Games of Texas to begin this weekend

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The Texas Amateur Athletic Federation’s Games of Texas returns this weekend.

This is the second year in a row the games will be held in Brownsville.

ValleyCentral scoped out the Brownsville Sports Park, where several of this year’s events will take place.

Last year, there were concerns about the heat that athletes would face. While it is still warm out, this year rain is a concern.

The city, along with the Parks and Rec Department held a news conference Wednesday ahead of the games opening Thursday.

Athletes are scheduled to compete in 16 sports.

Event organizers are expecting somewhere between 8,000 and 10,000 participants.

TAAF officials say they have plans in place to deal with any inclement weather.

They are planning to start every day’s events on time.

But if safety issues come up, like lightning in the area, they warn there could be significant delays.

Brownsville Mayor John Cowen says an event like this will help showcase the city.

Cowen adds that the games being held in Brownsville can also help local athletes.

“Maybe their families really couldn’t afford to travel to Dallas or Houston for these tournaments that sometimes are held up there, right? And I think to provide that exposure and hopefully momentum for their athletic careers. I think it’s a really good thing,” the mayor said.

According to Cowen, last year the city got about $4 million in tax revenue.

He thinks this year could be even more successful with hotels in town already full.