Triple Crown’s Colorado 4th of July fastpitch event enjoys record return

Proving that the sports world is hungry for a return to normalcy, and also on the hunt for something special, Triple Crown Sports will welcome a record 1,000 teams to Colorado’s Front Range for the 4th of July (Sparker/Fireworks) event, slated for June 25-July 4, 2021.
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Stretching from the northern communities of Fort Collins and Greeley all the way down the I-25 corridor through Denver to Colorado Springs, the 4th of July tournament has rebounded fiercely from the pandemic-related disruptions of 2020 to once again welcome age groups 12u through 18u. The nation’s most competitive and high-achieving club programs will arrive in droves as the TCS fastpitch division puts 33 complexes and 155 fields in motion.

The event has long been a prized destination for college coaches and programs as they look for talent to fortify their rosters. Showcase games as well as tournament play will put athletes in front of more than 500 coaches; added value comes through a series of camps and clinics directed by the coaching staffs from national D-I powerhouses through NAIA and JUCO programs.

New to the 4th of July menu is the TC International Challenge, which kicks off the excitement from June 25-27 at the Christopher Fields complex in Westminster. These 23 teams were built on rosters that give players a unique opportunity to represent their nationalities and will be another recruiting highlight on the schedule.

Tournament officials are gearing up for two powerful convergence moments during the event, on the evenings of June 30 at Christopher Fields and July 1 at Aurora Sports Park. Both nights will feature all-star and power pool games to be broadcast by FloSports along with multiple vendors, food and merchandise options – thousands of people are expected to attend each location.

Other key numbers revolving around the Colorado 4th of July event include:

• 150+ hotel properties
• 50,000+ hotel room nights
• Five umpire assignors
• Nearly 500 umpires
• Over 4,000 games scheduled
• Nearly 15,000 athletes
• 47 states represented 
• 1,400 players in college camps
• 2,000 players in all-star games
  
  

The 12u and 14u Sparkler Juniors brackets will play out in Colorado Springs and north of Denver, respectively. Championship day for all age divisions is Sunday, July 4.
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“Even as the pandemic sidelined so many teams and kept Triple Crown Sports on hold for months, we kept in contact with our customers and resolutely prepared to make the 2021 4th of July event everything it could be,” said TCS fastpitch event director Stephanie Klaviter. “To welcome back so many loyal customers and break participation records is enormously exciting. We’ve missed the competition and the opportunity to help grow the sport, and we will put all our effort into making these 10 days a powerful, memorable experience for players, parents and coaches.”

“We are pleased to welcome Triple Crown Sports back to our community. There is no question about the significant economic effect that tourism brings, and tournaments such as the Colorado 4th of July add a large boost to our city at a time we so desperately need it in the aftermath of COVID,” said Juliet Abdel, president and CEO of the Westminster Chamber of Commerce. “Attendees spend dollars in gas, food, lodging and retail. This is pivotal to key areas of job creation, revenue for the betterment of our community’s infrastructure needs and our economy, which will ensure business doors stay open and families are taken care of.”
 
“Loveland is thrilled to welcome back the Colorado 4th of July tournament for 2021,” said Chris Bierdeman, group sales coordinator for Visit Loveland. “With the majority of the pandemic restrictions now lifted, we look forward to sharing the beauty of Loveland and northern Colorado with the thousands of players, families, coaches and staff visiting from all over the U.S. The economic impact from an event of this magnitude for a small city like Loveland is huge — that is especially true for our hotels, restaurants, shops and attractions, which really struggled over the past 14 months.”