Yuma, Arizona’s year-round sun makes it an ideal location for your next group sporting event. With an average of 4,055 hours of sunlight per year — that’s 91 percent of daylight hours — this Arizona city holds the Guinness World Record for the sunniest place on Earth.
Yuma has more than sunshine to offer. The Yuma region is a center for history, culture and outdoor recreation in the southwestern corner of The Grand Canyon State. Amidst stunning views of the Sonoran Desert and the meandering Colorado River as it flows south toward Mexico, Yuma offers a community surrounded by incredible sports facilities and modern accommodations.
The Pacific Avenue Athletic Complex (PAAC) was opened in 2017, complete with six, 325-foot lighted softball fields, state-of-the-art PA systems, digital scoreboards, restrooms, concession space, covered picnic area, meeting room, paved parking and a playground spanning 50 acres within minutes of downtown Yuma. The PAAC is a state-of-the-art gem for softball tournament organizers looking for quality facilities at a budget-friendly price. The PAAC sits near East Wetlands’ walking and biking trails and beaches up and down the river. Perfectly positioned for visibility, PAAC events are likely to be enjoyed by Yuma’s passerby tourists and visitors which almost double the local population during winter months. Peppered throughout the city, Yuma’s auxiliary softball fields make for great satellite locations when tournaments require additional play space. You'll find restaurants, shopping, lodging and more within minutes of the complex.
On the south side of town, Yuma’s Ray Kroc Sports Complex is the former Spring Training grounds for Major League Baseball’s San Diego Padres and Nippon Professional Baseball’s Tokyo Yakult Swallows.
Spanning 26 acres, three full-size baseball diamonds and Desert Sun Stadium (with a field converted for soccer and football), the Ray Kroc Sports Complex remains Yuma’s premier event space, occasionally hosting local and semi-pro spectacles. Seating at Desert Sun Stadium accommodates up to 6,590 spectators. The 43,000-square-foot Yuma Civic Center is within a very short walking distance for events requiring additional facilities in support of operations.
For golf organizers, Yuma’s predictable weather and fast-paced greens provide for some stellar tournament play. With more than 12 18-hole, nine-hole and Par-3 courses, golfers will quickly appreciate the area’s diversity of neatly manicured desert links.
On Yuma’s east mesa, Veterans Memorial Stadium is a well-maintained, lighted football field that can accommodate soccer and track and field events. Its east- and west-facing grandstands can seat 5,000. In 2011 and again in 2016, “The Vet” hosted the National Junior Collegiate Athletics Association’s (NJCAA) Championship football game, El Toro Bowl.
Searching for alternate motorsports venues? Cocopah Speedway located in nearby Somerton is a semi-banked, three-eighths-mile dirt and clay oval with a seating capacity of 3,700.
Off the track and field, there’s even more fun to be had. In a community where tourism is one of the largest economic contributors — third only to agriculture and military — local hotels, restaurants, shops and attractions are familiar with welcoming visitors into the community. From November through April, visitors from near and far enjoy blue skies, warm weather and a calendar packed with events that highlight Yuma’s unique lifestyle. Between May and October, the hike in temperatures only means water recreation becomes more popular while sporting events wait for sundown.
Yuma is located about halfway between San Diego and Phoenix and can be easily accessed through Interstate 8, which links Mission Bay, California and Casa Grande, Arizona. Drivers can reach Yuma via U.S. Highway 95 from the north and south. Travelers arriving by air connect with Yuma International Airport via a 30-minute American Airlines flight from Phoenix Sky Harbor. No matter the chosen mode of transportation, expect to be greeted by gorgeous desert terrain that transforms into a valley of fertile farmland, green with winter vegetable crops and a wavy amber come summer.
No need to worry about the weather forecast in Yuma! Contact Leslie McClendon, Visit Yuma’s expert group sales manager, at 928.376.0100 or Leslie@VisitYuma.com to plan your next event. A native Yuman, Leslie will assist with bookings and space reservations to meet your needs. She can also create a custom itinerary with additional opportunities for entertainment and recreation while you and your participants are in town.
For more information about Yuma as a travel destination, go to VisitYuma.com or call the Yuma Visitor Information Center at 800.293.0071.
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