Economy leads to cancellation of Arsenal event

The economic downturn has forced the cancellation this year of the Augusta Arsenal Spring Shootout, one of Augusta's longest running sporting events.

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The event, which was put on for the 25th consecutive time in 2009, attracted hundreds of youth soccer players from across the Southeast.

At its peak, the soccer tournament drew nearly 200 junior teams . However, over the past three years that number has steadily dropped. Only 50 teams were entered in  last year's tournament. Though that total was still enough to turn a small profit for the Arsenal, the club felt that it was no longer cost-effective to try to continue the event.

"We could have done it. But it was just something that took a lot of work and we didn't feel like the risks were worth what we'd get out of it," said Augusta Arsenal director Tom Norton.

Many of the clubs that played in the past  have become limited financially, Norton said, forcing them to cut down on travel costs by reducing the number of long-distance tournaments they play in.

According to Norton, the Arsenal has  cut back on its own travel expenses . It's a blow that has been felt by some of the most well-established events across the region.

According to a person affiliated with Near Post Soccer Services, the management company that helped put on the past three Augusta Arsenal Spring Shootouts, many of its other tournaments have met a similar fate.

Norton cited  "unpredictable weather" as another factor keeping teams and spectators away. The Shootout, which had been held annually in February, has occasionally been marred by poor conditions. Because of this, money spent for things such as trophies and other non-refundable objects would be wasted when there are cancellations.

Norton  said that the club itself isn't in danger of folding  despite the absence of this year's Shootout. There are no immediate plans for the event's  return, but Norton says that economic improvement could eventually change that.
"The events that are transpiring will continue to shape the format of the tournament and how we do it," he said. "If the economy turns around, we could bring it back."