enjoy a quality experience both on and off the field. Butler made a point of emphasizing that the coordinators of this event are more than just “administrators putting on a tournament, we are coaches … and we understand the needs of coaches at a tournament.  We aim to take care of those needs.”

 Based on this, participants and attendees can expect the competition and the accommodations to be of the highest quality from start to finish.

To ensure the quality and availability of accommodations, the Avalanche Invitational is a “Stay & Play” tournament with select resort-style accommodations for all tournament participants. Event organizers made it a priority to partner with outstanding hotels, secure hotel room availability and obtain outstanding rates for all of the participating teams.

The tournament structure provides three different levels of competition based on age. The Elite College Showcase level is for U15-U19, the Elite Competitive level for U12-U14, and the Elite Youth level for U9-U11. The Elite Youth competition will be limited to Friday June 1^st and Saturday June 2^nd, unlike the other two competitions which run all three days.

As the name implies, the Elite College Showcase level provides high school student athletes with an opportunity to demonstrate their abilities to college coaches and recruiters. This opportunity is what makes the Avalanche Invitational especially attractive (beyond the area’s natural beauty and accommodations, of course). At this level, the tournament offers players a chance to prove themselves with the possibility of playing soccer at the collegiate level.

The Elite Competitive level is focused on challenging younger athletes by placing them in competition with other talented players/teams. This level of competition is focused on developing athletes, as is the Elite Youth competition.

For more information about the Avalanche Invitational, visit www.avalancheinvitational.com. 

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