By Julia Daniels

Published: Oct. 11, 2020 at 4:23 PM CDT

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG) -Close to 40 teams ages 14U-18U from all over the southeast, headed down to the Panama City Beach Sports Complex for the weekend to compete in the PGF Elite 99% Showcase.

The main goal of the tournament was to make up for lost time recruiting due to the COVID-19 pandemic. PGF aims to give softball players the opportunity to play in front of D2, D3, and NAIA coaches in hopes of landing a scholarship offer to play at the next level. This weekend, there were over 15 scouts out watching.

“With everything that’s been going on in the country and everything that’s going on in the world with COVID-19, we lost a lot of recruiting time for these young ladies,” said Florida Director of PGF, Bill Hoopes. “These are elite female athletes, high academic kids that are chasing a dream and a college scholarship. This weekend we have provided an opportunity. We’ve got 15 colleges that are here walking around scouting from as far away as Orlando and as far north as coastal Alabama and everywhere in between. It’s an opportunity for these girls to get out, get exercised, be around their friends, communicate with each other, and chase their softball dream."

Copyright 2020 WJHG. All rights reserved.

About Panama City Beach

Panama City Beach is situated on 27 miles of sugar-white sand beaches bordering clear, emerald-green waters where the Gulf of Mexico and St. Andrew Bay converge. With 320 days of sunshine annually and attractions such as St. Andrews State Park and Pier Park, the region has long been favored by travelers seeking an affordable beach vacation with year-round offerings for families, couples, groups and adventure-seekers. These include championship golf courses, spas, sporting events, award-winning dining and diverse recreational activities. In addition, Panama City Beach’s Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport offers non-stop flights on Delta Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines. For more information, call 850-233-5070 or visit the official website of the Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau at www.visitpanamacitybeach.com. Stay connected with Panama City Beach on Twitter (@Visit_PCB), Instagram (@Visit_PCB) and Facebook (@VisitPanamaCityBeach).

About Visit Panama City Beach

Visit Panama City Beach is the official destination marketing organization for Panama City Beach, Florida. The award-winning organization has earned industry accreditation (DMAP) from Destinations International, the world’s leading authority in destination marketing, and exists to drive economic opportunity, job creation, community sustainability and quality of life for its residents through marketing, promotion and stewardship of the destination’s REAL.FUN.BEACH. brand and attributes, tourism development, special event production, and managing beach re-nourishment and maintenance programs.

Media Contacts:

Gina Stouffer / Tori Beth Black                         Jayna Leach / Lacee Rudd

Lou Hammond Group                                       Panama City Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau

843.408.4360 / 843.647.7389                           850.233.5070 / 850.233.5070      

ginas@louhammond.com                                  jleach@visitpanamacitybeach.com

torib@louhammond.com                                   lrudd@visitpanamacitybeach.com