The opening pitch is still a week away, but already the host county is celebrating what looks to be a walk-off home run for the local economy.
The National Softball Association Western World Series comes to Snohomish County next week. Officials are touting the event, which features girls fastpitch teams at the U-10, U-12, U-14, U-16 and U-18 levels, as a welcome shot in the arm for area businesses.
“The economic impact in the county is expected to be over $5 million,” said Amy Spain, group sales executive for the Snohomish County Tourism Bureau. “That’s direct dollars for hotels, food, gasoline, groceries, entertainment and all the activities families do when they travel.”
Some 200 teams from throughout the Western United States – teams made up of players ranging in age from 9 to 18 – will participate in the tournament, which kicks off Sunday with an opening ceremony at Everett Memorial Stadium.
Games start Monday and continue through July 24 in five Snohomish County cities: Edmonds, Everett, Lynnwood, Marysville and Monroe. The grand opening, as well as all games, are free and open to the public.
“It is a first for Snohomish County to host an event of this size and this duration which encompasses fields in so many cities,” Spain said. “It is a wonderful opportunity to showcase Snohomish County to visitors from throughout the western states.”
The National Softball Association (NSA) estimates that, on average, each team will bring 25 people to the event. Counting players, coaches, accompanying family members and NSA staff personnel, more than 5,000 visitors are expected to call Snohomish County home during the weeklong event.
Visitor impact studies used by the Snohomish County Tourism Bureau indicate spending averages about $115 per person, per day.
More than 100 of the teams are coming from California. Another 54 are from Washington, which is considered an emerging hotbed for girls fastpitch softball.
“Youth fastpitch is growing by leaps and bounds and it’s going to continue to grow,” said Marty Lalley, the West Coast vice president for NSA and tournament director. “The excitement level in the game is very high.”
NSA selected Snohomish County to host the tournament after its bid found favor over other contending cities and counties throughout the west including Anaheim, Calif., Las Vegas, Nev., and Washington’s Pierce County.
Dating back to last August the efforts of the Snohomish County Tourism Bureau and local government officials along with the work of two NSA officials who reside in Snohomish County – Steve Jensen and Lou Davis – were instrumental in securing next week’s tournament.
Jensen is NSA Youth Director for Washington. As the Umpire-In-Chief for the tournament, Davis will oversee 100 umpires working at the games.
“Steve Jensen was a big help. They’ve been doing a good job running tournaments (in Washington) and all of the local, NSA-sanctioned qualifying events were full,” Lalley said, noting that Jensen has helped spur the growth of fastpitch beyond the Puget Sound into the Tri-Cities area and Wenatchee, which hosted a highly successful state tournament last month.
“Without Lou Davis and all of the leg work and ground work he did (the bid) might not have made it,” Lalley said.
In order to land the tournament, an area had to be able to provide at least 30 fields and enough hotel space to accommodate 200-plus teams. Teams will be staying in more than 30 area hotels and motels from Bothell to Stanwood.
“We’re just thrilled to the gills for the entire week,” said Julie Horrigan, director of sales and catering at the Ambassador Suites Hotel in Lynnwood, the official host hotel for the tournament.
The Ambassador is providing rooms for the NSA staff as well as several teams. All 240 suites are sold-out for the six days of the tournament.
Another selection requirement was the ability to provide a venue large enough for the Olympic-style opening ceremony, which will fete all of the participants. The ceremony includes appearances by U.S. Olympic softball team members Jessica Mendoza and Laura Berg.
“It had to be big enough to hold at least 10,000 people. Everett Memorial allows us to march the kids into the facility, down the track and then onto the football field,” Lalley said.
Spain deflected credit for her role in bringing the tournament to Snohomish County, saying she worked closely with economic development, tourism as well as parks and recreation officials from the cities of Edmonds, Everett, Lynnwood, Marysville and Monroe.
“David Kleitsch and Mary Monroe in Lynnwood were both instrumental in the discussions early on,” Spain said. “But everyone was very helpful, including Karen Shaw with the City of Everett.”
Tournament games will be played at seven different venues. The age 10-and-under teams will play at Marysville-Pilchuck High School in Marysville. 12U teams meet at the Phil Johnson Ballfields in Everett; 14U at Kasch Park in Everett; 16U will use Sky River Park and the Lake Tye fields in Monroe; and the 18U teams will battle at the Meadowdale Athletic Complex in Edmonds and at Lynnwood High School.
All teams are guaranteed a minimum of four games. Pool play is on Monday and Tuesday, followed by a double-elimination format for the duration of the tournament.
One local team getting ready to play in the tourney is the Everett-based Northwest Tidal Waves 14-U team that clinched its spot by finishing third at the NSA state tournament last month
“This is right here in our own backyard, we’ve been gearing up for this all year.” manager Steve Ritchie said as his team played in a local tournament at Marysville-Pilchuck High School Saturday. “NSA is just a neat thing. It gets these girls ready for high school and college fastpitch.”
Lalley agreed.
“This is an avenue for these young ladies to show their wares,” he said. “A lot of college coaches will be out there. They can’t talk to the girls, but they’ll be taking notes.”
Spain, meanwhile, is counting on the local business community taking note.
“I hope that businesses, tourist attractions and the hotel community will roll out the red carpet,” Spain said. “There are going to be quite a few young ladies here who will want to shop and go to the malls. These are teenaged girls, after all.”
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