NSA partners with South Shore CVA to kick off 2025 World Series Skills Competition at Crown Point Sports Complex

Softball players, coaches, parents, and others gathered together at the Crown Point Sports Complex on Tuesday, July 15 for a variety of events hosted by the National Softball Association (NSA). In a partnership with the South Shore Convention & Visitors Authority (CVA), more than 150 teams gathered together to compete in the World Series Skills Competition.

The NSA brings players from 13 divisions, ranging from 8U to 23U/women’s for competition every year. Bill Horton, president and CEO of the NSA, cherishes this opportunity for the athletes to compete in the Skills Competition, as it provides more ways to have fun while simultaneously creating competition.

“All the teams here are able to compete in the Skills Competition,” Horton said. “We have ‘Around the Horn,’ an outfield throw to the net for the outfielders, and a speed relay around the bases. The tiebreaker system is a three-legged race for the coaches. There’s a range of different events that the girls can have fun with.”

These events are a classic for the competitors. While there hasn’t been too much change in recent years to this event, the NSA is always putting the players and coaches first when it comes to events like this.

“We haven’t had a lot of new things recently, but we’re looking at a few areas moving forward,” Horton said. “We always try to spice up something here and there. We end up getting enough responses from the young ladies and coaches about what they do and don’t like. The most important thing for us is making this a fun event.”

Jimmy Nelson, director of sports for the South Shore CVA, has partnered with the NSA for many years for this event. The collaboration between the South Shore CVA and the NSA has been successful not only from creating a great product for athletes in the Region, but also in building a relationship that enjoys working together.

“It’s been an amazing relationship that we’ve built with the NSA and its owners, Bill and Kathie Horton,” Nelson said. “This partnership has been going on for the better part of the last couple of decades, with just a few early years being on and off. We’re always excited to come back every year.”

Not only does this event help out the NSA and South Shore CVA, but also the local communities of the cities that games and competitions are being held at throughout the Region.

“Games are being played all the way out in La Porte, Dyer, Schererville, and here in Crown Point,” Nelson said. “We have 22 softball fields being used all week long. A lot of teams that are visiting are being housed in hotels in all of those communities and beyond. We hope that the athletes who are new to this area can see what Northwest Indiana has to offer, especially here in the Crown Point community.”

While the Skills Competition is a festivity that the players enjoy every year, that’s just the appetizer to this action-packed week. The meat and potatoes will come once pool play is completed and all of the brackets are finalized.

“I always like it when I hear them say ‘Play ball’ on bracket day, because then I know that everything starts to flow from there,” Horton said. “Once you find out where you’re at on the bracket and who you’re playing, that’s where hiccups can happen, because there’s so many possibilities.”

Gates opened for the Skills Challenge at 3:30 p.m., and competitions started at 4 p.m. There were multiple food vendors, a DJ, and several softball players took the opportunity when not competing to trade pins with each other. Pool play will start on Wednesday, July 16, with the official NSA World Series Opening Ceremonies taking place at Bulldog Park on Thursday, July 17.

For more information on the South Shore Convention & Visitors Authority or the National Softball Association, you can visit their websites.