Thousands of young athletes and their families are in Myrtle Beach this week, pumping millions of dollars into the Grand Strand economy.

The USA World Youth Track & Field Trials and the USA Youth Outdoor Track & Field Championships began at Doug Shaw Stadium Tuesday, with the girls' heptathlon and the boys' shotput competition among the early events on the schedule.

Assistant City Manager John Pedersen says more than 2,000 athletes ages 7 to 18 will participate in the games, representing more than 100 track and field clubs from all over the country.

The winning athletes in these games will move on to the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Youth Championships in Paris, France next month.

"This is the best of the best and those athletes had to meet very, very demanding qualifying standards in order to even be allowed to compete here," Pedersen said.

Pedersen said the youth games are a key component in Myrtle Beach's effort to become a sports tourism hub. The city and Horry County schools spent more than $3 million to upgrade Doug Shaw Stadium in 2008.

"What we had in mind all along was not only to provide an amenity for the kids in this community but also a facility that we could host events like this," he said.

Pedersen said the youth track and field games would have a $4 million direct economic impact on the Grand Strand, plus the potential for millions more in media exposure.