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The Connecticut Convention & Sports Bureau (CTCSB) welcomes the return of the United States Specialty Sports Association’s (USSSA) National Girls’ Fastpitch Softball Championship on July 25-30, 2016. Forty-seven (47) teams, from as far away as Virginia, will compete in the 16UB and 12UB divisions on fields in East Hartford.
“This year’s tournament is expected to generate more than $1.6 million for Greater Hartford businesses, as close to 3,000 out-of-state visitors will come, including talented young athletes, tournament officials and volunteers, and their families and friends,” explains H. Scott Phelps, President of the Connecticut Convention & Sports Bureau (CTCSB), the State’s official meetings and sports event sales and marketing organization. “Our Bureau has been managing the tournament’s hotel reservation process, booking 2,180 room nights at hotels in Hartford, East Hartford, Manchester, Windsor, East Windsor, Wethersfield, Glastonbury, and Wethersfield. Attendees also will visit area restaurants and visit nearby attractions, benefitting the local economies.” In addition, Phelps reports that spending by visitors will result in over $131,500 for the State in Connecticut Sales Tax.
The tournament’s opening ceremony will take place on Monday, July 25 at 4 p.m. at New Britain Stadium in New Britain, in cooperation with the New Britain Bees. Tournament play will start on Tuesday, July 26 on seven fields at the Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Club in East Hartford. New England USSSA Fastpitch is hosting the 2016 national championship. Teams will face off, first in pool play, then in double elimination for the championship. Trophies will be given to the top four teams in each division, and awards will be given for Team Sportsmanship, Outstanding Pitcher, Outstanding Offensive Player, Outstanding Defensive Player, and Most Valuable Player.
New England USSSA Fastpitch is dedicated to meeting the needs of the coaches, fans and, most importantly, players that it serves. The organization strives to make USSSA Fastpitch the best tournament and league experience with a professional organization with unmatched customer service, the most qualified umpires, technological advancements to more fully enjoy the sport, a full array of softball merchandise, and the best fields available. David Rocha, the USSSA Fastpitch State Director for Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, is the Tournament Director. For game schedule and more information, visit www.neusssafastpitch.com.
The Connecticut Convention & Visitors Bureau (CTCSB) works in partnership with the state’s businesses, institutions, nonprofit organizations, and surrounding communities to market all of Connecticut – convention and meeting venues, hotels and attractions, and sporting venues – as a premier destination for international, national, regional and statewide conferences, conventions and major sports events. In the last fiscal year alone, more than $61.6 million was spent by convention, meeting and sports events attendees during their visits to the state, generating over $4.7 million in Connecticut taxes. In addition, more than 22,500 Connecticut jobs in the hospitality industry were supported by these events as a result of these bookings.*
The CTCSB is a public-private partnership that is funded by dues from members and by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) and Connecticut Office of Tourism. The Connecticut Sports Advisory Board, a division of the CTCSB, focuses its efforts on attracting and serving international, national and regional sporting events. For more information about the Connecticut Convention & Sports Bureau, visit www.CTmeetings.org or call 860-728-6789.
