NSA sets tourney for city

The Greater Chattanooga Sports and Events Committee has announced that the National Softball Association is bringing its girls' fastpitch Class B World Series for the Eastern half of North America to Chattanooga next summer.

Founder and president Hugh Cantrell already said the NSA would be bringing more national tournaments to Chattanooga during a brief speech at the grand opening of the Summit of Softball Complex in July, when his organization brought its A Division Eastern World Series to the area.

"The mayors, the sports commission and everybody involved with that tournament put out such a great effort," Cantrell said. "Everything was great. We thought, 'Why not another year?' so we decided to go ahead."

Opening ceremonies are scheduled for July 25 at Camp Jordan. Action will begin the next day at the Summit of Softball, Warner Park, Camp Jordan and the Tyner complex and run through July 31.

"Our relationship with Hugh Cantrell and NSA couldn't be better," president Scott Smith said in the Sports Committee's news release. "They are a terrific partner and their events have an amazing effect on our local community and economy. The NSA event not only features lots of attendees, but their average stay is five nights, and with girls' events you have parents, siblings and grandparents attending in many cases."

The Sports Committee, which has resubmitted a bid to keep the NCAA Division I FCS championship game beyond a 13th consecutive year this Dec. 18, reported the 231 softball teams that were in the Chattanooga area last summer created an estimated impact on the local economy in excess of $3.5 million. The NSA projects the field in the 2010 B World Series to be at least 150 teams.

"Summer has always been a busy time anyway, but we did see a lot of softball players last time," said Dan Majoras, manager of O'Charley's in the Hamilton Place area. "There was a noticeable difference.

"We have that national-championship football game, too, and that definitely brings in extra business. Any of those kinds of things they can bring in, the more the better."

Cantrell also said the NSA plans to bring national tournaments to Chattanooga in 2011 and '12, although they may not be in the youth division.

"There's the possibility we may add more for '11, or in '10 we could look at adding another," Cantrell said. "The folks in Chattanooga have also worked very well with us with our adult program."