1st – Little League Baseball World Series
One of seven World Series events held by Little League Baseball and Softball each summer, the Little League Baseball World Series (LLBWS) is the world’s largest youth sports tournament and a bucket-list experience for millions of families around the world each August. Played in Williamsport, Pa., the birthplace of Little League, the 11-day event has no cost for admission and is filled with various activities and opportunities for fans of all ages to enjoy. The 2023 LLBWS is set to take place on August 16-27 and will feature 20 local leagues from around the world, including the first-ever team from Cuba to qualify.
2nd – ISSA Smokey Mountain Classic 2023
The ISSA organized the first Smoky Mountain Senior Classic in 2012. The Town of Maryville, Tenn., had been running the Smoky Mountain Classic for young teams for about 40 years and had an excellent reputation under the leadership of Joe Huff and Chris Clark, director of parks and recreation. The ISSA came in to supplement the event with a tournament just for the senior players. Like the Original Smoky, the Senior Smoky quickly became the most popular senior softball tournament in the Eastern U.S. This year the ISSA Smoky Mountain Senior Classic will have more than 200 entries and a large waiting list with teams wishing to play.
3rd – AAU Junior Olympic Games
More than 19,000 participants congregated in Greensboro, N.C. last summer for the 56th AAU Junior Olympic Games, the largest multi-sport event for youth in the United States. More than 1,200 of those participants were from North Carolina, with more than 120 of those athletes ready to represent as Greensboro-area locals. The 13-day event, held from July 26 to Aug. 7, is expected to bring an estimated economic impact of $65 million. Multiple locations around the area were used, including the Greensboro Coliseum Complex, Greensboro Aquatic Center, North Carolina A&T State University, and Wake Forest University. The AAU Junior Olympic Games features 12 different sports competitions.
