Mountain State Sports Tourism
Photo by Ben Salango.
By Lori Kersey
In the Mountain State, sports complexes drive more than just physical fitness and family fun—they also drive tourism. Across West Virginia, state-of-the-art sports facilities bring in athletes and spectators who book hotel rooms, eat at restaurants and shop at stores.
From the soon-to-be-open Highlands Sports Complex and Bridgeport Indoor Sports & Recreation Complex to Kanawha County’s proven Shawnee Sports Complex to the new sports fields and facilities at Valley Park in Putnam County and Mylan Park in Morgantown, West Virginia’s tourism industry is hitting it out of the park with these additions.
Aquatic & Track Center at Mylan Park
At Mylan Park in Morgantown, the 90,000-square-foot Aquatic & Track Center generates tourism with year-round swimming club activity. The aquatic center facility has an eight-lane Olympic pool and seating for up to 1,500 spectators. The eight-lane track and field complex has seating for 1,200 spectators and was designed to host track and field meets, events, camps and clinics. While the swimming facility was just completed in November 2019, in February it hosted the Big 12 Swimming and Diving Championship.
“The hotel stays, lodging and spending generated through teams and spectators staying in town and folks traveling into this area from other parts of the state for local competitions has been tremendous,” says Keith Hernstrom, executive director of Mylan Park. “That will only grow as we attract larger caliber events where people are coming in and spending multiple days and really being patrons of Morgantown and Monongalia County.”
Bridgeport Indoor Sports & Recreation Complex
When completed in the spring of 2021, the Bridgeport Indoor Sports & Recreation Complex will be Bridgeport’s hub for sports tournaments, events and conferences. The 157,000-square-foot facility will include a fieldhouse with six multipurpose athletic courts, a walking track, an indoor turf and competition and warm-up pools.
“This project will serve as a hub of social activity in our community with both the indoor and outdoor complexes,” says Andrea Kerr, director of community and economic development for the City of Bridgeport. “Bridgeport has always promoted quality of life, and the city council understands the importance of that locally, statewide and regionally. This facility will bring groups to our state where they will hopefully stay for a few days and enjoy all that West Virginia has to offer.”
Bridgeport leaders hope the complex adds to a city that’s already an attractive place for businesses and families to relocate.
“This facility is not only good for Bridgeport, but we feel it will have an impact on the entire region,” says Kerr. “We look at that as a win-win. It is our hope that this helps build our community to make it home to more commercial, industrial and residential growth.”
Highland Sports Complex
Highland Sports Complex is soon to be completed in Triadelphia, WV, and major sports tournaments have already expressed interest in locating there. The facility will boast six volleyball and basketball courts, an 88,000-square-foot turf area, four batting cages and pitching tunnels, as well as meeting and event space.
“It will bring people to The Highlands, and once they come, especially if they stay overnight, they’re going to shop, eat and stay in the hotels,” says Randy Wharton, Ohio County commissioner and president of the Ohio County Development Authority. “This will fill the gaps where retail may be slow at certain times of the year. It will help the whole local economic community.”
Spectators will be able to enjoy the action from the Highland Sports Complex mezzanine floor and stop by its on-site cafe. A fitness center offering free weights and machines, cardio, group fitness classes and personal trainers is slated to open in the fall, and kids can take advantage of a climbing area.
“Not only does it provide a sports complex for people to do their activities, but it also brings more business to The Highlands, which helps the overall project,” says Wharton.
Shawnee Sports Complex
With multiple turf and grass fields for sports ranging from soccer, lacrosse and football to baseball, softball and ultimate frisbee, the Shawnee Sport Complex in Dunbar, WV, has the capacity to host 3,000 spectators at once. It also has 27 acres of grass fields, a welcome center, press box, two concessions and more than 1,000 parking spaces. Open for just two years, the complex has already secured regional tournaments bringing millions of dollars in tourism activity to Kanawha County.
“We actually secured these tournaments before the complex was complete,” says Kanawha County Commissioner Ben Salango. “The complex hosted the 2019 U.S. Youth Soccer (USYS) Regional and Presidents Cup and has also secured the 2021 USYS Presidents Cup.”
Plans are in the works to build a shelter and stage area in honor of the high school class of 2020. The Pitch sports bar and restaurant recently opened inside the complex, serving up local beer.
“The economic impact of the Shawnee Sports Complex on Institute and the surrounding areas is and will be great,” says Salango. “We can have two regional tournaments over the span of less than two weeks and create a $20 million economic impact.”
Valley Park
At Valley Park in Hurricane, WV, three turf baseball fields host travel games that bring an average of 700 visitors to Putnam County every weekend of the season. A turf soccer field provides practice and game space for local and state soccer clubs, and with an 8,000-square-foot conference center ballroom, an all-inclusive playground and a wave pool, the park stays booked with weddings, conferences and meetings.
“Companies like booking our facility because it’s halfway between Huntington and Charleston,” says Ashley Deal, co- director of Putnam County Parks and Recreation. “In addition, our sports facilities are utilized by local teams every day during baseball and soccer seasons. Tournaments have increased year over year going from five in 2018 to 26 scheduled in 2020.”
Fundraising projects are in the works to build a barn and amphitheater at Valley Park with indoor batting cages and a place for foam dart wars and indoor exercise classes as well.
“With all the facilities and activities our parks have to offer, we have something for a wide variety of people,” says Deal. “We are extremely lucky to have such a gorgeous state. Developing parks and recreation not only showcases that beauty and drives tourism into our state but also promotes health and wellness in our communities.”
Leveling the Playing Field
By Samantha Cart
West Virginia has become a mini mecca for sports tourism, a $9 billion industry in the U.S. according to the National Association of Sports Commissions. As Mountain State communities continue to capitalize on this opportunity, new facilities are in the works.
In Greenbrier County, clearing has been completed for the Sportsplex, an 88-acre development that will be home to five soccer fields and a baseball quadraplex with moveable fences to accommodate all leagues.
“Once finished, we will host baseball, softball and soccer tournaments all season long,” says Lowell Rose, president of the Greenbrier County Commission. “Greenbrier County depends heavily on tourism, and this type of project helps bring people to the area who hopefully return to visit at other times.”
In February, a $1.8 million investment toward a multi-sports complex in Barboursville, WV, was announced by the Barboursville Village Council. Development plans include updating the area’s current soccer complex with synthetic turf and new lighting and building new indoor and outdoor facilities. The outdoor facility will include soccer, football, lacrosse, baseball and softball fields, while the 60,000-square-foot indoor facility will include batting cages, volleyball courts and indoor fields.
