. . . And a Hearty Heigh-ho, Howard!! (Another Horse in the Hunt)

Perhaps it is the lively discussion about zoning bees in Howard County, but we feel as if we stirred up a major hive. Buzzing came fast and furious to our remarks about Prince George’s County and their pitch for the Maryland Horse Park.

According to the swarm, we quite unexpectedly stepped into a nutrient pile.

So, Equine Enthusiasts, in the spirit of fair play (which we always espouse at H2P) we will tell you about Howard County’s EARLIER (their emphasis) plans to be the home of a Maryland Horse Park.

Way back in 2007, the Howard County Council appointed a task force consisting of horse people along with county planning, agricultural and economic development officials, to study the prospects of a horse park and even suggest potential locations for it.

Weekend Wrap-Up

A little rain wasn't going to slow these athletes down. Maryland was booming with sporting events this past weekend.  Two notable events were the Cal Ripken World Series and the Aflac Iron Girl Columbia Triathlon.

In Aberdeen, the Ocala Highlands team from Florida played Mexico in the World Championship Sunday afternoon.  Ocala Highlands beat the Ohio Valley Regional Champs from Lexington, KY on Saturday in the Semi Finals with a 3-2 win to earn them the U.S. Championship Crown, and a spot in the big game.  Mexico defeated the Dominican Republic with a stunning 18-0 win, clinching the International Division Crown for the eighth consecutive year.

Game On, All Across the State!!

The Ravens and Redskins won’t be the only athletes waging war on the field this weekend, as Major League Lacrosse (MLL) Championship Weekend, AFLAC Iron Girl Columbia Triathlon and the finale of the Cal Ripken World Series are in town and making noise.

MLL Championship Weekend officially kicks off Friday at 2:30 pm at the Severn School fields for two practice sessions for semifinalists Chesapeake Bayhawks, Boston Cannons, Long Island Lizards and Denver Outlaws.Then meet all your favorite MLL stars down at the City Dock at 6pm for the MLL Championship Kick Off Party!! For up to the minute news & info, visit MLL Championship Weekend and to read the full low-down, check out What’s Up? magazines story.

Chesapeake Charge -- Growing the Game in Gambrills

As we work our way to World Cup finals and our bid to bring the games to Maryland, now is a good time to look at organizations on all levels who show just how passionately the game is played in our region.

2010 is the inaugural season for the Chesapeake Charge, an Anne Arundel entry in the Women's Premier Soccer League.

If you're not familiar with the Women's Premier Soccer League, it was formed in 1998 as an independent national soccer organization whose main focus is on the development of highly competitive amateur women's soccer teams.

Their mission to is to bring quality soccer to all levels of the community and promote the stature of female athletes as role models for youngsters.  The WPSL is affiliated with the United States Soccer Federation, the governing body of soccer in the United States,  and our good friends at FIFA, who rule the world.
 
WPSL teams roster college, post-college, foreign and talented high school players every year. The season runs from May to August. A league championship tournament is held the last weekend of July or first weekend of August.  Many college programs encourage their athletes to play summer soccer with the WPSL to prepare for the upcoming season and gain experience playing with top caliber players, including former and aspiring professionals. 
 

The Chesapeake Charge, who play at Carroll Field at Arundel High in Gambrills, are currently 3-3-3 .   On Friday, they take on TSC Maryland Pride -- a team established in 1991 in Howard County.  This game will be held in Columbia at Howard Community College.
 
There will be representatives from the Women's Premier Soccer League at the World Cup Festival in the Inner Harbor this Sunday.  They are an integral part of what makes Maryland such a soccer-centric site for tournament play.
 
Can't leave the subject without reminding you to sign the petition.  Our goal is to fill the stadium with supporters to let FIFI and the USA Bid Committee know just how committed we are to the sport.

Happy Trails to You

Admittedly (and unashamedly) I remember Roy Rogers and Dale Evans signing off their weekly TV show with this cowboy classic.

But National Trails Day  -- the first Saturday in June -- is about the trails we enjoy now.  Trails for hiking, cycling, exercise and transportation.  Because Maryland has so many trails connecting linear parks with neighborhoods, schools and other destinations, we have a lot of activities on NTD.

One such celebration is in Patapsco State Park,  one of Maryland's gems.  I haven't been there in years, so I'm going today to see how volunteers help with trail maintenance.  (Patapsco has some wonderful cycling trails that will be included in the Tour Dem Parks, Hon event next week.)

Also today, Senator Ben Cardin is being honored at the Baltimore City Visitors Center in the Inner Harbor for all the support he has given (and all those federal $$$$$ he's directed) towards the development of the Gwynns Falls Trail, which extends 14 miles through West Baltimore to the Inner Harbor.  New bicycle racks will be installed at the Visitors Center, where the Gwynns Falls Trail, the Jones Falls Trail and the Harbor Promenade meet.

This branch of the GWF takes you right though the lower Camden Yards Complex, south and east of M&T Bank Stadium.  Because we have so many out of town visitors even on non game days (wanderers from the Holiday Inn and nearby bus station) we've been working with the GFT folks to place a map where the trail splits at the entrance to the complex.

The two sided kiosk will not only direct trail riders and other visitors, it will include a history of the industrial park and railroad roundhouse that was once nearby.

The kiosk won't be in place by today, but it will be up in time for the influx of cyclists zipping through next week as they Tour Dem Parks.

There are many places in Maryland to celebrate National Parks Day http://www.americanhiking.org/NTDSearchResult.aspx?sId=21

The $75 Million Weekend

In our pride at hosting the nationally televised NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship, we don't want to overlook those other lucrative events bringing young athletes, their parents (and their checkbooks) to Maryland for the weekend.

In the lacrosse column, there is the Women's NCAA championships taking place just up the road from M&T at Johnny Unitus Stadium in Towson.  There is also the previously mentioned Youth Lacrosse tourney and the activities associated with the Final Four at M&T.  This is a first time event intended to bring more youngsters into the excitement surrounding the college championship.  That will be taking place at the Cedar Lane complex.

Also at Cedar Lane (it's a pretty big place) is the National Women's Lacrosse tournament, which is the top of the women's club lacrosse programs.  That event is separate from (but always held in tandum with) the collegiate finals.

But in other parts of Maryland, there are prestigious soccer tournaments taking place.  The Elite Soccer Columbia Invitational  this weekend, brings several hundred top boys and girls teams in for the long holiday weekend.  That is a several million dollar impact event.

So Terry figured it up.  With all the men, women, boys, girls soccer lacrosse club collegiate stuff taking place, the State of Maryland is having a $75 million dollar worth of sports events weekend.

And just think -- the sun will be shining on all this economic activity.  And there is even more to come.

Another Area Arena

Yes, it's snowing hard in Baltimore, but I seriously doubt it will interfere with the new arena opening at Coppin a few hours from now. Hades will freeze before the Eagles are denied the chance to flaunt their new crib for crosstown rival Morgan State. Really looking forward to seeing happy faces when the fans get their first look at this hardwood palace.

A few zip codes away, another arena opens today. Howard County officials will cut the ribbon on a public indoor sports facility, the latest phase of Meadowbrook Park near the intersection of routes 29 and 100 in Ellicott City.

Meadowbrook Park arena features volleyball and basketball courts, but can accommodate other games and activities. The 33,000 square-foot recreation facility completes an $8.5 million project.

The 77-acre park features three baseball fields; an open-play area; a large playground; two tennis courts; two basketball courts; two picnic pavilions; and approximately 2.5 miles of sidewalks and pathways, plus a 2.5-mile loop circling the park, parking, landscape, and restroom facilities.

(We hope there's sledding hills, because they'd come in handy today.)

Congratulations to these two communities, who will greatly enjoy these newest additions to the Maryland sports and recreation scene.

Iron Girls and Triumphant Torontans

Terry journeyed to Columbia early yesterday morning, taking his young daughter to see the 4th annual AFLAC Iron Girl Triathlon, The event was produced by Columbia Triathlon (also responsible for the Eagle Man and other Tris in and around the state) in conjunction with Howard County Recreation and Parks. There were a record setting 2,419 participants (The extra 19 came via the Ulman Fund, a cancer support foundation) which made it the largest such event in the country.

The Iron Girl consists of a .62-mile swim, a 17.5-mile bike ride and a 3.4-mile run. Terry arrived early enough to see the first wave in the lake and stayed long enough to see most of the transfers. He was very impressed with the beauty of the layout and the organization of the event. His daughter was very taken with all the pink displayed and the energy of the athletes themselves.

(Girl power is best learned early in life.)

As the temps climbed into the 80's, Terry headed to Annapolis for the second event in his Sunday twin bill, the World Lacrosse League championship at Navy-Marine Corps stadium.

This isn’t a new event (its ninth year) but the championship is new to the area. Some of the players were very familiar with the stadium, since the Bayhawks now play there. Others played there against Navy. Denver goalie Jesse Schwartzman claimed it as one of his favorites during his Hopkins career.

A crowd of 7,000+ showed up for the Sunday match, more than attended the doubleheader on Saturday. All three games were thrillers, with Toronto’s winning goal (sorry, Jesse) coming in the last minute of play Sunday.

Major League Lacrosse is still evolving its product, but Navy-Marine Corps Stadium is contracted to host the championship series for the next two years. That means NCAA men’s and women’s tournaments will be held in Baltimore Memorial Day weekend and MML championship will be in Annapolis three months later.