One of Colorado’s top sporting events does not include the Broncos, Rockies, Nuggets, or other professional athletes. Instead it is an event that spans nine days and involves about 12,000 middle school and high school girls competing for slots in the USA Volleyball Girls’ Nationals.
This year the Colorado Crossroads was held March 2-4 and 8-10 at the Colorado Convention Center. A few key facts about the event are listed below.
• The tournament started in 1985 and is one of nine national qualifiers.
•It has grown from 100 teams to over 1,200 teams.
• The first weekend featured team play in the 16, 17, and 18 year-old divisions. Just under 6,000 players competed on 651 teams.
• The second weekend play was held for 12, 13, 14, 15 year-old divisions. About 5,500 players represented 594 teams.
• A total 41 of teams in the various age brackets qualified for Nationals in Dallas.
• Nearly 167,000 people visited Denver because of the event.
• Seventy percent of the participants are from out-of-state.
• The caliber of play at Crossroads attracted 292 college scouts from 44 states registered to attend the event.
• The event is played on 88 courts. Players compete in pool play the first two days of the event. A single elimination tournament rounds out play on the final day.
• This year, the Convention and Visitors Bureau’s economic impact model, provided by the Destination Marketing Association International showed that the 2013 event was worth about $26 million to the Denver economy. Tournament directors believe this is a conservative estimate.
In addition, there are many intangible benefits associated with the event. It promotes the value of physical activity for young women. As well, it showcases Colorado’s active lifestyle and demonstrates the state is a wonderful place to live, work, and play.