Rapid City Home Field for South Dakota's First ASA Men's Tournament
Online, November 30, 2010 (Newswire.com) - RAPID CITY, S.D. - The Rapid City Convention & Visitors Bureau has helped score a run for Rapid City, SD and area businesses. The American Softball Association (ASA) has selected Rapid City to host the Men's Class "C" Slow Pitch Northern National Championships. The tournament will be held at the Star of the West Softball Complex on Sept. 1-3, 2012.
Tournament organizers are hoping to recruit 75 teams with an estimated 975 players who are expected to spend more than $365,000 at the three-day tournament. The economic impact of the event on Rapid City and the Black Hills is expected to extend beyond the days of the tournament.
"Because the tournament is held over Labor Day weekend, we are anticipating that players will bring their families along and make the weekend a vacation," says Domico Rodriguez, sports and events sales director at the Rapid City Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The tournament could bring in teams from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. The tournament is the northern region championship and the winner will advance to the national championship in Oklahoma City in October 2012. South Dakota teams do not have to qualify to enter the northern region championship, but teams from other states must place at a qualifying tournament held throughout the region.
"We will be asking community members to be sponsors and volunteers to make this tournament a success," says Rodriguez. "This is the first time an ASA men's tournament has been held in South Dakota, and our hospitality and professionalism will help ensure Rapid City is selected again."
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