Connect Sports, Chattanooga Tourism Co., and Chattanooga Parks and Outdoors have teamed up again with The Alliance Fastpitch to host the 4th Annual Alliance Fastpitch Open Nationals, also known as AFON, in Chattanooga this week.
Over 150 teams from 30 states will descend upon the Scenic City for this 6 day event. National Champions will be crowned in the 14U, 16U, and 18U age divisions, with championship games set for Sunday, July 27th. Some of the out of town teams will be visiting Chattanooga from Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, and Oklahoma. Multiple college programs will also attend with the intent to recruit potential student athletes.
Jeremy Higdon, Co-Owner of Connect Sports, stated “Chattanooga has a long history of hosting fastpitch National Championships. We are so pleased to have added the Alliance Fastpitch Open Championship to that tradition. The level of competition for AFON has continued to increase year after year. The last teams standing at this event will feature future collegiate stars that will play on TV in years to come. It is always an additional bonus to bring athletes, parents, and coaches from around the country to enjoy our beautiful city.”
“Chattanooga Tourism Co. is grateful to Connect Sports for launching the AFON Open Nationals four years ago and for choosing Chattanooga as the stage for this unforgettable event. This event and Connect Sports’ commitment to growing the game has brought incredible energy and opportunity to our community.”, said Barry White, president and CEO of Chattanooga Tourism Co. According to Chattanooga Tourism Co., this nearly weeklong event is set to have an estimated economic impact of 5 million dollars for Chattanooga and the surrounding areas.
The first day of the event, which is on Tuesday, July 22nd, is called Day Zero. This day is full of fun, competition, and all about the players. For athletes this year, AFON is offering a new unique component and is incorporating the AFON Ultimate Athlete Challenge. This event, which begins at 3pm EST at Frost Stadium, is open to all players attending AFON at no cost. Athletes will compete against each other, by age division, in several different skills. This includes, but is not limited to: base running times, throwing accuracy, and hitting velocity. The highly anticipated crowning of the first ever AFON Ultimate Athlete will take place on Tuesday evening.
Also at Warner Park from 5pm to 8pm, players will attend the AFON College Camps. The multi program College Camp will be led by several College Coaches from Lee University, Tennessee Tech, Johnson University, Maryville College, and more. Athletes will get to work with, learn from, and show off in front of these College Coaches prior to AFON beginning.
The Alliance Fastpitch Open Nationals (AFON) will take place at several locations: Warner Park, The Summit of Softball, Camp Jordan, Jack Mattox Park, and Boynton Recreation. Pool Games will begin on Wednesday morning and the double elimination bracket will begin for some teams starting on Thursday evening. Championship games for all divisions are set for Sunday at Warner Park. The public is invited to attend and witness these teams as they vie for the National Championship title. For more details about AFON and to view the tournament schedule, please visit their website at allianceopennationals.com.
The partnership between The Alliance Fastpitch, Connect Sports, Chattanooga Tourism Co., and Chattanooga Parks and Outdoors continues to expand. Because of this event and successful partnership, numerous additional Alliance Fastpitch events in Chattanooga are being discussed and considered.