Dec. 4, 2019

This paid piece is sponsored by the Sioux Falls Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Before Sioux Falls landed its second USA Softball National Championship in two years, the Sioux Falls Convention & Visitors Bureau had to make a big pitch of its own.

And it paid off.

The city recently was selected to host the 2021 USA Softball Class A 16U Girls Fastpitch National Championship, making it the second consecutive year that Sioux Falls has been awarded a USA Softball National Championship.

The tournament is hosted by Sioux Falls People for Youth and will be held in July 2021 at Sherman and Harmodon parks. More than 60 teams from across the country are expected, including players, coaches and fans.

Most people in the Sioux Falls community had no idea this was happening until the day it was announced, but this has been months in the making. The bidding process to host this tournament started in June when Sioux Falls People for Youth and the CVB began putting together their bid to present to the committee.

“It’s exciting to partner with a passionate organization like the Sioux Falls People for Youth while being able to boast about the amazing facilities our city has to offer,” said Patrick Daschel, Sioux Falls CVB sales manager.

The bid process began with compiling information and photos of the softball fields in Sioux Falls that could be used for the tournament, in addition to information on things to do throughout the city.

From there, the USA Softball committee viewed proposals, and bidding cities registered to attend the national conference, where the organization votes for the winning cities. During this six-day annual conference, which was held this year in Sparks, Nev., more than 300 USA Softball commissioners get together to discuss new rules and regulations, host a trade show and award tournaments to cities across the country.

Delegates from Sioux Falls People for Youth and the CVB traveled to Sparks to set up a booth at the trade show and make a presentation in front of the commissioners. Representatives handed out branded storage bags, chip clip magnets and information on the city at their booth. When it came time for presentations, the potential host cities were given three minutes to present in front of the 300 USA Softball commissioners, with the winning cities being decided after a vote immediately afterward.

With a short amount of time to make an impression, it was important to grab the attention of the commissioners quickly in order to win. Through a partnership with local producer Alex Ramirez of USA Media TV, an attention-grabbing video was created to showcase the family-oriented atmosphere as well as the pristine fields and parks the city has to offer. The pitch, combined with the historical success of tournaments hosted by Sioux Falls People for Youth, gave Sioux Falls the win against Normal, Ill.

“Being awarded a national championship in back-to-back years is huge for Sioux Falls, and it really goes to show how much this city has going for it right now. We couldn’t be more excited to be able to give our local teams an opportunity to compete for a national championship while staying right here at home,” said Dave Nielsen, Sioux Falls People for Youth president.

If you are interested in volunteer or sponsorship opportunities, contact Sioux Falls People for Youth at [email protected].

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