Frisco's Sports Depth and Breadth Is Fueling Explosive Growth in Community

SPORTS COMMISSIONS SHOWCASE Frisco’s sports depth and breadth is fueling explosive growth in community Frisco, Texas, is young, dynamic, plex will notice first is … a football energetic, visionary and growing fast. field? Yes, a 50-yard indoor football It has quickly risen to the top of the field, which will be used for sports sports business ranks, earning its rehabilitation for athletes of every deserved reputation as one of the age, not just the pros. best markets for amateur and youth The facility and its services are sports in the nation. open to the public and provide sports The city and its leadership, public surgery, imaging, a sports concussion and private, are not content to rest on center, research, outpatient services their laurels. Instead, the community is and the Gatorade Sports Science committed to continually investing Institute. In addition, the center pro- and reinvesting into its diverse array of vides family medicine, orthopedics, facilities and community-wide sports rehabilitation, urgent care and a amenities. pharmacy. Take Toyota Stadium, home of FC The complex will also provide team Dallas, for example. Opened in 2005, physicians and concussion experts on Toyota Stadium was a first-of-its-kind the sidelines for all Frisco varsity home games played at Ford Center. marvel, a stadium designed specifi- DALLAS

cally for soccer. A short 13 years later, FC “This facility will play a major role in officials from the city of Frisco and Toyota Stadium will house the National Soccer Hall of Fame, the first HOF in professional shaping the future of youth sports to executives from Hunt Sports Group put sports built as an integral part of the facility. The stadium, home of FC Dallas, was one of the make them safer than they’ve ever first soccer-specific stadiums ever built. their heads back together. “Toyota been, so that more and more kids Stadium is great, but how can we can participate,” said Jim Hinton, Bay- make it even better?” lor Scott & White Health CEO. Toyota Stadium,” said Marla Roe, a total of seven professional fran- executive director of Visit Frisco. “We chises. Putting It All Together can now provide MLS fans, as well as The Texas Revolution, an Indoor Exponential Growth For starters, the leadership landed NCAA and high-school football fans, Football League team, plays at Dr In the last year, Frisco has the coveted National Soccer Hall of with an even better game-day experi- Pepper Arena, already the practice launched Sports City, U.S.A., an initia- Fame, the first major sports hall built ence.” facility for the NHL Dallas Stars, and tive to educate, highlight and as a central part of a stadium. Toyota Stadium has played host to home to the Texas Legends of the emphasize the significant depth and After that, well … they chopped off the NCAA Division I Football Champi- NBA G League. breadth of Frisco’s sports community. the south end of the stadium and put onship, a true 16-bracket tournament. Major League Lacrosse’s Rattlers In the last couple of years, both Dr it back together. It is also the current home of ESPN- left Rochester, N.Y., to become the Pepper Arena and Dr Pepper Ballpark, The public-private partnership of owned Frisco Bowl. Dallas Rattlers and play at Ford Center home of the AA minor league Frisco FC Dallas, the city of Frisco, the Frisco at The Star, headquarters of the Dallas RoughRiders, have undergone exten- Independent School District and the Cowboys. sive renovations. And the city’s parks U.S. Soccer Federation divided the Quality of Life Vision “Our market continues to explode,” and rec department has upended south end’s Hall of Fame into two Bringing a wealth of professional said Roe. “We have 17 hotels open, the traditional parks model, clustering components: The NSHOF Experience sports franchises to town, along with a six under construction and another like sports amenities with like to create and the NSHOF Club. slew of facilities for residents, was part four announced. Our fields are at concentrated pockets for soccer, The Experience honors soccer’s of Frisco’s leaders’ mission to create capacity so Frisco’s parks and rec softball and other field sports. The past by showcasing decades of one of the most desirable, most liv- department is adding eight more soc- eight new soccer fields will be memorabilia. It fully incorporates able cities in the world. The city has cer fields to keep up with our growth. grouped in a single park. modern technology, using virtual real- been so committed, in fact, that all of The Star continues to expand, too. In “Frisco is continuing its exponential ity, gesture technology and interactive the city’s pro facilities have been built the last year, it’s added even more growth,” said Roe. “Texas is a good digital boards to celebrate the game through public-private partnerships, restaurants and an Omni hotel.” climate for business. Frisco is attrac- as it is today. benefiting the residents, the pro tive to teams looking for good places The Hall of Fame will begin hosting teams and Frisco schools. Collaboration Serves to live. Frisco is one of the best induction ceremonies this year. “What stands out is how progressive school districts in the state. Our city is The NSHOF Club includes 3,450 and visionary the city leaders are in the Community progressive and our leadership is seats for season ticket members, the recognizing the important role sports Not to mention Baylor Scott and visionary. And we’ve had really smart, Hall of Fame Club, the Lamar Hunt can play in building a great quality of White Health’s brand-spanking new dedicated people running the ship U.S. Open Cup Club and the Press life for their city,” said Chuck Green- sports medicine facility. The one-of-a- for a long time. You need all of those Conference Room. berg, general partner and CEO of the kind collaboration between an NFL factors, combined with decades- The $55 million renovation also Frisco RoughRiders. team, a healthcare system and a long continuity of commitment to built in new locker rooms for FC Dallas In the last year, Frisco has added school district opened in June with the achieve Frisco’s success. That’s why and additional locker rooms for foot- two more pro sports teams to its launch of the Baylor Scott & White we’ve become one of the most ball. already hefty roster, giving this small Sports Therapy & Research. desirable, most livable cities in the “They have completely revitalized city at the affluent north end of Dallas What a visitor to the medical com- world.”

34 SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION I STREET & SMITH’S SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL JULY 9-15, 2018 SPORTS COMMISSIONS SHOWCASE

JULY 9-15, 2018 SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION I STREET & SMITH’S SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL 35 SPORTS COMMISSIONS SHOWCASE Palm Beach County wins multiple awards The Palm Beach County Sports named as a 2018 finalist for three The county’s sports-travel success Commission is celebrating another National Association of Sports Commis- stems from the synergy of a wealth of banner year, smashing its own record sion Sports Tourism Awards, as well as a facilities, both private and public; a for- for sports-related travel room nights recipient of the Florida Sports Founda- ward-thinking political and business and for sheer numbers of events across tion Award for “Florida’s Best Awarded leadership; a community of residents a wide range of sports disciplines. Event in 2018.” Furthermore, the Palm willing to step forward; and a strong Sound familiar? Yes, it is truly déjà vu. Beach County Parks and Recreation sports commission that can lure the For seven straight years, the county’s Department, named the best in Florida, tournaments to town and then turn sports travel market has set new is short-listed for the 2018 National Gold every one of them into a success for records, besting itself in every category. Medal Award for Excellence for Park every stakeholder: owners, athletes and For its efforts, the Palm Beach and Recreation Management for the parents. County Sports Commission has been second year in a row. “We’ve hosted 162 events in 43 dif- COUNTY

BEACH

PALM Palm Beach County has hosted 30 amateur baseball tournaments so far this year.

ferent sports disciplines so far this year,” said George Linley, executive director of the Palm Beach County Sports Com- mission. “We’ve had 30 baseball tour- naments alone. We’ve hosted events from softball and soccer to croquet and AquaX. We’ve had participants from all 50 states and from 60 different nations. That’s translated into a record- setting 220,000 room nights so far this year, and $340 million in direct visitor spending.” The county’s strength, Linley said, is its wealth of diverse facilities. Palm Beach County is probably best known as the only county with two top-quality MLB spring-training facilities, housing a quarter of the Grapefruit League, including the current World Series Champions, the Houston Astros. “It’s incredibly gratifying that the Astros won their first World Series Cham- pionship after their inaugural spring training season at FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, which demonstrates that we belong to a championship destination,” Linley said. “We also have the National Croquet Center, the world’s largest, that people don’t necessarily know about,” said Lin- ley. “And we have the International Polo Club, which has been named Florida’s top sports venue. We also have the top BMX track in Florida and an incredible facility for waterskiing competitions.” The real workhorse is the parks and recreation department, he said, with nearly a third of all sports events taking place at one of its venues. “Our parks and rec system is best in class,” Linley said. “They have 8,000 acres, 72 boat slips, 83 diamonds, 115 multipurpose fields, 93 golf holes … the list goes on. More than 40,000 of our room nights have touched parks NO MATTER THE SPORT, and rec.” An Exceptional WE’VE ALWAYS GOT GAME. Host for Golf The Palm Beaches also happen to Palm Beach County is home to some of the nation’s premier sporting facilities. be the Golf Capital of Florida®, with Event owners will uncover a variety of high-quality, sports-oriented venues, which 170 top-quality courses. The NCAA will make a perfect fit for both amateur and professional sporting events. noticed, selecting the PGA National Resort & Spa as site of five champion- ships from 2019-2022. “It’s been a special year for golf. Call 561-233-3174 or visit PalmBeachSports.com We’ve hosted 22 state or national tour-

SEE PALM BEACH CVB, PAGE 37

36 SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION I STREET & SMITH’S SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL JULY 9-15, 2018 SPORTS COMMISSIONS SHOWCASE

PALM BEACH CVB, FROM PAGE 36 of ancillary events that take place the world at the PGA National in July. throughout the year, which embrace In June 2017, The Bear’s Club in naments that have generated signifi- every corner of our county. The Honda Jupiter and Lost Tree Club in North Palm cant room nights and direct visitor Classic attracted over 224,000 specta- Beach hosted 164 golfers for the Flor- spending,” Linley said. tors, which is one of the largest audi- ida State Golf Association’s 100th Ama- The PGA National Resort & Spa in ences for sports in South Florida. It’s a teur Championship on its prestigious Palm Beach Gardens is also home of tremendous resume builder for us.” Jack Nicklaus-designed course. The Honda Classic, the only South Flor- The PGA National courses are home By the end of 2018, Palm Beach COUNTY ida stop for the PGA tour, played on the to other world-class golf events, includ- County will boast yet another world- BEACH

renowned The Champion course rede- ing the 2018 NAIA Women’s Golf class, Nicklaus-designed course, as

signed by Jack Nicklaus in 2014 and National Championship in May. In part of the Via Mizner Golf and City PALM featuring the famous Bear Trap. Both November, it also hosts the Rolex Tour- Club project in Boca Raton. With 170 courses, some designed by golf the resort and The Champion course nament of Champions, which is the “I feel blessed to be a part of the great Jack Nicklaus, Palm Beach County are currently undergoing renovations to premier tournament of the American momentum,” said Linley. “Our leaders, deserves its title of Golf Capital of Florida™. make them better than ever. Junior Golf Association. public and private, put financial back- “The Honda Classic has transformed More than 700 junior golfers from 30 ing behind their vision to create a tre- comes full circle – inspiring our com- into a year-round celebration and is nations will tee up for the Optimists mendous quality of life for our residents. munity to invest more time and energy part of our local culture,” said Linley. International Junior Golf Championship, That, in turn, has made us an interna- into our facilities and sports for our resi- “The Honda Classic includes a variety one of the largest junior tournaments in tional hub for sports travel. And that dents and our visitors.”

Wilmington and local beaches play host to any sport at any time A surge of growth in nontraditional Beach, Carolina Beach and Kure sports, such as beach soccer and Ulti- Beach. mate frisbee competitions, is giving Promoters and organizers, such as stick-and-ball sports a run for their USSSA youth baseball and the U.S. Ten- CVB money in Wilmington, N.C., and the nis Association, return to the area year surrounding island beaches. after year.

“We’re regularly booking large youth BEACHES In 2017, triathletes voted IRONMAN tournaments for beach volleyball, & 70.3 North Carolina as one of their top beach soccer, Ultimate, rugby and 10 favorite spots for swims and runs. fencing, in addition to baseball, softball Another 400 hotel rooms will be WILMINGTON and all our other sports,” said Robert available in the next two years, said With abundant waterways, such as the Cape Fear River, Wilmington and beaches are home Cox, director of sports development for to a broad range of sports from beach soccer to fishing tournaments. Cox, with the area pushing 8,500 total Wilmington and Beaches Convention rooms by 2020. The new full-service and Visitors Bureau. “We’ve built top- annual Seaside Soccer Classic, which is November, Wilmington and the North Embassy Suites by Hilton Wilmington notch facilities here to accommodate currently capped at 325 teams. Carolina Bass Federation will host The Riverfront, which opened earlier this the diversity of interests for our residents. As the NCAA has expanded its slate Bass Federation’s 2018 District 2 year, is adjacent to the Wilmington That translates into our ability to bring in of sports, kids and their parents are National Semi-Finals, a weekend-long Convention Center, an easy walk for diverse sports tournaments and adapt vying for the accompanying sports event that will bring 100 top sportsmen families attending volleyball, basketball to a continually changing market.” scholarships, which in turn, is pushing to fish New Hanover County’s abundant and gymnastics competitions. In 2017, the New Hanover County the surge for youth tournaments. rivers. “Wilmington and the beaches offer Parks & Gardens department, in collab- As an example, Cox said, the CVB is Stick-and-ball sports continue to the full package for families,” said Cox. oration with the Tony Hawk Foundation, working to bring a high-school fishing grow, too. The Wilmington area is host- “Our facilities, combined with our broad opened Ogden Skatepark, a profes- tournament to the area, reflecting the ing a new series of girls softball with five range of accommodations, great year- sional competition-level facility. NCAA’s growth of sports scholarships for tournaments playing 500 athletes round weather, the wealth of activities The city of Wilmington is also build- fishing. each, this summer and fall at the Uni- and beautiful beaches, have made us ing seven additional fields that will The area’s abundant rivers are versity of North Carolina Wilmington, a top choice for amateur-sports orga- accommodate the growth of the already a natural draw for pro fishing. In and fields throughout Wrightsville nizers.” Paddle Racing & Wave Chasing We’re always game

From the Carolina Cup paddle races on the World SUP Tour to IRONMAN North Carolina, Wilmington’s hosted many diverse events flled with good times. Our welcoming year-round weather, breathtaking beaches and bustling riverfront are crowd-pleasers.

Book off-season for the best savings, and see where the water takes you. NCCoastalSports.com | 800.650.9064 ext.124

JULY 9-15, 2018 SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION I STREET & SMITH’S SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL 37 SPORTS COMMISSIONS SHOWCASE Panama City Beach – All-Sport, All-Season Ready Known for having some of the 75,000 room nights, added to the cur- world’s most beautiful beaches, Pan- rent total of more than 100,000. This ama City Beach, located on Florida’s will pump an extra $23.2 million into panhandle midway between Pensac- the local economy in year one. The ola and Tallahassee, is a hotbed of complex could also generate an amateur sports. Most of the city’s additional 100-150 jobs, from onsite sports visitors come from Georgia and management and operational staff, Texas, followed by Alabama, Louisiana to game officials and concession and Mississippi; states where, for most workers. people, it’s a six- to eight-hour drive. “The demand we have from out- In the sports world, Panama City side organizations is tremendous, so CREDIT Beach, with 16,000 hotel rooms and a we anticipate we’ll open with a good population of 14,000, is known for schedule of soccer, lacrosse and flag PHOTO hosting championship events. The city football,” said Sanders, “sports we XXX haven’t been able to accommodate is home base for the Grand Slam With nine baseball/softball fields, Frank Brown Park boasts a full schedule during the summer. World Series of Baseball, which fea- in the past because of the lack of tures more than 350 teams in four sports destination, the city needed to headquartered in nearby Watersound. quality championship fields.” weeks. The United States Fastpitch create more fields. The complex will be operated by The city is not stopping with the Association also calls Panama City In May 2019, the city will celebrate Sports Facility Management, located outdoor fields. Phase two is already on Beach home. Its annual World Series the grand opening of the $37 million in Clearwater. the drawing board. A 108,000-square- draws close to 400 teams. Addition- Panama City Beach Sports Park and “The opening of the Panama City foot indoor facility will house a combi- ally, the World Sports League holds its Stadium Complex. With 13 multipur- Beach Sports Complex will help us nation of eight basketball courts, 16 annual Gulf Coast National Champi- pose sports fields, including nine with become a year-round destination volleyball courts and 24 pickleball onships in Panama City Beach, artificial turf and four with natural because the majority of the rectan- courts, as well as gymnastics, wrestling attracting more than 300 teams. grass, the city will be able to offer gular sports take place in the fall, win- and weightlifting. The facility can also Frank Brown Park, the city’s main facilities for the “rectangular” sports — ter and spring,” said Richard Sanders, be configured for concerts and trade facility, is booked solid during the sum- lacrosse, soccer, football, rugby and vice president of sports marketing shows. mer months. The park, which recently Ultimate frisbee. The fields are being and special events for the Panama “These projects will solidify Panama underwent a $4.5 million renovation, designed so they can also accom- City Beach Convention and Visitors City Beach as a 12-month destination features nine baseball/softball fields, a modate baseball and softball. Bureau. for sports,” said Sanders. “The demand T-ball field, six soccer fields, a basket- The complex, one of the largest in Projections call for 29 events in the has been there for years. This has ball court, tennis courts, Aquatic Cen- the southeast, is located on 210 acres first year, increasing to more than 50 been a 10-year project in the making ter, walking trails and 20-acre festival of land donated by the St. Joe Com- in years three and four. Through these that is now real. We’re super excited site. But, to become a year-round pany, a land development company events, the city expects to fill 60,000- about this new facility.”

play BALL! at the Real. FUN. Beach. Coming 2019: Panama City Beach Sports Complex at Breakfast Point

The new sports complex in Panama City Beach is on the horizon! This world-class, 210-acre facility will accommodate a variety of large-scale sports tournaments, benefi ting the local community and also encouraging newcomers to discover even more ways to have fun in the sun at the REAL. FUN. BEACH.

PlayPanamaCityBeach.com or contact Chris O’Brien, Director of Sports Marketing & Special Events at 850.233.5070

38 SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION I STREET & SMITH’S SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL JULY 9-15, 2018