This year, we are thrilled to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Elite Tournaments! Over the past quarter-century, our journey has been one of growth, expansion, and unwavering dedication to providing exceptional tournaments. From our humble beginnings in youth soccer to our expansion into lacrosse and international tours, we’ve been fortunate to work with athletes, coaches, and teams from all over the world. As we reflect on the remarkable milestones we’ve achieved, we look forward to continuing our legacy of excellence and innovation in the years to come.

A Humble Beginning: The First Baltimore Mania

It all started 25 years ago when Mike Libber, the founder of Elite Tournaments, sought a way to fund his U12 soccer team’s participation in their first out-of-state tournament. In 2000, Mike organized a small tournament for teams within his age group to raise funds. The event hosted just 10 teams, but its success sparked something much larger. Encouraged by the positive response, Mike saw the potential to expand the event and soon, the first Baltimore Mania was born. This initial success laid the foundation for what would become a leading force in youth sports event management.

Rapid Expansion in Soccer

From those first 10 teams, the growth of Elite Tournaments was rapid. By the following year, the event had expanded to 60 teams, and it became clear that there was a growing demand for high-quality, well-organized tournaments. Over the past 25 years, Elite Tournaments has organized over 1,150 soccer events, partnering with youth clubs, international teams, and even professional organizations. Our commitment to excellence has earned us the trust of the sports community, and we’ve continued to expand our reach, hosting tournaments across 28 states.

The numbers speak for themselves:

• 74,000 teams have competed in our soccer events.
• 1.5 million athletes have participated in our tournaments, creating a legacy of opportunity for young athletes to showcase their talents.

Our focus on soccer has made Elite Tournaments a household name in the youth soccer industry, but we didn’t stop there.

Expansion into Lacrosse

In 2020, Elite Tournaments expanded its scope to include youth lacrosse, further solidifying our commitment to providing top-tier sporting experiences. Since then, we’ve organized over 37 lacrosse events and established ourselves as a growing force in the lacrosse community. A key part of our success has been our partnership with the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA), which has allowed us to bring high-quality events to athletes and teams across the nation. We are proud to have hosted tournaments in 11 states, where over 5,161 teams and 102,185 athletes have had the opportunity to compete and grow within the sport.

International Tours: Expanding Horizons

Starting in 2012, we partnered with international organizations to launch our International Tours, offering athletes the opportunity to travel abroad and train with our international partner academies. These tours are connected to youth tournaments in the U.S., where players are selected based on their performance to represent Elite Tournaments on the global stage. Over the past 25 years, we have organized 19 international tours, involving 603 athletes. These tours have fostered global connections, exposing athletes to different sports cultures and providing experiences they will cherish for a lifetime. We are proud to have collaborated with Southampton FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC to make these unique opportunities possible.

International Professional Tours & Competitions

In 2013, we were approached by the Local Organizing Committee of the CONCACAF Gold Cup to assist with training camps for the event. This partnership marked the beginning of our annual involvement with professional teams, helping meet their needs for training camps. Over the years, we’ve had the privilege of working with organizations such as Liverpool, Tottenham, the US Men’s National Team, El Salvador, and Honduras.

In 2021, a new chapter began when Mike Libber teamed up with his long-time friend Ray Farrelly to form Elite Promotions Group. Their collaboration led to the promotion of their first Professional International Friendly match at M&T Bank Stadium between Arsenal and Everton of the English Premier League. Since then, the duo has promoted six additional matches, with plans to double that number in the next two years, continuing to expand Elite’s presence in the international sports scene.

A Bright Future Ahead

Elite Tournaments is known for its impact in youth sports, with our reach steadily growing across the country. We’ve forged valuable partnerships with top organizations, such as the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA), the Girls Academy League (GA), the Development Player League (DPL), and the Elite Academy League (EA League), all of which have been integral to our success.

Our commitment to excellence in event organization, communication, and customer service has allowed us to continuously build relationships and improve the experience for players, coaches, and families.

As we reflect on the past 25 years, we are grateful for the thousands of athletes, coaches, and teams that have been a part of our journey. We look forward to the future and are excited to continue creating memorable experiences, fostering athletic growth, and providing opportunities for the next generation of athletes to shine.

None of this would have been possible without the fantastic staff we have been blessed with over the years. Their dedication to the Elite Family has been the backbone of our success. Mike, his wife Mandy, and their three boys are and will always be grateful for the hard work, commitment, and humor of everyone involved in this journey.

Here’s to 25 years of success, and many more to come!