Record-setting weekend planned for youth sports

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE)  Martin Luther King Jr. weekend will be no ordinary one across Fort Wayne.  Leaders with Visit Fort Wayne are expecting a record-setting weekend for youth sporting events.

The sounds of finishing touches echoed throughout the new SportOne Parkview Fieldhouse on Friday.  It is playing co-host to the Fort Wayne MLK Challenge, a brand new volleyball tournament expecting 2,500 players and spectators from five different Midwest states.

“We're looking at about 120 teams coming in using 14 courts at the Coliseum and using eight courts here,” said William Robbins, assistant general manager at the facility.  “We're looking at making this an annual event.  This is kind of the inaugural season.”

The volleyball tournament is one of four sporting tournaments across Fort Wayne January 19-21.  Youth soccer, swimming, volleyball and basketball players are making the trip across the Midwest.

With an expected one million dollars to be pumped into the Fort Wayne economy, leaders with Visit Fort Wayne said the city hasn't seen anything like it.

“It's record-breaking because it's 7,000 youth sports participants here in Fort Wayne,” said John Felts, marketing specialist with Visit Fort Wayne.  “We've had specific events that have had more than 7,000 but this is specifically youth sports.”

Dollar signs aren't the only thing leaders expect during the weekend.  The events are aimed to bring families together, while creating some hometown pride.

“As an athlete myself, there's nothing better than being able to play in front of your friends and your family in your own gym in front of your hometown,” Robbins said.

Visit Fort Wayne released the following list of youth sporting events for January 19-21:

• The weekend’s largest event will be the Gym Rats MLK Classic held at Spiece Fieldhouse on Jan. 19-20.  It’s the 10 ^th year of the popular tournament, where an estimated 3,500 basketball players from across the Midwest will compete over two days.
• The Fort Wayne MLK Challenge, a brand new event, will be held at two venues from Jan. 19-21: The Allen County War Memorial Coliseum and SportOne Parkview Fieldhouse. The challenge will feature an expected 2,500 players from five states.  For match times and locations, visit www.munciana.com .
• The FWA Winter Classic Invitational will take place at the Helen P. Brown Natatorium on Jan. 18-20 . The three-day, ultra-competitive swimming event will consist of 200 of the top swimmers in Indiana.
• The 11v11 Indoor Challenge Tournament will be held at Plex South from Jan. 18-20. Hosted by the Fort Wayne Fever, an estimated 1,000 soccer players from Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Nebraska and Illinois will compete over three days in a round-robin tournament format.  Visit www.fwfever.com for more information.