By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
It’s hard to argue against the economic numbers that sporting events bring to communities. There is either a baseball or softball tournament booked in Great Bend every weekend in June.
This past weekend’s softball tournament in
Great Bend included 64 teams and 159 games over three days. Great Bend
Recreation Commission Assistant Superintendent Chris Umphres said the
tournament included around 1,000 participants and just under 3,000 spectators.
"Sonic ran out of ice cream, Dillons ran out of Gatorades and ice machines were down," said Umphres. "Just our concessions stand alone was completely empty of ice."
There were 18 umpires used during the event and the umpires alone needed 16
hotel nights in Great Bend.
Umphres said these tournaments will only get better as the facilities continue
to improve.
"It was a good weekend for Great Bend, all across the board for restaurants and hotels," added Umphres.
While some games and tournaments are played at Veterans Memorial Park and other
ballfields around town, a $1.37 million project wrapped up this past winter to
place artificial turf on all five fields at the Great Bend Sports Complex.