The sports tourism season is now in full swing in Northwest Indiana.
Sports tourism peaks in July and August every year due to all the youth sports travel teams that compete in the Region, South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority President and CEO Phil Taillon said.
Youth sports have become a big business. The Youth Sports Business Report estimates the industry generates $40 billion in annual family spending and brings in twice the revenue of the National Football League. Family spending on youth sports has jumped 46% since 2019, with the average family spending $1,500 a year on their children’s athletic endeavors, creating a large market for communities to capture.
“In the Midwest, right here in Lake County, sports tourism is huge right now,” Taillon said. “We have all the volleyball tournaments, the baseball, the softball and the basketball.”
Youth travel teams come to play at facilities like the Hammond SportsPlex, the Crown Point Sports Complex and the Crown Point Babe Ruth Legacy Fields.
“This time period is some of the best tourism we have in the entire year,” Taillon said. “There’s so much sports going on and so many families coming in to Lake County. It’s an exciting time.”
The recent National Softball Association brought 140 teams to compete in their tournament in Crown Point, Dyer, Schererville and LaPorte. More than 1,000 hotel rooms were booked.
An analytics group did a study and found that week had more than a $10 million impact on Lake County.
“One week, that’s how important tourism is in Lake County,” Taillon said. “When those dollars come in, for every dollar, 67 cents of every dollar stays in the community and gets recirculated. That’s good for all of us. It’s a huge impact for Lake County.”
The tourism industry ranks as Indiana’s 13th largest employer with 155,791 jobs, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That accounts for 3.8% of all jobs in the Hoosier State and grew by 4.1% year-over-year in 2023, the most recent year for which data was available.
A study by Rockport Analytics estimated the tourism industry paid $6.3 billion in wages in 2023. Visitor spending grew by 7% to $16.2 billion.
Lake County has many attractions like beaches, casinos, festivals and breweries. Sports tourism is one of the biggest tourism sectors in Lake County, Taillon said.
“July and August are our two biggest months for sports tourism,” he said. “Because of all the families we have coming in, it’s certainly one of the biggest economic impacts we have.”
Lake County hosts multiple sports tournaments, including for volleyball, soccer, softball and baseball. The Midwest Regional Volleyball Tournament returns in October.
“After COVID, one thing families realized is that they needed interaction. They needed to go places they had never been before,” Taillon said. “They don’t want to be locked inside their house. When COVID happened, so many families turned to sports to make sure they have that interaction with other people around the country. Sports tourism has gotten stronger since then. COVID had a lot to do with it.”
The hope is to draw sports tourism visitors year-round, Taillon said. The Midwest Training and Ice Center in St. John and the Kube Sports Complex in Hammond for instance host hockey tournaments and bring in visiting teams. Access to the Kube lead Purdue University Northwest to beef up its hockey programs.
“Purdue has started four new teams,” Taillon said. “That’s a big deal. They’re drawing students here from Canada that never would have thought of Lake County. Hockey’s a big sport as well, there’s no doubt about it.”
New sports facilities help drive demand.
“Every time we build a new sports facility or invest, the impact on Lake County is exponential. It’s good for all of us,” he said.
Big tournaments like the NSA often are spread out across different cities and towns in Lake County.
“There are so many cities and towns in Lake County that are outstanding with sports opportunities: Dyer, Schererville, Hammond, Hobart, you name it,” he said. “Everybody’s looking at new sports facilities to grow in the sports tourism sector. The future is bright in Lake County.”
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