With youth sports competitions in softball, swimming and basketball slated for this weekend, Lawrence hotels are booked solid with hundreds of athletes and their families from out of town, said Sally Zogry, the executive director of Downtown Lawrence Inc.

In town this weekend are the USSSA World Series for 14-year-old girls’ softball, the Missouri Valley Swimming Long Course Championships and the Sunflower Showcase basketball tournament, according to the Lawrence Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“The hotels are sold out, something like 1,400 room nights,” Zogry said. “There were actually people who had to stay outside Lawrence.”

Basic schedules for the Saturday sports events follow:

Semifinals for the USSSA World Series will begin at 9 a.m. at the Clinton Lake Softball Complex, 5101 Speicher Road. The final game will begin at 1 p.m.

The Missouri Valley Swimming Long Course Championships will begin at 8:20 a.m. at Lawrence’s Indoor Aquatic Center, 4706 Overland Drive. Swimming events will continue through the day.

The Sunflower Showcase will run from 10:15 a.m. to 8:15 p.m. at Sports Pavilion Lawrence, 100 Rock Chalk Lane.

When large sports competitions come to town, Zogry said, the downtown area sees a large boost for the dining and retail scenes.

“It’s major,” Zogry said. “When we get these people in and all of that, it’s a tremendous influx of people. It helps everyone.”