OCEAN CITY- Considered a major tourism draw for the resort, the United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) Eastern National Championships entered its second week with hundreds of teams from all over the country competing on fields in Worcester and Wicomico counties.
This year’s USSSA Eastern Nationals mark the 16th time the event has returned to the Worcester and Wicomico County areas. Beginning last week, roughly 350 teams from 14 states and Canada will travel to the resort area for the annual event. Opening ceremonies were held last week and the first week of competition is in the books.
Competing this week were teams in the under-14 open and under-14B divisions. Beginning next Monday, teams in the under-16 open division, under-18 open division and the under-18B division will compete. Tournament headquarters are in Salisbury, but games are being played at parks all over Worcester County including Northside Park in Ocean City.
The 2022 event is once again being billed under the Mid-Atlantic Amateur Sports Alliance (MAASA), a partnership formed in 2014 between Wicomico and Worcester Counties and the town of Ocean City. The partnership is the first of its kind in the nation and leverages the combined assets of each jurisdiction in order to attract, retain and build sports marketing events. For example, while Wicomico and Worcester have the athletic facilities to handle the events, the town of Ocean City has the hotel rooms and other amenities to accommodate the players, coaches, families, friends and fans.
