PONY tournaments deliver a win-win for the Valley

It's PONY time in the Valley.
The expanded national Protect Our Nation's Youth fastpitch softball tournaments in the Mahoning Valley over the next two weeks offer a winning outcome for participants, planners and the Mahoning Valley economy.
The Youngstown-Warren area is hosting approximately 200 of the most talented girls fastpitch softball teams in the United States and Canada for three age groups -- 10-and-under, 12-and-under and 16-and-under -- through July 29 at the headquarters ThunderPlex complex in Vienna and other softball complexes in Warren, Niles, Liberty, Lordstown, McDonald and New Middletown.
Before national champions are crowned, some 800 games are expected to be played by teams representing 38 states and Canada, including several superlative squads from the Valley.
We wish members of the local teams great success, but regardless of their fate the tournaments will drive home a multitude of benefits.
PONY principles
For the players, the national championship games shine a deserved spotlight on the importance of girls' athletics and the high-caliber talent of PONY players. These young ladies take their games seriously, and the competition helps to build their skills for high school and college play. PONY participants likely will remember for a lifetime the high-stakes competition, the athletic camaraderie and the warm hospitality shown them in the Valley.
The tournaments also advance the mission of the international youth organization to offer experiences to help young people grow into healthier and happier adults.
For the planners, PONY weeks culminate nearly a year's worth of successful planning. Dave Anderson, tournament director, set an ambitious goal last year of greatly expanding PONY's presence in the region in 2006. He and his legion of volunteers delivered. Last year's tournament was limited to one age group; this year's tournament features three.
Economic impact
As a result, the entire Mahoning Valley benefits to an even greater degree. The games are expected to attract approximately 14,000 athletes, coaches, families and fans, and generate from $12 million to $14 million in economic impact to the region. That money is primarily pumped into hotels, restaurants and stores, strengthening the region's tourism industry.
Other Valley winners are the parks and fields on which the games are played. Improvements made to fields in anticipation of the national games will remain for local players to enjoy.
Clearly, too, the region benefits by the positive publicity and feedback it receives from the thousands of out-of-state visitors.
With so much going for it, we hope planners build on this summer's success for an even bigger and better 2007, the final year of the three-year Valley contract with PONY. Tentative plans call for greater play in Mahoning County next year. We'd also like to see more hotels in Mahoning and Trumbull counties open their doors to the teams to lessen teams' travel times to and from games.
With successful 2006 tournaments and with further building in 2007, we're confident the tournaments can remain grounded in the region for years and decades to come.