Julie Bartel – ASA/USA Softball
PLANT CITY, FL, USA — International Softball executives have announced that Clearwater, Florida (USA) will host the top event in 19-and-under female fast pitch softball in 2017. The XII ISF Junior Women’s World Championship will take place 24-30 July 2017. The event will mark the first time that Clearwater has ever hosted an ISF world championship.
“Clearwater and Pinellas County is becoming the softball capital in the southeastern United States and is recognized throughout the country as a premier location for softball tournaments,” said City of Clearwater Mayor George Cretekos. “The city is honored to have been chosen to host the XII Junior Women’s World Championships. All of us look forward to welcoming these world-class athletes and hopefully future Olympic champions to Clearwater’s sugar sand beaches and to the United States.”
“We’re honored to be named host destination for the 2017 ISF Junior Women’s Softball World Championship,” said DT Minich, Executive Director of Visit St. Pete/Clearwater. “Hosting an event of this caliber bolsters the area’s reputation as a leader in sports tourism, and we’re looking forward to showing off all the area has to offer.”
The United States will now host back-to-back junior women’s — the 2015 tournament will be contested in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and the 2016 Junior Men’s World Championship in Midland, MI.
“It is an honor to know that Clearwater, Fla. will host the 2017 ISF Junior Women’s World Championship,” said Craig Cress, ASA/USA Softball Executive Director. “They have proven to host some of the best softball tournaments of all levels of play and adding an international World Championship to their list is exceptional. The countries and participants should look forward to an outstanding event in Florida.”
ASA/USA Softball submitted the 2017 bid on behalf of the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Sports Commission. The Eddie C. Moore Complex — featuring nine softball fields and state of the art training facility — will host the championship.
“I have every confidence that Clearwater will put on an exceptional world championship. The ISF looks forward to working closely with the organizers,” WBSC Executive Vice President and ISF President Dale McMann said. “The location and top notch facilities will be an asset for the top youth female softball athletes to compete. This is an important competition opportunity for this age category to be able to continue to test their skills against their counterparts from around the world.”
“At the Junior Olympic level this is the most elite and competitive tournament in the world,” said two-time USA Softball Olympic Gold Medalist Michele Smith. “It only makes sense for this prestigious event to come to Clearwater as it’s just another step in our city becoming a hot bed for softball. Not only do we have a world class facility, amazing fields, the destination is world-class in its ability to host teams and events like this from around the world.”
This will mark the third junior women’s world championships to be celebrated on the two-year rotation — previously having been one every four years.
About the World Baseball Softball Confederation:
Headquartered in the Olympic Capital city of Lausanne, Switzerland, the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) was established in April 2013 and granted recognition as the sole competent authority in baseball and softball by the International Olympic Committee at the 125th IOC Session in September 2013. The WBSC represents a united baseball/softball sports movement that encompasses over 65 million athletes worldwide.
The WBSC regulates all international competitions involving any of the National Teams of its 141 National Federation members. The WBSC also oversees the Baseball World Cups and Softball World Championships and is the only sports organization in the world that oversees a U-12 youth national team world championship. The WBSC currently has National Federation members in 141 countries and territories across Asia, Africa, Americas (Caribbean, Central-, North- and South-America), Europe and Oceania.
For further information, please go to www.WBSC.co.
