Organizers say softball tourney economic boon

link Courtesy photo

The Addiction team from Clovis dressed up as the Rockford Peaches from the movie “A League of Their Own,” at last year’s Halloween HOWWWL. All the teams on Friday get to dress up and compete for the best costume.

Softball may be fun to play and watch, but Advantage Sports Products Halloween HOWWWL organizers say it’s also an economic boon for Clovis, especially this weekend.

Hotel rooms are expected to fill up and restaurants and convenience stores will be busier than usual when the 21st annual HOWWWL begins at 6 p.m. Friday at the Guy Leeder Softball Complex in Clovis.

Roger Jackson, United States Specialty Sports Association regional director, said the October tournament is annually the largest hosted by the Clovis Softball Association.

Jackson said there will be 156 teams in this year’s tournament, including 100 from out of town.

Ernie Kos, executive director of the Clovis/Curry Chamber of Commerce, said all of the softball tournaments Clovis hosts, from March through October, have a large economical impact on the area.

“Softball is the biggest revenue in the area of tourism for Clovis,” Kos said.

Jackson estimates this year’s HOWWWL will have an economic impact of $712,500. He takes the number from the economic impact formula used by New Mexico Tourism Association.

“This is just for the out-of-town teams; this is not counting the other Clovis teams that are going to restaurants and buying water and Gatorade here in Clovis,” Jackson said.

Kos said all of Clovis sees the impact of the softball tournaments, including the retail stores.

Telephone calls on Monday showed Hampton Inn had only one room for Saturday and Comfort Inn is booked throughout the weekend. Fairfield Inn still has rooms, but a spokesperson said the weekend will be busy.

Teams are expected from as far away as El Paso, Odessa, Albuquerque, Guymon, Oklahoma, and Ulysses, Kansas.

Jackson said he has talked to many of the pizza restaurant operators in Clovis and every time there is a tournament they say they are busier than other weekends.

For those only interested in what happens on the field, that’s also a little different. Some teams in the HOWWWL’s Friday openers compete to have the best Halloween costumes. After the contest is over, players play in their costumes.

“It’s a blast and just a lot of fun. We get about 2,000 to 3,000 people there at the game,” Jackson said.