164 Teams Head to Washington DC

The final count is in and the 27th Annual NAGAAA Gay Softball World Series presented by Miller Lite to be held in Washington D.C. from Aug. 19-23, will be the largest in the history of the event. To date, 164 softball teams have signed up to take part in the competition. The champion teams participating in the event represent all seven divisions of softball play that make up the 16,500-member NAGAAA organization. 

Players will be joined by more than 100 umpires, as well as other tournament staff, partners, fans and friends for a week of softball and social activities in the gay-lesbian-bisexual-transgender  community. Says Series director Bradley Houseton, a local player and tournament veteran, "The NAGAAA tournament's impact on the local community and economy is huge. We anticipate bringing between $250,000 to $1,000,000 per day in revenue to the D.C. Metro area. Over 5,000 people will be here for a week, each spending anywhere from $50 to $200 per day on hotel rooms, taxis and rental cars, dining out, entertainment, and shopping." 

This year's impressive numbers are a reflection of the strength of softball as a GLBT team sport. Not only is softball is the largest GLBT team sport in America; the NAGAAA Gay Softball World Series is the largest annual GLBT team tournament. Additionally, only nine teams in the tournament are local. A total of 155 are coming from across the USA and Canada.

In the nation's capital, attracting GLBT travelers has long been a priority.  George Cooley, domestic sales manager for the Washington, D.C. Convention and Tourism Corporation, credits D.C.'s community outreach to making the tournament a popular destination. "The Washington, D.C. community has been very embracing in regards to this particular market place, making GLBT visitors feel right at home. We have a diverse community here, from the way we do business, to our entertainment and recreational pursuits," he said.

Tournament activities include Opening Ceremonies, sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign, will be held on Tuesday at Freedom Plaza. This kick-off event will feature appearances by comedienne Suzanne Westenhoefer, D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams and D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton. Elizabeth Birch, Executive Director of Opening Ceremonies sponsor Human Rights Campaign, will throw out the ceremonial "first pitch".  

The games will commence on Tuesday morning and be played throughout the week at various softball complexes within the DC area. For a complete schedule, including all of the week’s activities both on and off the field, visit the official website at www.Series2003.org.

Three local nonprofit organizations have been selected as the charity recipients of the event proceeds for their work in the GLBT community: The Mautner Project, the Whitman Walker Clinic, and SMYAL (Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League). The Mautner Project sponsors a team in the Women's Recreational Division; the team made it to the tournament, in the all-new two-day Exhibition Tournament, for the first time this year.  

NAGAAA is a nonprofit, international organization comprised of men and women dedicated to promoting amateur athletics for the gay community. Created in 1977, NAGAAA was formed to encourage the participation of gay men and women in organized softball competition. Since its inception, NAGAAA has grown to more than 30 member cities and over 50 gay softball leagues throughout the United States and Canada.