Our view: Great news for the Midland economy
Published: Sunday, March 15, 2009 3:11 AM EDT
All we can say is … “YES!!”

In the midst of a tough economic climate, it sure was nice to hear the City of Midland is going to host the International Softball Congress 2010 men’s world fastpitch tournament in August 2010.

That’s great news for our economy, with an anticipated $2.25 million shot in the arm for our region.

Retailers are happy.

Restaurant owners are happy.

Motels and hotels will benefit as well.

It’s a win-win-win situation. Lots of local businesses should benefit from this tournament.

Midland has hosted big fastpitch softball tournaments before. In the years 1984 and 1996, Midland hosted world tournaments, like the one that is going to be here in 2010. Midland also has hosted men’s and women’s national tournaments and state tournaments. Midland also has had the women’s Olympic team at Currie Stadium.

We have the experience and know-how locally to make the ISC tournament a first-class production.

Credit should go to Kyle Beane of the Midland Explorers — and the entire Explorers’ operation — for pursuing the idea of a tournament in Midland.

He and fellow committee co-chairman Dave Lach made their pitch to ISC officials, who apparently liked what Midland had to say. Some final details need to be addressed, but the tournament is tentatively slated for mid-August, about the same time as the Midland County Fair.

Coming up this August, Quad Cities, Iowa will host the ISC tournament, so Midland has more than a year to before its ISC tournament, which typically attracts 32 teams from around the world and lasts about 10 days.

For decades, Midland has had a well-deserved reputation for being a community that loves softball.

This honor enhances our reputation, and, probably more importantly at this point in our history, enhances our local economy.

Editor’s Note: More coverage from the Midland Daily News on the 2010 ISC World Tournament plans.

Tournament to boost local economy
projected gain from ISC tournament $2.5 million
By Dan Chalk
of the Daily News
Published: Sunday, March 15, 2009 3:11 AM EDT
The 2010 International Softball Congress World Tournament will have a “tremendous” impact on the local economy and will hopefully return to Midland again in later years, said Jim Peckrul, executive director of the Midland County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The Midland Explorers Booster Club is working on finalizing a contract with the ISC to host the World Tournament and two other concurrent ISC men’s fastpitch softball tournaments over an eight-day period in August of 2010 — bringing about $2.35 million of projected revenue to the Midland area.

“This would be one of the larger economic impact events that we’ve had in Midland,” Peckrul said. “If you take a look at the history of the ISC and the number of cities that have hosted this event, this is a tremendous opportunity for Midland.”

Up to 80 teams will be in town during the tournaments, representing more than 1,000 individuals from around the world. And as many as 20,000 fans are projected to attend the games, which will be played at Currie Stadium and the two other softball fields at Emerson Park, and at Redcoat Softball Complex.

Peckrul said the revenue that comes into the area from the tournament will sustain 29 jobs for the course of a whole year, according to figures from Michigan State University and Travel Michigan.

In the past, Emerson Park and Currie Stadium have been the sites of numerous major fastpitch softball events, including the ASA Men’s Major Nationals, ISF World Championships, USA Men’s National Team and Women’s National Team tryouts, and Olympic Softball team exhibition games.

Peckrul noted that not only does Midland offer a great softball venue, but it has a lot of other things to offer to fans who come watch the ISC.

“We’re a sports mecca,” he said.

And if players and fans like what they see in Midland, the likelihood increases that the city could host the event again in the future.

“If you can get (the ISC) to say, ‘We want to come back,’ that’s what we want to try to do,” Peckrul said.

Midland to host ISC World Tournament
By Dan Chalk
of the Daily News
Published: Friday, March 13, 2009 11:03 PM EDT

More than $2 million of potential revenue pouring into the local economy.

Up to 80 men’s fastpitch softball teams staying in the Midland area for the course of a week, and up to 20,000 spectators visiting the city over that time.

Twenty nine jobs to be created locally.

It all adds up to one big economic ray of sunshine headed this way in August of 2010, when the Midland Explorers Booster Club is set to host the International Softball Congress World Tournament and two other concurrent tournaments at Emerson Park and Redcoats Fields.

While the contract is not yet signed, organizing committee co-chairman Kyle Beane said no other city has put in a bid for the tournament, and it’s just a matter of working out contract details with ISC officials.

“There is a mutual agreement between the Explorers Booster Club and the ISC that Midland will be the host in 2010,” said Beane, who also plays for the Midland Explorers men’s fastpitch team. “We’ve got contract details to work out that will be taken care of in the next couple of weeks.”

The ISC World Tournament will feature either 24 or 32 of the best men’s fastpitch teams from around the world. The concurrent ISC II Tournament of Champions will have about 40 fastpitch teams that are just a notch below those in the World Tournament; and the 19-and-under ISC Youth Tournament will draw eight to 12 youth teams from around the world.

Fans will come in large numbers from Ontario, Beane predicted.

“We think a lot of fans are going to come from Ontario, which is still a hotbed for fastpitch,” he said.

Beane is thrilled at the prospect of having the event in Midland, which last hosted a world fastpitch tournament in 1984 and 1996.

“It’s a great feeling, because it’s something that a lot of people have wanted to see,” he said. “We know what kind of venue we’ve got, one of the best in the country. I think a lot of people are going to be really excited that this tournament is finally going to come to Midland.”

The tentative dates for the tournaments are Aug. 14-21, 2010, Beane said. The 2009 tournament is in Quad Cities.

Beane said that after researching and consulting with Jim Peckrul of the Midland County Convention and Visitors Bureau, the organizing committee came up with a figure of $2.35 million as the economic impact of the tournaments.

Beane’s fellow committee co-chairman Dave Lach said the committee determined that the visitors and convention bureau would receive about $9,000 from the 2 percent local tax on lodging during the tournament.

A portion of any profit generated from the tournament will go to the Explorers Booster Club, but most of the profit will go to local teams, leagues, parks and other worthwhile groups as determined by the committee, Lach said.

Beane said the committee of about 25 members also includes softball notables Marty McGuire, Laura Currie, Pete Finn, Jeff Servinski, Gregg Sauve and Jack Starling, among others.

Lach said about 100 more volunteers will be needed to plan and run the tournament.

Lach said the committee is setting out to raise about $25,000 to meet expenses for the tournament, which include paying the city for the use of the fields.

Beane said the committee has already done a lot of planning over the past few months.

“We’ve got logos designed, we’re working on a website. A lot of work is already done; now it’s just time to start executing the plan,” Beane said.

Lach expects that the cost of admission to tournament games will be about $8 per fan per day, and about $20 per fan for the entire tournament.

He said that spectators will also receive coupons for area businesses with their admission tickets.