Just months after hosting a national softball championship in Normal, the town has just been picked to host another tournament that’s expected to give the local economy a boost.
Champion Fields in Normal has been selected to host the 2019 Girls 12U National Fastpitch Championship, officials announced Thursday. The tournament, which is expected to draw approximately 50-60 teams from across the nation, will be held from July 29-August 4, 2019.
The estimated direct economic impact of hosting the 2019 tournament is expected to reach $740,000, according to the Bloomington-Normal Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.
"The Town of Normal is excited and honored to continue our great tradition of hosting our 12th USA Softball National Tournament in 2019. The staff and volunteers take a lot of pride to make this event successful and a great experience for the teams and the town was rewarded for their efforts,” Doug Damery, director of the Town of Normal Parks and Recreation Department, said in a statement.
Representatives from the Town of Normal and Bloomington-Normal Area Convention and Visitors Bureau successfully bid on the tournament at a meeting this week in North Carolina.
Champion Fields hosted the Girls 16-Under National Championship this past summer.
“We are very pleased to have attracted another USA tournament to our area,” Matt Hawkins, sports marketing manager for the Bloomington-Normal Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, said in a statement. “The Town of Normal does a remarkable job hosting these events, and we hope to continue hosting USA events well into the future.”
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