Restaurants may fill up faster and shopping centers may see more
customers as a result of two major youth sports tournaments coming to
Sportsplex USA in Santee this month.
Operators of the 15-acre sports field complex at Town Center
Community Park say they anticipate crowds from 3,000 to 5,000 people will
attend the opening ceremonies for each tournament.
These tournaments attract out-of-town players, coaches and
their families. They generate revenue for local businesses when they eat at restaurants,
visit shopping centers and refuel their vehicles.
First up will be the Xtreme Diamond Sports World Series,
which will stage an opening ceremony Saturday, July 19 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The youth baseball tournament features about 200 teams and
two divisions: boys 8 years and younger and boys 14 and younger.
On Monday, July 28, the ASA Softball National Championship
for girls 14 years and younger will hold its opening ceremony from 5 p.m. to 10
p.m. The tournament will feature 64 teams.
Sportsplex USA operates under a public-private partnership
with the city of Santee, which recently extended the firm’s contract to 2029. This year, the sports park is expected to
generate about $160,000 in direct revenue payments to the city. In 2013, Sportsplex attracted 578,050 visitors.
