Lawrence Sports Facilities – A Field of Dreams?

Athletes and tourists alike are flocking to Lawrence to utilize its state-of-the-art sports facilities.

| 2017 Q3 | story by BJ Harris, photos by Steven Hertzog
 City of Lawrence

Rock Chalk Park

Has Lawrence become a field of dreams? While it’s not quite that simple, that has certainly been the case for sports facilities in Lawrence and Douglas County. The area’s premiere sports facilities, such as Rock Chalk Park, Rim Rock Farm and the Sports Pavilion Lawrence, are attracting youth and amateur athletes from across the nation. And those athletes and their families are contributing a great deal to the local economy.

According to the National Association of Sports Commissions, estimated visitor spending associated with sports events was $9.45 billion in 2015. In Kansas, sports tourism has seen tremendous growth, as well, with the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association), NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) and NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) committed to hosting 25 regional and national championships in the state during the next five years. Those events have an economic impact of more than $50 million and include the NCAA Cross Country Regional and NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Prelims, coming to Lawrence in 2020. Visitor spending includes money spent on entry fees, equipment and venue rental, but also accounts for meals, retail shopping, lodging and travel costs. And, the good news for communities such as Lawrence that have invested in sports tourism is that it’s growing.

 City

Dr. Sheahon Zenger addresses the Junior Olympic athletes on opening night at Rock Chalk Park.

The Hardwood Classic, held annually at Sports Pavilion Lawrence, brings in $2.5 million in visitor spending and more than $400,000 in local taxes. Not to mention national attention—some of the best basketball prospects will make their first, but hopefully not their last, trips to Lawrence. This past winter, Heart of America Volleyball tournaments, also held at Sports Pavilion Lawrence, totaled nearly $10 million in visitor spending during the course of 11 tournaments from January to April. That event shows the diversity of Sports Pavilion Lawrence as well as the diversity of potential events in Lawrence.

In addition to the financial gains, a strong youth and amateur sports market can have a positive impact on the overall image of the community. Just as universities often view their athletic programs as the “welcome mat” to the college, sports events can offer a wonderful opportunity to showcase all of the great amenities in a community.

 City

Olympian and multiple Gold medal winner Carl Lewis encourages the young athletes to respect their competition.

During the Junior Olympics, organizations such as Downtown Lawrence, the Watkins Museum of History, eXplore Lawrence, The University of Kansas and more came together to create opportunities for thousands of visitors to get out and enjoy the community. These efforts not only create additional opportunities for economic impact but also can turn visitors into future marketers. A positive visitor experience can send participants back into the world spreading good news about all of the great things to see and do in Lawrence, Kansas.

Likewise, sports events can add to a sense of community. Even the smallest events still require an immense amount of collaboration across the community. This can lead to new relationships, business partnerships and additional opportunities for nonprofit and for-profit organizations alike. In some cases, sports events have been credited with the development of new businesses, creating unique opportunities for enterprising entrepreneurs. Bringing together volunteers and businesses can create an emotional impact that will be evident long after the trophies have been lifted.

With tremendous community support and the leap of faith made by community leaders to invest in world-class facilities, Lawrence is positioned to become a major player in the sports tourism industry. The recent successes are proof that we have become a field of dreams for sporting events, but now that organizations have seen excellent event execution and a strong commitment by local leaders, volunteers, the university and community members, the goal is to entice them to continue coming back.

 City of Lawrence
Share.

327 Comments

  1. I think this is one of the most vital information for me. And
    i’m glad reading your article. But want to remark on few general things, The website style is great, the articles is really nice
    : D. Good job, cheers

  2. You are so awesome! I don’t believe I have read a single thing like this before. So great to find another person with a few genuine thoughts on this subject. Seriously.. many thanks for starting this up. This site is something that is required on the internet, someone with a bit of originality.

  3. When I initially commented I appear to have clicked on the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and from now on every time a comment is added I get 4 emails with the same comment. Is there a way you are able to remove me from that service? Thanks.

  4. Good day! I could have sworn I’ve been to this site before but after going through many of the articles
    I realized it’s new to me. Nonetheless, I’m definitely delighted I discovered it and I’ll
    be book-marking it and checking back regularly!

  5. Pretty nice post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wished to mention that I’ve really enjoyed browsing your blog posts.
    In any case I will be subscribing on your rss feed and I’m hoping you write
    again soon!

  6. This web page is really a walk-by way of for the entire data you wished about this and didn?t know who to ask. Glimpse right here, and you?ll definitely uncover it.

  7. I would also like to add that when you do not now have an insurance policy or maybe you do not remain in any group insurance, you may well benefit from seeking the assistance of a health broker. Self-employed or people having medical conditions generally seek the help of any health insurance broker. Thanks for your text.

  8. I like the valuable info you provide in your articles.
    I’ll bookmark your weblog and check again here frequently.
    I am quite sure I will learn plenty of new stuff right here!

    Good luck for the next!

  9. Wow, wonderful blog layout! How long have you been blogging for?
    you made blogging look easy. The overall look of
    your website is excellent, let alone the content!

  10. Link exchange is nothing else but it is simply placing the other
    person’s blog link on your page at proper place and
    other person will also do same in favor of you.

  11. When I initially commented I clicked the “Notify me when new comments are added” checkbox and now each time a comment is added I get several e-mails with the same comment. Is there any way you can remove me from that service? Cheers!

  12. Hi! Do you know if they make any plugins to help with SEO?
    I’m trying to get my blog to rank for some targeted keywords but
    I’m not seeing very good success. If you know of any please
    share. Cheers!

  13. I was very pleased to find this web site. I wanted to thank you for your time just for this wonderful read!! I definitely appreciated every part of it and i also have you bookmarked to check out new stuff on your blog.

  14. I am really enjoying the theme/design of your site. Do you ever
    run into any internet browser compatibility issues?
    A couple of my blog visitors have complained about my site
    not working correctly in Explorer but looks great in Safari.
    Do you have any solutions to help fix this issue?

  15. May I simply say what a comfort to discover a person that actually understands what they’re talking about online. You certainly know how to bring an issue to light and make it important. More and more people ought to read this and understand this side of the story. I was surprised you’re not more popular since you surely have the gift.

  16. Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any widgets I could add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest twitter updates.
    I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was hoping maybe
    you would have some experience with something like this.
    Please let me know if you run into anything. I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to your new updates.

  17. You really make it appear really easy along
    with your presentation but I to find this matter to be really something that I believe I might never understand.
    It seems too complex and very large for me. I am looking ahead on your subsequent post,
    I’ll try to get the grasp of it!

  18. Hello there I am so grateful I found your blog page, I really found
    you by error, while I was looking on Yahoo for something else, Anyhow I am here now and
    would just like to say thank you for a incredible post and a all round thrilling
    blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to read through it all
    at the moment but I have bookmarked it and also added in your
    RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read much more,
    Please do keep up the great job.

  19. Magnificent goods from you, man. I’ve consider your stuff prior to and you’re simply extremely wonderful.

    I really like what you’ve received right here, certainly like what you are
    stating and the way in which during which you
    are saying it. You make it enjoyable and you continue to take care of to stay it wise.

    I can not wait to learn much more from you. That is actually a great website.

    Review my site … Link Mpojaya

  20. The location of Hugh West’s tobacco warehouse, on the western banks of the Potomac close to the mouth of (Nice) Hunting Creek, was deemed a suitable location as a result of its deep water entry allowed ships from London to sail directly to the wharf.

  21. Howdy! I just want to offer you a huge thumbs up for the excellent information you have here on this post. I’ll be returning to your blog for more soon.

  22. Though one additional novel featuring the Eighth Doctor (Fear Itself by Nick Wallace) was revealed underneath the Past Doctor Adventures line before BBC Books decided to retire the PDAs as properly, that e book takes place prior to Timeless.

  23. Every weekend i used to visit this web site, for the reason that i wish for enjoyment, since this this web site conations in fact pleasant funny stuff too.

  24. This is the perfect site for everyone who wants to find out about this topic.
    You understand so much its almost hard to argue with you (not that
    I really will need to…HaHa). You definitely put a brand
    new spin on a topic which has been written about for years.
    Great stuff, just wonderful!

    Also visit my blog; link JHONBET77

  25. After looking at a few of the blog articles on your web page, I really appreciate your way of writing a blog. I book-marked it to my bookmark site list and will be checking back in the near future. Please visit my web site as well and let me know your opinion.

  26. Thanks for your marvelous posting! I definitely enjoyed reading it, you might be a great author.I will
    be sure to bookmark your blog and definitely will come back at some point.
    I want to encourage one to continue your great writing, have a
    nice day!

Leave A Reply

Contact to Listing Owner

Captcha Code