Roller hockey championship bringing big impact to Fort Wayne
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More than 10,000 players, parents and officials are descending upon Fort Wayne for the 19th annual State Wars United States Roller Hockey Championships.
Billed as the largest inline skating competition in North America, the 14-day event brings over 280 teams from eight countries to the Allen County city and is expected to generate more than $3 million in direct economic impact.
Visit Fort Wayne says because of the impact of the event and the potential for the city to host it again, the tournament qualified for a sports grant from the city of Fort Wayne.
In an interview with Inside INdiana Business, State Wars Hockey President Tim McManus said Fort Wayne is an ideal site for the tournament for several reasons.
“The city itself just embraces our event,” McManus said. “Everyone there from Visit Fort Wayne to the restaurant owners to the hotels to the facility, everyone there just seems to really love the event. It makes us feel really special. We don’t get lost there, like maybe some major cities where you’re just one of a million events they host.”
The event is being held at the SportsONE Parkview Icehouse in Fort Wayne.
This is the fifth time Fort Wayne has hosted the event, McManus said, and the families who travel to the tournament have shown their appreciation for the city.
“To be able to bring people to a place that’s affordable for the teams that are in the United States, somewhere that they can get to at a reasonable price and reasonable time from everywhere, and the hotels and everything in the area are reasonably cost, it just seems like a good fit for a family,” he said.
McManus said the feedback has been great in the early days of this year’s tournament. The event features teams ranging from age six and under to 55 and older. With all the different divisions of teams, the tournament will see more than 40 different champions after it wraps up on July 31.
“We are thrilled to welcome State Wars back for the sixth time to Fort Wayne,” Visit Fort Wayne Group Sales Manager of Sports Jazmin Zavala said in a news release. “It is an incredible sporting event for our community bringing players and families not only to compete but also to explore our city. Expect to see hockey jerseys at our attractions, restaurants, and retail stores over the next two weeks.”
State Wars generally rotates the annual event among three cities: Fort Wayne; Taylor, Michigan; and St. Peters, Missouri. McManus said he hopes to come back to Indiana in three year’s time.
You can view the full schedule of games by clicking here.