3 Lawn Sports Making Hay for Destinations

Sports easy to set up in your backyard are proving to be big winners as national events.

3 Lawn Sports Making Hay for Destinations

Lawn sports aren’t just for backyards. They can mean big business for destinations looking to fully rebound from the pandemic. Pull up a blanket and check out some recreational activities further adding to the power of sports tourism.

Cornhole

The American Cornhole League is expanding to the Pacific Northwest this year with two events at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, Washington, in June.

The Bacardi Spiced ACL Open #15 event will be open to the general public, and feature singles and doubles tournaments for all ages and skill levels to compete. The Pro Shootout #4 event will feature the best cornhole players in the world squaring off for a chance to make it to the $500,000 ACL Pro Shootout Championship.

Beyond overnight visitation for the June 24-26 festivities, the Snohomish County Sports Commission will benefit from television coverage provided by CBS Sports.

The American Cornhole League reports it has amassed a roster of 150,000 players as the sport’s popularity has surged. TV deals with CBS, ESPN and NBC contribute to the continued growth buoyed by big-name sponsors like Johnsonville, Bush’s, Mike’s Hard Lemonade and more.

Wiffle Ball

Not everyone can be a major leaguer, but it’s a rite of passage to hit the ball with more holes than Swiss cheese. It turns out some folks never give it up, and that’s who is headed to the Chicagoland region for the World Wiffle Ball Championship in Midlothian, Illinois, July 16-17.

More than 50 teams from nine states competed in the 2021 World Wiffle Ball Championship. Proceeds from the 2022 championship will benefit South Suburban Humane Society. Since 2018, more than $10,000 has been raised by the event to help animals in need.

The Chicago Southland CVB will reap the rewards of the tournament, which moved to Memorial Park in 2018. The pandemic required a shift to the original home of Mishawaka, Indiana, in 2020 before returning to the larger Memorial Park last year.

Spikeball

The Spikeball Roundnet Nationals returned in full force in 2021, with Visit Valley Forge (Pa.) hosting a record 420 teams last October.

The sport has picked up fans and players for the better of a decade. You’ll often find individuals playing it on the beach or in a park.

In essence, each game is comprised of two teams of two that have three touches to hit the ball before the other side gets its crack to keep the points going.

Sounds simple enough, right? That’s the beauty of the roundnet series—a term coined resulting from trademark rules and a successful “Shark Tank” appearance.
Participants from 35 states traveled to Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, just outside of Philadelphia for the event. The Valley Forge Sports Events & Tourism Authority estimates a $2 million economic impact.

“We were thrilled to host this record-breaking event, and so glad it was such a huge success!” says Jon Scheuren, director of sports for the Valley Forge Sports Events & Tourism Authority. “We look forward to hosting the event again in future years.”

Spikeball Roundnet’s 2022 tournament series includes 21 stops, including major events in San Francisco, Boston and Columbus, Ohio. The site for the national championship has yet to be announced. Besides Valley Forge, past hosts include Richmond; Santa Monica, California; Chicago; Washington, D.C.; and Nashville.