Youth basketball teams from across the country will gather in Des Moines this weekend for the AAU 10-and-under Boys National Basketball Championships. As many as 80-teams could be taking part.
Al Lorenzen with the Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau says teams as far away as California and New York will participate, as well as teams from Des Moines and Ames. Lorenzen says most of the games will be played in one place. Four courts will be setup at Hy-Vee Hall which is part of the Iowa Events Center.
Lorenzen says they’ll use the courts from the Wells Fargo Arena, Veterans Auditorium and are brining in a court from Omaha, and one from Waterloo. Lorenzen says the set-up will allow a central location for the tournament in downtown. He says that’s a focus to showcase the downtwon Des Moines area, and encourage people to stay downtown.
Lorenzen says how this tournament comes off may determine how many events the city might be able to attract in the future. He says any time you host a national championship, it impacts your ability to attract events in the future. The tournament will run through July seventh.