January 2016
18
www.sportseventsmagazine.com
R E C O G N I T I O N I S S U E
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As a senior member of the team,
Shumanski says she is able to share her
experience with young people eager to
learn sports event planning. "Being the
mentor and teaching by doing has always
been my way, giving the team the opportu-
nity to shine," she says.
Local and international celebrities can
play a key role in sharing the Special
Olympics message to a larger audience,
but, according to Shumanski, that message
will live on in other ways that make her
event unique as well.
"The sheer magnitude of the legacy
will be here once the games are over,"
she says. "People with intellectual
disabilities will have showcased their
abilities on a world stage."
DAVID SCHUMAN, CEO
NUC Sports
National Underclassmen Combine
Roseland, NJ
12 Years Planning Events
As the CEO of NUC Sports, David
Schuman's goal is to push athletes to the
next level. Between recruiting football
camps and combines, more than 25,000
athletes per year receive his organization's
support to be evaluated for college schol-
arships.
Social media interaction and positive
word of mouth have helped increase
engagement with athletes, but Schuman
says marketing in the new social media
economy can be a challenge, along with
keeping the more than 100 events offered
throughout the year innovative and fresh.
But the National Underclassmen
Combine's ability to maintain close contact
with the athlete is just one of the ways
Schuman says his event is different from
others in the industry. He credits its ability
to work with the athlete and evaluate them
directly as being particularly benefcial.
When it comes to gauging the positive
impact of his events, Schuman measures
it beyond just the athlete's success. "Our
positive impact is the over 1,200 athletes
that signed scholarships to college," he
says. "We make a difference by bringing in
revenue into the community and credibility
and prestige to their community because of
the athlete's success."
DAVID STEPHENS, CEO
PrimeTime Sports
PrimeTime Sports National Basketball
Championship and the 7on7
Tournament of Champions
Flower Mound, TX
16 Years Planning Events
David Stephens believes in competi-
tion. The CEO of
PrimeTime Sports,
which offers
the PrimeTime
Sports National
Basketball
Championship
and the 7on7
Tournament of Champions, says it's a
vital skill everyone should learn.
"While our competitions have winners
and losers, it is about so much more.
It is where young people learn critical
life skills, such the value of hard work,
the value of commitment, the value of
sacrifce, the value of team, and so
many more," he says. "These same
values are what will allow these young
people to succeed in the work place
and in life."
His organization delivers this educa-
tional competitive experience with more
than 170 events in more than 12 states
for youth basketball, soccer and 7on7
football. His two signature championship
events are the largest among their sports.
Events undergo regular review and
revision to ensure they are effcient and
effective and live up to the PrimeTime
event experience. Strategic partnerships
with facilities and sponsors have helped
in the delivery, according to Stephens,
but he's also got the parents and athletes
who travel to those events in mind.
"We understand and respect the sacri-
fces that the families of young athletes
make to have their children participate in
sports activities," he says. "How we can
best demonstrate our understanding of
the familial sacrifces is to give them the
most for the best value available."
Congratulations!
2016 Readers' Choice
Award Winners
LOUISIANA
Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission
www.shreveport-bossier.org
Louisiana's Northshore/St. Tammany Parish Tourist &
Convention Commission
www.louisiananorthshore.com
Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana CVB
www.visitlakecharles.org
Cajun Coast Visitors & Convention Bureau
www.cajuncoast.com
MARYLAND
Visit Harford
www.visitharford.com
See Ad On Page 3
Annapolis & Anne Arundel County Conference &
Visitors Bureau
www.MeetInAnnapolis.com
See Ad On Page 25
Ocean City, Maryland CVB
www.ococean.com
Prince George's County
Conference & Visitors Bureau
www.visitprincegeorges.com
MASSACHUSETTS
Johnny Appleseed Country
www.appleseed.org
See Ad On Page 21
Greater Springfeld CVB
www.valleyvisitor.com
MICHIGAN
Ann Arbor Area CVB
www.annarbor.org
Greater Lansing Sports Authority
www.lansingsports.org
Great Lakes Bay Regional CVB
www.gogreat.com
MINNESOTA
Bloomington, MN CVB
www.bloomingtonmn.org/sports
Minneapolis Northwest CVB
www.minneapolisnorthwest.com
MISSISSIPPI
Mississippi Gulf Coast CVB
www.gulfcoast.org
Tupelo CVB
www.tupelo.net
MISSOURI
Branson/Lakes Area CVB
www.explorebransonsports.com
Greater Springfeld Area Sports Commission
www.springfeldmosports.org
City of Independence
www.independencemo.org
St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission
www.explorestlouis.com
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