Shreveport-Bossier City is among the happiest places to host a sporting event.

Based on recent studies conducted by different organizations in the United States, Shreveport-Bossier City was reported to be near the top of both the happiest and the saddest cities in the United States.  

What the discrepancy in these findings communicates to me is that it’s up to each of us to determine what our overall emotional state will be on what happiness truly is or isn’t.  

The experts agree that the following three traits help to define happiness (as published by the Emotional Life).

Happiness is made up of pleasure, engagement and meaning. It involves both daily positive emotions and a global sense that life is worthwhile. People can accurately report their own levels of happiness. I believe our residents would agree our “community” cup is half-full vs. half-empty. 

Since we spend much of our discretionary time and finances enjoying sport activities, I wanted to list a few of the sporting events that will take place in Shreveport-Bossier City over the next couple of months that should make us excited about living here:  

• The 23rd CABOSA Cup Soccer Tournament will be held Labor Day weekend at Cargill Park and will bring in more than 80 of the top youth soccer clubs from all over the region to battle it out in our communities.

• The Landers Battle on the Border High School Football Showcase will showcase some of the top high school football teams at Independence Stadium the second weekend in September. Out of six games scheduled, only two teams, C.E. Byrd and Parkway, will be local. The other teams will travel from Texas, Louisiana, Alabama and Arkansas. 

• The 2014 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing South Central Divisional Races will be hosted at Thunder Roads Raceway Sept. 12-14 in Gilliam. It will bring in thousands of racing enthusiasts.

• We will host the final preseason NBA matchup between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Dallas Mavericks on Oct. 23 at the Centurylink Center. This matchup will be one of the most prestigious sporting events to be held in our communities in 2014.

There are numerous other events that are taking place later this year including the Duck Commander Independence Bowl, and I just wanted to spotlight a few you might want to attend. 

So, if your pursuit of happiness is finding a sporting event locally you can attend, you are sure to find one in our area. 

As Groucho Marx once said, “Each morning when I open my eyes I say to myself: I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it.”

If there is a sporting event you feel would be a perfect fit for our communities, please feel free to contact me so we can discuss the possibility of hosting it in Shreveport-Bossier City.