Weeks after announcing a spring basketball tournament will bring an estimated $500,000 to League City’s economy, the League City Convention & Visitors Bureau last week unveiled it will host gymnastic competitions expected to bring 1,000 athletes, coaches and their families to the area. Partnering with Thornton Gymnastics Center, the LCCVB will host the 2019 Thornton Invitational and 2019 Texas South State Gymnastics Championships on March 8-10 and March 22-24, respectively, according to a League City press release. This will be the first time either event will be held in League City. “We are excited to grow our competition by hosting this year’s Thornton Invitational at Hometown Heroes Park in partnership with the city of League City,” said Todd Thornton, who owns Thornton Gymnastics Center with his wife, Kimberly Thornton. Over the past three years the city has hosted tournaments for lacrosse; pickleball; and even Quidditch, a fictional sport from the “Harry Potter” books, according to the release. “These gymnastics championships are another step in our efforts to build and grow sports tourism in League City by utilizing current city facilities and by building partnerships with local organizations such as Thornton Gymnastics and Clear Creek ISD,” LCCVB Administrator Bryan Roller said in the release. “Without these partner organizations and champions in our community like Todd and Kimberly we would not be able to bring these types of competitions to our city.”