Thousands of lacrosse players coming to Middletown this weekend

More than 4,500 lacrosse players and their families and friends will be converging Saturday on Middletown’s Smith Park for the 2018 Steel City Shootout lacrosse tournament.

The 13th annual one-day youth tournament will host 150 lacrosse teams from throughout southwestern Ohio and Kentucky. The matches will run from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. with the last match to begin at 6 p.m., according to Kevin Kimener, one of the event’s organizers.

Mary Huttlinger, executive director of the Middletown Visitors Bureau said the average day visitor spends about $111 each, according to a formula developed by TourismOhio.

She said the estimated total of people — players, families and friends — coming to Middletown is between 6,000 and 7,000. That would be an economic impact of between $666,000 and $777,000 to the city as a result of the lacrosse tournament, she said.

No street closures are planned around Smith Park for the event, according to Maj. David Birk, deputy Middletown police chief.

But, he warned drivers: “I would be very cautious around Tytus Avenue, Main Street and Reinartz Boulevard. It’s going to be extremely busy.”

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