COEUR d'ALENE - The Coeur d'Alene Sting Soccer Club's Bill Eisenwinter Hot Shot Tournament is expected to have a $1.3 million economic impact, said Rob Rollins, Sting board president.

There will be 207 teams participating in the event's 22nd year. The first games start at 4 p.m. today, and championship games will begin around 4 p.m. Sunday.

"It's the most ever, and we had to turn some teams away," said Rollins. "We don't have any new areas of the Northwest coming this year, but what we are seeing is more clubs are sending more of their teams."

What's new this year? Saturday night games under the lights at the Coeur d'Alene Soccer Complex next to Skyway Elementary, he said.

Mike Thompson, director of the Sting, said he's coaching an under-(U)14 boys team that plays a Saturday night game.

"They're pretty pumped, and I'm excited," Thompson said. "It's making soccer an event, something the community can come out and watch, and more than just a game."

Also, said Rollins, "This is going to allow us to play more games and accept more teams."

The 345 games this year will be played on 25 fields, in eight locations, including seven in Coeur d'Alene and one in Hayden.

"There will be 5,500 people involved as either a player, spectator or referee," he said.

Teams will be visiting from Idaho, Montana, Washington and Canada. Three-quarters of the teams come from outside the Coeur d'Alene-Post Falls-Hayden area.

"This is really huge for our local restaurants and hotels," Rollins said.

About one-third of the teams are from Canada.

"We have seen an explosion in the past couple of years in participation among our friends in Canada," Rollins said.

"There's no better place to come and visit - it's the Coeur d'Alene and Hayden area," Thompson said. "And we have a top-notch soccer tournament on top of it."

The tournament offers competition to a wide range of age groups, U8 to U18.

And, Thompson said, "It's going to be really competitive. We're really pulling in, by and large, some of the top teams in the area."

Rollins said Sting leaders anticipate having games at their own - brand-new - sports-field complex by the spring of next year.

"We're hoping for sooner," he said.

Right now they are working on a special-use permit from the city of Hayden.

The city annexed, among other property, 80 acres owned by a group called North Idaho Sports Complex LLC, which is working to establish the phased-in complex.

The annexed area is east of Huetter Road, bounded by Prairie Avenue to the south and Hayden Avenue to the north.

Dawn Crabb is directing the tournament for the second consecutive year. Crabb and her team started working on the tournament back in October.

"She and her team have put in countless hours in working with the teams, bracketing, as well as many other behind-the-scenes items that help make this a very successful tournament," Rollins said.

Dana Zeimantz is co-director, and she will be overseeing the approximately 360 volunteer positions.

Tournament schedules can be found at www.cdasting.com.