Youth Soccer Tournament Kicks Off In Birmingham Metro Friday

BIRMINGHAM, AL — One of the largest and most competitive youth soccer tournaments in the country kicks off Friday in the Birmingham metro. The Red Diamond Classic brings together more than 300 teams with players ranging in age from 8 to 18.

The tournament takes place the first two weekends of March, with the boys tournament March 4-6 and the girls tournament March 11-13.

Games played throughout the two-tournament weekend will stretch across 21 fields in Shelby County, Jefferson County and throughout the Birmingham area, including the Hoover Met Turf Complex (Hoover), Rathmell Sports Park (Cahaba Heights/Mtn. Brook), Dunnavant Valley (formerly Sportsblast- Shelby County) and Veteran's Park (Alabaster).

In 2021, 170 boy’s teams and 148 girl’s teams played in the tournament. Teams will travel from several different states to play in the Red Diamond Classic 2022 including Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, South Carolina, North Carolina, Indiana, and Ohio.

"Thousands of players, coaches and families will be staying in area hotels, enjoying Birmingham’s thriving food scene and shopping in our community’s stores, which will bring an expected $6 million in economic impact to the Birmingham region in 2022,” said William A. Bowron, Jr., chairman, president and chief executive, Red Diamond Coffee & Tea. "The Red Diamond Classic supports young athletes’ hard work and dedication while developing sportsmanship and character building. This tournament goes beyond soccer. Not only does the Red Diamond Classic bring in a substantial amount of revenue to the Greater Birmingham area, but it is also a great way to showcase and share our ‘Magic City’ with visitors from across the U.S."

In its 24 years, the Red Diamond Classic has generated (over the course of the tournament)- $125.7 million in economic impact.