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The Ronald McDonald City of Lights softball tournament, previously hosted in Sugar Land for 30 years, welcomed dozens of teams to Pearland for the first time on Oct. 18.
What you need to know
The fast-pitch softball tournament took place at Centennial Park, 3219 McLean Road and the Sports Complex at Shadow Creek Ranch, 13050 Shadow Creek Parkway, Pearland, from Oct. 18 to 20, according to the tournament’s website.
“It's one of the largest college-recruited girls fast-pitch tournaments in the country, putting players and coaches together in order to earn scholarships,” Tracy Rohrbacher, executive director for the Pearland Convention and Visitors Bureau said.
The backstory
Community Impact previously reported that earlier this year, the Pearland Convention and Visitors Bureau, recently renamed Visit Pearland, secured the partnership with Triple Crown Sports, the tournament’s organizer, who moved the event to Pearland.
Triple Crown Sports left Sugar Land because the tournament division was growing and needed more fields, which Sugar Land couldn’t offer, said Ashleigh Sidwell, Triple Crown Sports event director.
City officials have long hoped the tournament would be another addition to a growing number of sporting events being held in Pearland, which in turn could boost tourism and the city’s economy.
What else?
Each year, Triple Crown Sports donates $100 per team participating in the Ronald McDonald House of Houston, equaling over $800,000 since the tournament’s inception, according to a March 2024 press release from Visit Pearland.
This year, the tournament was expected to bring 43 teams and 42 college coaches to attend, Rohrbacher said.
