LOVES PARK, Ill. (WIFR) - Thousands of athletes from across the Midwest will take over the fields for not one, but two major sports tournaments.
One of those tournaments is one of the largest and most competitive events in the Midwest. The Team Illinois Summer Lacrosse Invitational and Showcase is back in Loves Park for its fifth year and has grown tremendously since year one.
For 2025, they expect an attendance of more than 20,000 people.
“The relationship we’ve had with Illinois Lacrosse, it’s been great,” said Louis Mateus, the general manager of the Sportscore Complexes. “We went from one tournament to two tournaments, and now, not only two tournaments, but two facilities.”
Event organizers say it sometimes goes unnoticed how many events the Rockford Park District brings into the area, benefiting both the economy and community.
“They’re like ‘It’s just another tournament.’ Well, it’s not because every weekend, it becomes bigger and bigger. So, there’s a little bit more work each time, but we’re so proud of hosting things like this,” said Mateus.
Mateus adds it’s not only the facilities that draw major tournaments back, it’s the relationships that are built with the organizations.
“The Rockford community has been awesome to us,” said Kevin Benages, the showcase director for Team Illinois.
Benages says the tournament being held in the area also benefits Midwest lacrosse players. The Invitational and Showcase will bring in more than 265 teams from more than a dozen states.
This year’s event also features more than 80 college coaches in attendance from NCAA Divisions I, II, III, NAIA, and JUCO programs offering recruiting opportunities.
“We want to create this atmosphere that you don’t need to go out East to get recruited and to be evaluated, and so we’re flying in these colleges’ coaches into the Midwest to create this hotbed feel,” said Benages. “We just love giving back to the sport, giving back to the community and giving back to the Midwest.”
The Lacrosse tournament began Friday, June 27 with a college showcase and girls coaches clinic. The major tournament action will take place on Saturday, June 28, and Sunday, June 29 at Mercyhealth Sportscore Two, 8800 East Riverside Blvd., Loves Park. It has also expanded to Mercyhealth Sportscore One, located at 1288 Elmwood Rd, Rockford.
The Rockford Park District also hosts the largest Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Regional Qualifier for track and field and cross country the same weekend.
The AAU tournament welcomes 51 teams into the Rockford area and has an expected attendance of nearly 4,000 people.
The park district utilizes Auburn High School for this event as the district doesn’t have a running track or outdoor stadium. But, construction is currently underway at Clarence Hicks Sports Complex to add an artificial turf field, stadium and more.
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