By Blake Brannon | Posted: Wed 10:38 PM, Feb 12, 2020  | Updated: Wed 10:58 PM, Feb 12, 2020

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla.(WJHG/WECP) - Panama City Beach youth can hit the turf running this spring with a football league, a lacrosse league, and even a soccer league.

Michael Booini, the marketing manager for the Panama City Beach Sports Complex said, "It's something that if we can get kids involved with from a young age and teach them that passion and excitement, it's going to grow with them for the rest of their lives."

Booini says the new sports leagues are not only providing a new opportunity for area children but their parents too.

"The focus right now is the Start Smart program, which is designed for people to teach their kids how to play. There is a lot of emphasis on parent involvement, so essentially as the mom and dad you would be coaching your kids," said Booini.

The leagues are for kids ages 3-7 and officials say it could help them later in life.

Booini added, "There are countless studies that will explain how kids who take part in youth sports at a young age do actually go on to be good team players, they're more confident, and it just serves them well even academically as well."

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 http://www.visitpanamacitybeach.com.  Live HD video of the world-famous beach is now available at http://www.visitpanamacitybeach.com/webcam/. Stay connected with Panama City Beach on Twitter (@Visit_PCB), Instagram (@Visit_PCB) and Facebook (@Visit_PCB).

Panama City Beach Sports Complex:

The Panama City Beach Sports Complex is located within the Breakfast Point development and is the premier destination for travel sports tourism in the Florida panhandle. The facility features 13 rectangular fields including nine with artificial surfaces and two championship fields with seating up to 1,500 spectators. The flexible design allows for soccer, lacrosse, rugby, football and flag football, as well as baseball and softball to be played. The Panama City Sports Complex is a facility managed by Sports Facilities Management, LLC. For more information, visit: www.playpanamacitybeach.com

About Buffalo Rock Company:

Buffalo Rock Company is one of the nation’s largest privately held, family-owned Pepsi and Dr Pepper bottlers. The company employs more than 2,100 employee-partners who service a population of more than seven million consumers throughout Alabama, western Georgia and the panhandle of Florida. James C. Lee III, chairman of the board and CEO, and fourth-generation Lee, leads the locally focused company that has been in business for more than 118 years. The company continues to evolve its operations and brand portfolio to meet the needs of the ever-changing beverage and snack consumer. For more information about Buffalo Rock Company, visit www.buffalorock.com.

Media Contacts:

Gina Stouffer / Charlotte Park                     Michael Booini / Chris O’Brien

Lou Hammond Group                                 Panama City Beach Sports Complex/Visit Panama City Beach

843-408-4360 / 843-371-1362                    850-588-4902 / 850-233-5070

ginas@louhammond.com                        mbooini@sportadvisory.com

charlottep@louhammond.com                cobrien@visitpanamacitybeach.com