sport
Grassroots sports surge in Des Moines as community leagues and tournaments pack the calendar
From adult softball and LGBTQ dodgeball to youth baseball championships and high school golf, Des Moines’ local sports scene is thriving this July.
How we reported this
URBANDALE, Iowa, The Urbandale baseball team fell 5-4 to West Des Moines Valley in a CIML game Wednesday, July 15, 2026, capping a day packed with local sports action across the metro. But the loss was just one snapshot of a broader movement: community-run leagues and youth tournaments are drawing hundreds of players to fields and courts throughout Des Moines this month.
Year-round leagues for every age
Des Moines Parks and Recreation offers year-round adult community sports leagues that include fast-pitch softball, men’s and women’s basketball, coed sand volleyball, flag football, bean bag, and indoor wiffle ball, according to city records. For the LGBTQ community, the Pride Sports League of Central Iowa, a Des Moines-based nonprofit founded in 2012, provides recreational and competitive sports including indoor volleyball, softball, basketball, dodgeball, and a free running club, year-round.
Central Iowa Coed Soccer, known as CICS, runs Iowa’s largest recreational coed soccer league, with fields in Des Moines and West Des Moines, including the MidAmerican Energy Company RecPlex. i9 Sports, a national franchise operating in Des Moines since 2009, offers community-based youth leagues for ages 3 and up in flag football, soccer, basketball, baseball, softball, tennis, and volleyball.
July tournament season heats up
Multiple youth baseball tournaments are underway or scheduled this week in Des Moines. The Midwest National Championship runs July 15-19, and the 2026 Iowa State Tournament II is set for July 18-20, according to event listings. Meanwhile, the Iowa Boys State Golf Tournament began Wednesday, July 15, with one KIOW area local athlete competing.
The Des Moines Menace soccer team’s 2026 USL League Two season runs from May through July, with games hosted at Valley Stadium in West Des Moines. The Iowa Barnstormers’ indoor football season also follows a March-through-July schedule, meaning their 2026 campaign is concluding now.
For adults looking to get involved, the Des Moines Roller Derby operates year-round adult community leagues that welcome new participants at any time. The Des Moines Rugby Club hosts a women’s team that practices in West Des Moines.
With summer in full swing, the metro’s grassroots sports network, from city-run leagues to nonprofit clubs and national youth tournaments, keeps thousands of Iowans active and connected, with games and practices continuing through the heat of July.