Youth Sports Market Heats Up

By Ronnie Wendt

Pandemic or no pandemic, the youth sports market is hot — and growing.

The $19.2 billion youth and amateur sports industry has seen steady growth since the early 2000s, reports Wintergreen Research Inc. Today, 73.4% of children ages 13-17 play a team or individual sport regularly, finds Aspen Project Play.

These trends stayed strong even during the pandemic. Matt Ten Haken, director of sports marketing for the Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau in Appleton, notes 2021 was among the top five sports tourism-generating years for the Fox Cities.

The strength of youth sports — even during the pandemic — can be contributed to a couple of things. First, as COVID-19 concerns escalated, people saw the outdoors as a safe place to meet. Sports — from baseball to softball and soccer — can take place outside. Second, many parents wanted children to have an outlet, and for many, COVID-19 presented less risk to children, so they were willing to travel to compete.

Looking ahead, the 2022 youth sports market remains bullish. Ten Haken says, “The Fox Cities saw a huge bump in sports events in the first quarter, so we think 2022 will be better than 2021 by a lot.”

More Than Facilities

The Fox Cities focuses marketing efforts on events for 10- to 18-year-olds. In the summer, these include soccer, baseball and softball, and in the winter, basketball, volleyball and hockey.

The CVB shines a spotlight on community facilities to attract these events. Premier facilities include the Community First Champion Center, offering up to eight basketball hardwood courts, 12 volleyball courts or two ice rinks with seating; the Neuroscience Group Field, home of minor league baseball team, the Timber Rattlers, which also opens its field to outdoor youth sporting events; and the popular Scheels USA Youth Sports Complex.

However, facilities alone cannot tell the full story. Ten Haken explains, “We also stress the overall community when talking to planners and sports directors. We talk about affordability, drivability and safety because they are the things families traveling for sports want. Fox Cities checks all three boxes.”

Sponsorships help draw youth sports to communities as well. The Fox Cities, for instance, offers a grant program to support new or growing events. The CVB uses these funds to offset the costs of facility rentals, other expenses and bid fees. “If there is an event that comes in with a bid fee, we can help reduce or totally cover those fees,” Ten Haken says.

No matter where you play, youth sports events are hot, hot, hot. And many Wisconsin cities stand ready to deliver facilities and amenities that make this state “the” place to compete.