Midlothian Home to World Wiffle Ball Championship

Lansing, Ill. – Midlothian’s Memorial Park is the new home for the World Wiffle® Ball Championship, taking place this summer July 14 –15. This four-decade bat and ball operation has grown the sport resulting in a move from South Bend, IN, which has been their home for 33 years to Skokie, IL and now settled in the Chicago Southland. The sheer size of Midlothian Park District’s Memorial Park will allow for growth of the World Wiffle® Ball Championship, which was chosen for its modern six-ball field complex, its proximity to downtown Chicago and two major airports. Lastly, there is a strong Wiffle® following in the Chicago metro area.

Coordinator John Premetz wants to have as many teams as possible, and why not? This sport can be played by a wide range of ages from 12 to 70, playing with perforated plastic Wiffle® Balls, on miniature ball fields with four-foot home run fences. Teams from around the world play annually in the two-day world championship, an open event for male and female wiffleballers.  A team can be almost any group of five people you can think of, office workers, church team, family members, PTA and the list goes on. There are no umpires and after a four-game round robin tournament on Saturday, teams that qualify play a single-elimination tournament on Sunday.

The sport is increasing in popularity and has been featured on ESPN as well as many other news outlets. Wiffle has a cult-like following that is fun and refreshing due to the clear rules of the game, making this a perfect outlet for the kid in everyone. Competition is there at any stage of the game, but in the end, it’s the fun of the event with the possibility of winning the plastic-bat trophy that makes this the perfect amount excitement with a touch of kitsch.

“Most sporting events bring a much needed economic boost to the area, and we welcome and encourage all Wiffle Ball players to enjoy the Chicago Southland,” said Jim Garrett, President / CEO for the Chicago Southland Convention & Visitors Bureau. “They can download our new Visit Chicago Southland APP which is free and is available on mobile devices through the App Store or Google Play. The app features things to see & do, arts & culture, restaurants, hotels and events in the area.”

For more information visit www.worldwiffleball.org or contact [email protected]. 

The Chicago Southland Convention & Visitors Bureau is the official destination management and marketing organization for Chicago’s 60 south and southwest suburbs. The Visit Chicago Southland markets the Chicago Southland region as a destination for leisure, meetings and conventions, group tour and sports events.
For more information, go to VisitChicagoSouthland.com

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