Loudoun County Sports Venue Receives Award

One of Loudoun’s premier sports complexes received national recognition last week from the Senior Softball-USA organization.

During its annual meeting in Las Vegas, officials with Senior Softball-USA presented Potomack Lakes Sportsplex with its Complex of the Year award. The organization, which hosts international softball tours and promotes Senior Softball throughout the world, has been hosting tournaments in Loudoun for 12 years.

"In 2018, there was severe flooding in Loudoun County and no one expected the games to be played but the Potomack Lakes Sportsplex field crew managed to pull another complex from floodwaters so we could complete one of our premier tournaments," said Senior Softball-USA COO Terry Hennessey.  "This proves the point – it isn’t the age of the complex, it is not whether it is turf, a truly great complex remains that way because of the people behind it."

The Potomack Lakes Sportsplex is one of five Loudoun complexes that host major youth fastpitch and adult slow pitch tournaments annually. In 2019, Loudoun hosted the PONY Nationals, USSSA Class C National Championships, USA Softball Eastern Nationals and the Senior Softball Eastern Nationals, with Potomack Lakes Sportsplex serving as the venue for the championship round of each tournament. These four tournaments combined generated 4,421 room nights for Loudoun hotels and an estimated economic impact of $4.7 million.

“The fact that Potomack Lakes Sportsplex is winning awards 25 years after the complex opened is a reflection of all of our hard working parks and maintenance staff who keep the facility in great condition every day,” said Dave Carver, Loudoun County Parks, Recreation and Community Services Division Manager, Sports.

Visit Loudoun continues to increase its presence in the sports market, working closely with Senior Softball-USA as well as other national and international sports organizations to bring tournaments to the county. According to a study through George Washington University, sports tournaments contributed approximately $20.5 million to Loudoun’s economy.

“This award is a testament to the high-quality sports facilities in Loudoun County and the tremendous effort the field crews provide to keep all our venues in championship tournament condition,” said Torye Hurst, Loudoun Sports Tourism/Visit Loudoun Director of Sales, Sports & Services. “I constantly hear from tournament organizers that the quality of our facilities is why they bring tournaments to Loudoun County, which generate a tremendous economic impact.”

“We are proud to receive this award from Senior Softball-USA on behalf of our dedicated staff who strive to maintain excellence in the quality of our sports facilities. We appreciate the opportunity to work with Visit Loudoun in bringing tournaments to the county for the benefit and enjoyment of Loudoun’s residents and visitors,” said PRCS Director Steve Torpy.