Badgerland Pride Softball launches inclusive kickball tournament in Fitchburg

Badgerland Pride Softball traded a familiar July softball weekend for its first kickball tournament at McGaw Park in Fitchburg, turning its annual summer showcase into a one-day event built for easier entry and broader participation. The tournament ran Sunday, July 5, 2026, started at 9:00 a.m., and kept the competition tight with a guaranteed minimum of four games, weather permitting.

The move was more than a simple swap of sports. Badgerland said the kickball format replaced its annual softball tournament for this year, with teams able to enter either as a full squad or as individual free agents who would be placed with others. Team registration was set at $200, while individual entry cost $16, a price structure that fit the event’s low-barrier pitch. The age range ran from 18 to 80, signaling that the day was meant to work for seasoned adult-league regulars and newcomers alike.

That mix matched Badgerland’s identity. The organization says it has more than 20 years of LGBTQIA+ softball history, and its mission is built around promoting the health, social structure and equality of the Madison area LGBTQ+ community. The league is open to LGBTQ+ individuals and allies, and the kickball tournament extended that same model into a format that asks less travel, less commitment and less equipment than a traditional multi-day softball tournament.

McGaw Park made sense as the host site. The City of Fitchburg calls it the city’s largest park and says it includes four lighted softball diamonds along with other athletic amenities, including a shelter with restrooms, picnic tables, trails, tennis and volleyball courts, and pickleball courts. Fitchburg says the shelter was renovated in 2016 and can be reserved for gatherings of up to 100 people, the kind of setup that fits an all-day adult sports event.

The park had already been a Badgerland destination. The group’s 2025 Classic tournament ran July 4-6 at McGaw Park, so the move to a one-day kickball format kept the event on familiar ground while changing the tempo. Registration for the 2026 tournament ran from June 5 to June 22, with Dean Blaser listed as commissioner and Haddie Gautsch as tournament contact.

Madison’s year-round LGBTQ+ events scene and network of LGBTQ+ owned and friendly businesses gave the switch a local backdrop, but the real story was on the field: a summer tournament made shorter, cheaper and easier to join without losing the structure that keeps competition meaningful.