By KEN de la BASTIDE
Kokomo could be the host city for two major softball tournaments next September that might attract close to 100 teams over the course of two weekends.
The National Softball Association has scheduled the women’s slow-pitch World Series in Kokomo from Sept. 9-11 and the city could host an annual Mennonite Church softball tournament Sept. 4 and 5.
Jennifer McMullen, with the Kokomo/Howard County Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the NSA tournament could attract 50 teams for the national event and another 25 teams for a recreational tournament.
“If all goes well, we could host the tournament every three years,” she said.
McMullen said, at this point, it’s not known how many hotel rooms will be required, but the NSA is also looking for meeting space.
“We will start putting a plan together in the spring,” she said. “We want to put together a package with as many discount coupons from area businesses as possible.”
McMullen said many of the women playing in the tournament will bring their families with them to Kokomo.
Sonja Ritchie, with NSA, said the tournament in Kokomo is the World Series for women’s slow-pitch softball.
She credited a local team with bringing the NSA World Series to Kokomo. Ritchie said the local players indicated the Howard County community would embrace the tournament.
“There is a chance the World Series would come back to Kokomo,” she said. “We talked to our teams and they all wanted to go to Kokomo.”
Ritchie said some of the best female softball players in the nation will compete in Kokomo.
“We’re very excited,” she said. “The parks department has done anything we asked.”
McMullen said the Mennonite Church tournament would require at least 300 rooms for the 25 to 30 teams that come to compete.
“We have sent out bids for the church softball tournament,” McMullen said.
Larry Miller said the Mennonite Church tournament has been hosted by Fort Wayne for the past 30 years.
“It’s almost like a national tournament,” he said. “In the past, there have been teams from Florida, Ohio, Illinois and Michigan.”
Miller said Fort Wayne increased the fee for the use of the parks and the Kokomo Parks and Recreation Department offered a better price. He said proceeds from the annual tournament are used to support missionary work.
This year the tournament attracted 24 men’s and six women’s teams, he said. Miller believes a tournament in Kokomo could attract as many as 50 teams because of the central location of the city.
“I’m pretty sure it will move to Kokomo,” Miller said. “Representatives will be visiting Kokomo in the next few months to look at the facilities. I’m 90 percent sure it’s coming to Kokomo.”
Troy Roe, recreation manager for the Kokomo Parks and Recreation Department, said a local team has participated in the two tournaments and bragged about the facilities in Kokomo.
Roe said the two tournaments will utilize the five softball diamonds and the parks department will have crews on site to prep the fields before and between all the games.
“We’ve have state tournaments here that attracted 40 teams,” he said. “With these being national tournaments, we expect at least 50 teams to be in Kokomo. This is good for the community.”
McMullen said the two softball tournaments would have a huge economic impact on the city.
“There are enough hotel rooms in Kokomo to handle both tournaments,” she said, adding the 28th annual Vietnam Veterans Reunion in Howard County is set for the weekend of Sept. 16-19.
• Ken de la Bastide is the Kokomo Tribune enterprise editor. He can be reached at 765-454-8580 or via e-mail at ken.delabastide@kokomotribune.com
