HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — 19 teams descended on Huntsville last weekend for the first-ever Rocket City Space Jam – a tournament uniting LGBTQ+ softball teams across the Southeast.

The inaugural tournament was held on August 13 and 14 right here in the Rocket City.

The idea for the Rocket City Space Jam came from several board members of the NEXUS Huntsville League, the city’s very first LGBTQ+ softball league.

“Several of us board members and players have participated in similar LGBTQ+ softball tournaments before, so we thought that it would be great to host one here in Huntsville for other leagues to come and be able to explore our city,” said League Commissioner Jonathan Wallace.

Wallace explained that plenty of prep work went into creating the tournament – and the hard work paid off.

“We felt like the turnout was exactly what we wanted it to be,” Wallace said. “We had 19 teams, and we thought that was an excellent number for our very first tournament.”

According to the tournament’s Facebook page, there were two divisions with six teams earning honors. The winning team of the D Division was the Memphis Mayhem, while the E Division was won by the Birmingham Sliders.

Wallace said there are already plans for another Rocket City Space Jam.

“There are absolutely talks about having another [tournament] next year,” Wallace stated. “We had so many players from all of the teams tell us they couldn’t wait to come back next year.”

Ahead of that next major tournament, NEXUS Huntsville League has a fall season to get through.

Wallace said the season will begin on September 11 with 11 teams participating, almost double the six teams last spring.

The NEXUS Huntsville Softball League was formed in 2021 as the city’s first LGBTQ+ league, aimed at providing “a safe and fun environment for all LGBTQ+ people and their allies,” according to their website. Learn more about how to get involved at nexushsvsoftball.com.