Spartanburg County to welcome USA softball junior Olympic Cup
June 18, 2019
Spartanburg will also host USA Softball Junior Women’s National Team Training Camp
Spartanburg County will host 94 softball teams from around the country at Tyger River Park for the USA Softball Junior Women’s National Team Training Camp July 18-22, and the USA Softball Junior Olympic Cup July 21-27.
The Junior Olympic Cup is an opportunity for USA Softball coaching staff and the Women’s National Team Selection Committee to scout and evaluate talent for the U.S. Olympic Team. Junior National Team Training Camp gives the U.S. Women’s team the chance to prep for upcoming national and international competition.
“Tyger River Park is tailor-made for this kind of event. With 13 softball and baseball fields, we know Tyger River Park is an attractive option for top-level competitions like the USA Softball Junior Olympic Cup,” said Kristen Guilfoos, marketing manager with the Spartanburg County Parks Department. “Last year, Tyger River Park hosted the 2018 USA Softball Girls Class A 12-Under National Championship, and the facility was previously a USA Softball Complex of the Year. This summer’s events continue to strengthen the already-strong bond between USA Softball and Spartanburg County.”
Previously held in cities like St. Louis and Chino Hills, Calif., the Junior Olympic Cup features teams in three age divisions: under-18, under-16, and under-14. The tournament includes a five-game guarantee for each team, with three games in pool play before a double-elimination bracket leading to a single championship game.
It’s expected the Junior Olympic Cup will bring upwards of 3,600 people, including players and their families, to Spartanburg County.
“We expect our hotels to see increased traffic from USA Softball’s presence,” said Kristyn Hawkins, Spartanburg Convention and Visitors Bureau sports tourism sales director. “Coaches, players, and their families will stay at local hotels, eat at local restaurants, and visit local attractions, furthering the growing economic impact of sports tourism in Spartanburg County.”
About the Spartanburg Convention and Visitors Bureau
The Spartanburg Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) is the official destination marketing organization for the City and County of Spartanburg, South Carolina. The Spartanburg CVB celebrates the unique geography, culture and spirit of Spartanburg. Once you visit, you’ll understand there’s no place like it. There’s only one. Spartanburg. Learn more at www.visitspartanburg.com.
About USA Softball
USA Softball is a 501(c)(3) not-for profit organization headquartered in Oklahoma City, Okla., and is designated as the National Governing Body (NGB) of Softball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic Committee. One of the nation’s largest sports organizations, USA Softball sanctions competition in every state through a network of 69 local associations and has grown from a few hundred teams in the early days to over 150,000 teams today, representing a membership of more than 2 million. USA Softball is dedicated to providing people of all ages the opportunity to play the game they love at a variety of levels by offering recreational, league, tournament and competitive play for fast pitch, slow pitch and modified pitch. USA Softball annually conducts thousands of tournaments throughout the country including over 100 National Championships. The USA Softball umpire program is among the nation’s largest and are widely known as the best trained umpires in the game.
As the NGB for the sport of softball, USA Softball is responsible for training, equipping and promoting the six USA Softball National Teams that compete in events such as the Olympics, Pan American Games, World Championships and other international and domestic events. For more information on USA Softball, including its founding and history as the Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA), please visit, www.USASoftball.com.
