January 08, 2025 | Sports Destination Management
#246: January 08, 2025
Youth baseball tournament

Rising Costs, More Travel Have Some Parents Reconsidering Youth Sports

Back in 2019, SDM covered the issue of parents taking out loans, acquiring second jobs and going into debt in order to finance their children's sports. One pandemic and a reset of the economy later, a survey shows that while parents still want to keep their children in sports, many are considering pulling them out due to steeply rising costs.

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Destination Spotlight

Chesterfield Valley Athletic Complex Has It All - And More

The Chesterfield Valley Athletic Complex (CVAC) has facilities for diamond sports (baseball and softball, plus practice fields for both), soccer, flag football, lacrosse and Ultimate, sand volleyball courts, concessions, playgrounds, trails and parking lots.

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Chesterfield Valley Athletic Complex Has It All - And More
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Featured Destination
Odessa, Texas: Where Athletes

Odessa, Texas: Where Athletes' Dreams Take the Field and Memories are Created

Experience West Texas, where athletes' dreams come to life and lasting memories are created by staying and playing in Odessa.

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In other news and commentary...
In Wake of Terrorism, Recalling How Sports Have Brought Cities Back Together

The postponement of the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, done to minimize the possibility of any additional threats following the deadly terrorist attack early on New Year's Day, was met with both approval and skepticism. But even when sports in the USA are disrupted by circumstances outside of organizers' control, coming back together brings healing.

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Economic Forecast is Looking Up as Dark Sky Tourism Rises

When, this past fall, the Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis, became visible to destinations that had never even heard of it before, it made headlines. Accordingly, people raced to places that had less ambient light and, cell phones, in hand, tried to capture the moment. Dark Sky Tourism just keeps growing. Here is the latest.

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Tired of Airline Fees, ‘Seat Squatters' Take Placement Into Their Own Hands

While it doesn't come close to scammers who set up fake airport Wi-Fi networks to capture and sell the personal information of travelers, it's pretty irritating. Seat squatters, defined as airline passengers who intentionally plunk themselves down in (better) seats assigned to others, then refuse to move, are raising hackles in the travel industry.

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A New Economic Driver for Some Sports Cities: Underground Railroad Tourism

We know educational and historical sites can help generate increased interest in sports tourism destinations, but newly announced funding from the National Park Service could bump that up even more. A total of 20 Underground Railroad sites in 14 states, once developed, could bring not just an increase in tourism but in understanding as well.

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Multi-Purpose Facilities: Designing Affordable Attractions for All Audiences

Sports tourism has grown exponentially and nowhere is it as evident than in multi-purpose spaces. Whether in indoor facilities for basketball, volleyball or cheer, or outdoor spaces for lacrosse, soccer or football, it's obvious these multitasking facilities are ideas whose time has come. Here is a design professional's perspective on those spaces.

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New Women's Professional Baseball League to Launch in 2026

When Michael Che of Saturday Night Live's “Weekend Update” made a joke about the Women's Pro Baseball League set to debut in 2026, it might have been news to many viewers. But league officials are taking the WPBL quite seriously. The truth is, says the National Baseball Hall of Fame, women have been playing baseball almost as long as men have.

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Inside Events
Senior Softball-USA

Senior Softball-USA

Senior Softball-USA, the world's largest organization of senior softball players, was founded in 1988. Since then, the organization has grown by an average of 500 players a quarter. Today, Senior Softball-USA players are on 1,500 teams in every state and in Canada. Player ages are 40+ for men and women. Learn more about this organization right here.

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Instagram Photo of the Week

The USA's Nate Hodges claimed his first STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® Individual World Championship in front of more than 5,000 fans after a dramatic Hot Saw finale in the South of France | Instagram | X | Facebook | YouTube

Send us your photos! Send them directly to us or use #sportsdestinations in your posts. Select photos will be presented on sportsdestinations.com, SDM Blitz and in the latest issues of Sports Destination Management magazine. Use #sportsdestinations via X or Instagram

Instagram Photo of the Week
Read the latest issue of Sports Destination Management

January/February 2025 cover image

January/February 2025

And just like that, 2024 winds up and 2025 begins. And wow, what a year this is shaping up to be. In fact, this just might be one of the hottest years for international sports in the USA, with the Winter X Games this month in Aspen, Colorado, the World Police and Fire Games this summer in Birmingham, Alabama and of course, a whole lot more, all designed to draw eyeballs to destinations. Whether you're new to this industry (and if you are, welcome!) or whether you've been here for years, this issue can help you make the most of the new year.

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Last word...

"If my uniform doesn't get dirty, I haven't done anything in the baseball game."

~ Rickey Henderson, Hall of Fame baseball player who was widely considered the greatest leadoff hitter of all-time. Henderson died just before the close of the year.






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