National youth baseball tournaments coming to Valley
Jul 16, 2014, 5:00 AM | Updated: 7:08 am
PHOENIX — Several major National Youth Baseball tournaments will be hosted in the city of Surprise.
The Babe Ruth Arizona tournament kicks off a series of tournaments Wednesday. Five more tournaments are scheduled in Surprise during the coming weeks.
“We’re very excited, once again, to offer state and national tournaments that bring folks from all over the country,” Mark Coronado, Surprise community and recreation director, said.
The city has hosted National Youth Baseball tournaments for more than seven years. It has taken a lot of work from the city council to make that happen, according to Coronado.
“The mayor and council, their initiatives have been really focused on sports tourism,” he said.
Coronado said one of the biggest perks of hosting the tournaments is the economic impact.
“The visitors, the players and their families obviously stay in Surprise, they eat in Surprise and they play in Surprise,” he said.
The tournaments generate more than $1 million for local businesses every year.
