Washington County ready for its close-up
Last week, we once again welcomed the world to our county with the 64th Annual Dick’s Sporting Goods PONY League World Series. However, what was different this year was that we not only welcomed the world to to Washington County, but we also brought Washington County to the world.
Taking the field with Dick’s Sporting Goods as the first naming and title sponsor in Pony League World Series history, a partnership with Pikewood Sports, committed sponsors and dedicated volunteers, the Pony League World Series entered a new age with all 17 games being produced and streamed online through MLB.com – yes, Major League Baseball.com – and two games being televised regionally, including the standing-room only championship game between Chinese Taipei and San Bernadino, Calif. at Lew Hays Field.
For the first time, fans and families in Puerto Rico, Austria, Mexico, Maryland and California could cheer for their teams in real time via the Internet and live from Washington County.
In addition to great youth baseball, these viewers from around the world saw a Washington County with a strong economy, attractive communities and a high quality of life that rivals any other place in the world. What they also witnessed was a Washington County that welcomed its visitors and demonstrated its hospitality continually over six days and 17 hard-fought games.
The Dick’s Sporting Goods Pony League World allowed us to “Share the Energy” of Washington County, along with our growth, our history and our people, on a global stage and we were ready for our close-up.
Jeff M. Kotula
Canonsburg
Kotula is the President of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce and the Washington County Tourism Promotion Agency.