![]() March Madness and the IHSA boys basketball finals remain the king of IHSA events, of course, taking over the Peoria Civic Center for two weekends every March-and bringing more than $4 million of economic impact to the region.īut the longest-running IHSA tradition takes place at Detweiller Park, which has hosted the state cross-country meets since 1970, attracting more than 20,000 annual visitors. Eastside hosts about 3,500 games annually (2,500 outside and 1,000 inside), with more than 40 tournaments/meets scheduled in 2019, including the IHSA Class 1A boys soccer finals in October, attracting a sizeable number of visitors from outside the region.īesides serving as home to the Peoria Chiefs and Bradley Braves baseball teams, Dozer Park is the official host of the IHSA Class 1A and 2A boys baseball finals, with nearly 2,000 visitors converging on downtown Peoria on the first weekend of June. Its biggest events take place across two weekends in May, when the IESA state track meets draw around 3,000 youth athletes and over 10,000 spectators each weekend. ![]() “With the stadium/track, indoor and outdoor fields, we can have five or six different sports going on in the same weekend,” notes executive director Doug McCarty. He estimates the venue will attract nearly 250,000 people this year, encompassing competitive volleyball tournaments as well as baseball and softball.Īcross the river, Eastside Centre is home to numerous high school and middle school teams for baseball, softball, track and soccer, in addition to providing practice space to local clubs. It is the “only facility in the nation associated with Louisville Slugger, the premier brand in diamond sports,” adds Rick Gaa, LSSC vice president. With 10 outdoor diamonds and one of the largest domed facilities in the Midwest, the LSSC hosts major regional tournaments like the USSSA Illinois State Softball & Baseball Championships, Great Lakes National Championships, Premier Girls Fastpitch Mid-West Regionals, Brad Wallin Memorial Tournament and Missouri Valley Conference Softball Championship. Both complexes offer indoor and outdoor facilities to accommodate year-round play and practices. ![]() Greater Peoria offers a pair of world-class facilities that play host to major youth sports events: the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex (LSSC) in north Peoria and Eastside Centre in East Peoria. With so many different events and venues, here’s a quick rundown of what plays where. From softball, baseball and basketball to volleyball, soccer, cross-country and beyond, these games and tournaments attract huge numbers to the region-and with them comes a sizeable economic impact. As the Greater Peoria area has become a top destination for competitive youth sports, the old phrase “playing in Peoria” is more apropos than ever.
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