1st – ISSA Smokey Mountain Classic
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.
2nd – AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships
The AAU Junior National Volleyball Championships is one of the largest volleyball tournaments in the world. In the summer of 2022, more than 70,000 athletes and coaches, representing 48 states, two U.S. territories, and four international countries, converged at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) for the 49th year of the tournament. The 18-day event featured 4,450 teams (678 boys’ teams and 3,772 girls’ teams) participating in 56 divisions. It’s the largest sporting event ever held at the OCCC—breaking last year’s record. The 50th edition of the AAU Girls National Volleyball Championships takes place June 14, 2023, to June 29, 2023, in Orlando, Fla, while the AAU Boys National Volleyball Championships takes place July 1 to July 4, 2023.
3rd – World Athletics Championships Oregon 2022
World Athletics Championships Oregon22 welcomed over 1,700 athletes from 179 countries to Hayward Field at the University
of Oregon in Eugene, known globally as TrackTown USA, and it was the first time the international event was held in the United States.
The event resulted in more than 110,000 room nights and $50.5 million in local economic impact. Tickets were sold to people from all 50 states and nearly 40 countries. Tens of thousands visited the region during the 10-day event and a record-breaking one billion people watched on television and online. Team USA won the first-ever team trophy on home soil.
