Celebrating 30 Years of Cham-Lo: A Summer Soccer Tradition

Boyce Street Athletic Complex, June 21-22, 2024 – Next weekend marks the 30th anniversary of the Cham-Lo tournament, a fun summer event for high school soccer teams in Logan and Champaign counties. Held annually on a Friday and Saturday during the summer, Cham-Lo has become a highlight of the local sports calendar. Matches will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both days.

​Cham-Lo's home has always been the Boyce Street Athletic Complex, with West Liberty claiming ten championships, Bellefontaine, Graham, and Urbana each holding four, and Ben Logan winning the last two tournaments. The event skipped 2020 due to COVID-19 but has since returned with revived excitement.

Organizing Cham-Lo involves coordinating participation from all local soccer teams, scheduling a suitable date, and securing referees and an on-site athletic trainer. Parent volunteers run the concessions, and prepare food and drinks, and this year, food trucks will be added for the first time. Triple C Lemon Shake Ups & Italian Shaved Ice, Frazier’s Smoked Meats, Hoose’s Sizzlin Tortillas, New Orleans Grill, and Cray Cray Cajun will be providing a variety of food options. Volunteers also manage traffic, sell refreshments, and prepare the soccer fields.

The 11 v 11 format divides teams into East and West groups. After a group stage, the top teams from each side compete for the championship, while others play for positions three through six. Matches feature two 30-minute halves with a five-minute halftime. Champions receive a trophy and T-shirts.

Participating teams this year include Urbana, Bellefontaine, West Liberty, Graham, Ben Logan, and Indian Lake.

"Cham-Lo is a great opportunity for our community to come together in a friendly competition of high school soccer," says organizer, and UHS Men's Varsity Soccer Coach, Mike Grim. "With the addition of food trucks, we hope to draw a larger crowd to cheer for the players."