The girls state softball tournament has been part of Fort Dodge for 56 years.

It’s going to be part of the community for another 20 years, through 2045.

That is not just hopeful talk, that is a fact thanks to an unprecedented 20-year contract extension agreed to by the Fort Dodge city government and the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union. The extension was announced Sept. 10.

The tournament has been held at Harlan and Hazel Rogers Sports Complex since 1970, but the contract that has kept the event here for so long has in the past only been extended for a few years at a time. By agreeing to a 20-year extension, the girls athletic union gave our community a huge vote of confidence.

Why did the union agree to such a long contract? We’ll let Erin Gerlich, the union’s executive director, explain it.

Gerlich, who became the IGHSAU’s executive director in 2024, said “the love and support we feel from everyone involved during tournament time is unmatched.”

“Quite simply, the relationship we’ve built with the city of Fort Dodge and all departments involved over the past 55-plus years gives the IGHSAU confidence in the experience we are looking to deliver for this state event,” Gerlich said. “There is always extra effort put into the communication and details between organizations, and we all live the dream big mentality to provide the best possible experience for those who attend this tournament year in and year out. We appreciate the creativity and challenge of pulling off this event, and look forward to always making it better. The alignment within the IGHSAU, the City of Fort Dodge, the Parks and Recreation Department, and everyone else involved creates an excitement and ultimately an end product that we can all be proud of.”

The entire community puts its best foot forward to make the tournament a success every year, and the union’s leadership has noticed. That effort extends far beyond the recreation and public areas employees who do the hard daily work of making sure the sports complex is in top condition and the games are played without a hitch. Just about every local government agency gets involved in some way or another.

The other big vital partner in the effort is Iowa Central Community College, which provides housing and meals for many of the participating teams all week. As the tournament moves to a double-elimination format, the college’s housing and food service support will become even more important.

Visit Fort Dodge also has a big role in welcoming the tournament to the community. Then there are the business owners, workers and residents who also support the tournament, perhaps without even knowing it. Every store clerk or server in a restaurant who offers a friendly greeting to someone in town for the softball games contributes to the atmosphere that makes the girls union leadership want to keep the tournament here.

Securing the tournament for 20 years is unheard of. But the Fort Dodge community must not be satisfied with that. Everyone must keep doing whatever they can to make the tournament experience a little bit better every year.

There are lots of communities that would like to get their hands on the tournament. That means Fort Dodge can’t let anything happen that might allow those other communities to get their hopes up.

So let’s celebrate the 20-year extension and keep working to make the state softball experience better and better.