Appleton will be much busier than normal this week as over 12,000 people flock to our community for a huge soccer tournament. As reported in today's Post-Crescent, The US Youth Soccer Midwest Regional Championships is coming to town, June 23-28. The many soccer fields at the USA Youth Sports Complex on the north side of Appleton, plus eight additional fields at Neenah High and Memorial Park will be used by over 4,000 teenaged players this weekend, and they come with parents and others for an estimated total of well over 12,000 visitors.

Appleton has long been a great place for soccer, with outstanding teams and soccer facilities. The USA Youth Sports Complex is a tremendous asset to the Fox Cities, and I'm sure that without it, we would not be able to host such a massive tournament successfully. Kudos also to the Appleton Soccer Club for their leadership in making soccer so successful in the Valley.