Rochester, New York, is jumping on the bandwagon. Sandusky, Ohio, refuses to be left out. Rantoul, Illinois is making its own big statement. What do these communities have in common? They have all joined the growing trend in the US of creating multi-million dollar youth sports complexes that will serve sprawling communities, attract major tournaments and travel teams, and bring in big cash for area businesses. It’s official. Sandlot Ball has become big business.
That won’t be a revelation to any parent whose kids have participated in youth sports at any level, especially the travel team level. The costs of equipment, coaches, team “tuitions” and travel expenses can easily run into the thousands each year for each child. These mega youth sports complexes are just the latest fad in this crazy, commercialized world of youth sports.
We’ve come a long way since Joe Tomlin found a vacant lot in Philadelphia to start his Pop Warner youth football program in 1929, in order to prevent young people from vandalizing local businesses. And what would Carl Stotz think of today’s youth sports industry? He is a far cry from the humble origins of his first minor league games set in 1938 on vacant ballparks around Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
The City of Rochester spent $2.1 million (through a mix of public and private funds) on its indoor sports complex that will house multipurpose courts and turf fields, a weight room, and locker rooms. Its mayor welcomed the 2020 development project, saying Rochester’s youth sports teams would now have “access to the same year-round training opportunities, games, practice sessions” and sports medicine professionals as their suburban counterparts. . (Oh my gosh. More “year-round training” for the kids—precisely what the experts are warning against.)
The people of Rantoul, Illinois, have a broader vision than that. They are about to break ground on a $20 million sports complex intended to attract people from all over the Midwest. His plan calls for a 60-plus-acre facility that will include eight multi-sport turf fields and eight turf baseball and softball fields. Rantoul officials believe the complex can attract massive youth sports tournaments and thus boost economic development in the area, including restaurants, hotels and retail stores. Its mayor said that he believed that this complex “is the economic engine that can take Rantoul into the future.” wow. Who knew how much was at stake on the shoulders of our little athletes?
Sandusky, Ohio, goes even further. In January they will open their new $32 million indoor Cedar Point Sports Center with enough space for 10 full-size basketball courts or 20 volleyball courts. It will complement its adjacent outdoor Sports Force Parks, which opened in 2017 and are home to 10 multi-sport grass fields. And for local officials, it fits nicely with its famous Cedar Point amusement park, especially since it aims to bring more visitors — and businesses — to the area during the cooler off-season months. They seem primed to be correct. In February, the new indoor facility will host its first volleyball tournament, with the participation of 130 teams. That should give local restaurants, hotels and gas stations a nice head start for the year.
According to Street & Smith’s Sports Business Journal, youth sports complexes are developing at a rapid pace, with more than $550 million invested in such projects in the last three years alone. Apparently, our kids’ sports are not only driving us crazy, but also boosting the economies of local communities across the US. So get ready to hit the road, with even more tournament destinations at your disposal. And don’t complain. After all, she signed her son up for a travel team.