RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, youth baseball teaches young people the advantages of teamwork and healthy competition and promotes exercise, physical well-being, and a healthy, drug-free lifestyle; and

WHEREAS, youth baseball leagues comprise the largest organized youth sports programs in the world, with more than three million participating youths aged five to eighteen; and

WHEREAS, youth baseball leagues develop citizenship, discipline, teamwork, and physical well-being in young baseball players; and

WHEREAS, each season, youth baseball league players promise to play fair and, whether they win or lose, strive to do their best; and

WHEREAS, hosting an international youth baseball league tournament in Hawaii would have an affirmative impact on tourism and the state economy and would promote a healthy, drug-free lifestyle for our youth; and

WHEREAS, hosting an international youth baseball league tournament here would generate good publicity and international media coverage and reinforce Hawaii as an attractive visitor destination; and

WHEREAS, tournament games could be played on all of the islands, promoting tourism and stimulating the economy throughout the State; and

WHEREAS, the tournament could host youth teams traveling to Hawaii from the west coast, as well as Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China, Philippines, and other Pacific Asian countries; and

WHEREAS, coaches, family members, and fans would accompany the teams for the tournament, infusing money into local county economies; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2005, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism and the Hawaii Tourism Authority are requested to convene a work group to examine the feasibility of hosting an international Pacific Asian Youth baseball league championship tournament in Hawaii; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature requests that the work group include:

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the work group is requested to convene no later than August 1, 2005, and the Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism or the Director's designee is requested to serve as chair of the work group; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, in consultation with the Hawaii Tourism Authority is requested to report to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2006, with its findings and recommendations, and any necessary implementing legislation; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Executive Director of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, and to the Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism.

Requesting the Department of Business, Economic Development, and

Tourism and the Hawaii Tourism Authority to convene a work group to examine the feasibility of hosting an international Pacific Asian Youth baseball league championship tournament in Hawaii.

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