Athletic Achievements: Branson, Springfield events bring in multimillion-dollar impact

As Springfield wrapped one of its largest youth sports events of the year late last month – the Amateur Athletic Union Track and Field Region 16 Qualifier – Branson sports attraction Ballparks of America is poised to hold its annual international baseball competitions in August that officials say brings millions in economic impact to the Taney County area every year.

The annual Babe Ruth League’s Cal Ripken Major/70 World Series, set for Aug. 6-16, is expected to draw dozens of teams to Branson – many of them from outside the U.S., said Ballparks of America LLC co-owner Paul Satterwhite. That event, in combination with another international youth baseball tourney set for those same dates at Ballparks of America and Branson-area Sho-Me Baseball, will bring hundreds of players ages 12-16 to town. Satterwhite said roughly 1,000 participants, including players and coaches, are expected next month with teams traveling from Australia, Japan, Mexico and New Zealand. Last year’s event drew teams from every continent other than Antarctica, he said.

Satterwhite, who is among the ownership group which also owns Sho-Me Baseball, said the economic impact for the international youth baseball competitions ranges $6 million-$8 million annually.

“They stay in market for about 10 to 12 days, so it’s much longer than our normal tournament,” he said, noting Ballparks of America and Sho-Me Baseball annually host baseball and softball tournaments from late February through November. “We really work to drive economic activity for Branson.”

The $20 million Ballparks of America opened in 2016 at the site of the former Red Roof Mall, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting. The sports complex includes two-third scale replicas of Busch Stadium in St. Louis and Ebbets Field in Brooklyn. Satterwhite, along with Greg Snider, Dale Helle and Steve Strobel, purchased Ballparks of America in 2020 from founder Hamilton Chang and other investors in the Chicago area. The owners acquired Sho-Me Baseball in early 2022.

Since 2020, Satterwhite said the owners have invested roughly $4 million for the facilities, such as resurfacing fields, adding a 4,000-square-foot pro shop, batting cages and an ice cream and sweets shop, as well as remodeling work on its escape rooms and laser tag amenities.

“It was in a pretty rough shape, and so we put a $1 million in 2020 and then we put down $2.5 million to $3 million over the last three or four years,” he said, noting around 75% of the upgrades have been at Ballparks of America.

City projects
The city of Branson also has been active in sports tourism investments. The municipality last year completed $3.3 million in improvements to the Branson RecPlex, an indoor and outdoor sports and recreation complex, according to past reporting. The primary upgrade for the project was the installation of synthetic turf on the infields and outfields of the complex’s four baseball and softball fields. The investment also included replacement of the dirt and grass on the fields, along with upgraded LED lighting and new shade structures.

Events at the venue in 2024 had a total attendance of 311,390 and estimated direct visitor spending of more than $38.6 million, according to city officials. Both numbers are on pace to be easily surpassed this year, as tournament attendance through June is 231,948 and estimated direct visitor spending exceeds $29.4 million.

Additionally, the municipality entered an agreement in May with Clearwater, Florida-based business management consultant firm Sports Facilities Cos. as part of next steps toward a potential indoor sports facility in the city. Branson City Administrator Cathy Stepp said the investment of $40,000 would provide three to four months of consultancy services, following a study completed last year by SFC that was commissioned by the Taney County Partnership, the economic development arm of the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce & Convention and Visitors Bureau, according to past reporting.

The study recommended a 170,000-square-foot indoor sports facility, and SFC estimated a project cost ranging roughly $60 million-$73 million, not including the purchase of land or working capital reserve. Alexander Girard, chief of staff for the city of Branson, said the project is a long-desired amenity for the community.

“It’s a natural fit for Branson. It’s truly a way to strengthen our 12-month economy,” he said. “Throughout Branson’s history, we’ve had a very strong tourist season. This is really a way to drive increased visitation during those off-season months and really strengthen the level of Branson’s economy into 12 months.”

Girard said the city is walking through a myriad of details with SFC.

“What is this going to look like? What should this facility need? Are there community aspects – whether it’s the local school district, whether it’s the community, whether it’s seniors – how can we fold all of our community’s needs and also be a profitable indoor sports facility that we hope is not just to make it a regional destination, but potentially a national destination?”

Branson’s investments are a small slice of the large sports tourism pie in the U.S.

The Sports Event & Tourism Association’s 2023 State of the Industry report noted an economic impact of $128 billion in 2023 from sports tourism in the U.S. It also generated $20.1 billion in tax revenue, 757,600 jobs and $52.2 billion in direct spending, according to the report.

On pause
North of Branson, the city of Republic’s Parks and Recreation Department has one of its municipal projects about to move forward after a delay, while another is still likely years away from activity, said Bob Ford, chief financial officer.

The city last year completed a nearly $8 million expansion for The Rush Republic Aquatic Park and planned to tackle Phase I of a roughly $2 million development of a farmers market and community event space at J.R. Martin Park. Located on 24 acres at 300 E. Hines St., plans call for Phase I park work to construct a pavilion and plaza area and remove its existing tennis courts. Ford said the city added tennis and pickleball courts at Miller Park in anticipation of removing them from Martin Park.

The parks projects are being funded by one of the city’s quarter-cent sales taxes used for capital investments, which Ford said generates a little over $1 million per year, growing roughly 1%-2% per year. Voters in 2022 approved renewal of that tax, along with another quarter-cent sales tax that funds general park operations. Both have a 25-year sunset, extending revenue collection to 2049.

Noting the capital improvements sales tax would have taken 10 years to accumulate the cash to fund The Rush and Martin Park’s improvements, Ford said the city issued $9.9 million in bonds to fund the projects. However, bids for Martin Park’s first phase came in significantly over the $2 million budget, he said, adding it has department officials redesigning the project to fit within the available funding.

“If all goes well, the scaled back project would begin later this summer or early fall with completion expected May 2026,” Ford said via email.

While the city bought 136 acres of agricultural land in 2021 for $3.2 million from the Ruth Sawyer Trust for future investment in a possible sports park and athletic complex, Ford said that project is on hold for the foreseeable future. He cited higher interest rates and a resistance to take on additional debt among reasons to temporarily pause the project. The property fronts James River Freeway for almost a mile between U.S. Highway 60 and Farm Road 156.

“While not directly tied to this project, the city has had to borrow approximately $100 million to fund the wastewater treatment plant,” he said, adding that combined with the nearly $10 million for the Rush and Martin Park project make it difficult to take on more debt.

Regarding the sports complex, Ford said there needs to be additional study as to the competitive landscape – specifically demand for such a facility – as well as development of a price elasticity curve to build a revenue model. That’s along with additional analysis as to the cost to build and fund the project. He said staff are yet to engage any firm to work on the project, adding it needs to be balanced against other capital needs of the city that could consume debt capacity.

According to past reporting, the project was expected to be completed in two phases, calling for 10 baseball/softball fields, eight soccer fields, up to 12 pickleball courts, fishing piers on a human-made retention pond, a nature center, outdoor classrooms, playgrounds and walking trails. Officials in 2022 estimated the project to be $35 million-$40 million, with Phase I’s cost roughly $15 million.

Ford said how the project cost has changed since 2022 is uncertain, as it has never been put out for bid. However, he said staff will continue to reevaluate the project as part of the city’s capital improvement plan review included in its annual budget process. He said the city will retain the property for the sports complex but added that a decision on relaunching the project could still be around five years away.

Commission activity
While Republic remains paused on its athletic complex, sports-oriented venues have increased in the Queen City in recent years. The $30 million Betty & Bobby Allison Sports Town opened in late 2022 on 105 acres in northwest Springfield near the Springfield-Branson National Airport and adjacent to Deer Lake Golf Course. Wilson Logistics Arena, which opened in early 2024 at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds, has hosted numerous sports competitions, including Missouri USA Wrestling and is the home for the Ozarks Lunkers, a member of The Arena League football organization, according to past reporting.

The Springfield Sports Commission, which promotes sports tourism in the area, is among those involved in bringing competitions to town. The AAU track and field event, which was held June 26-29 at Parkview High School, drew over 2,200 participants, said Sports Commission Executive Director Lance Kettering. He said the event originally was expected to draw 1,800 athletes and generate $1.6 million in estimated economic impact. The larger participation means that amount is likely to be closer to $2 million, he said.

Kettering said communities investing in sports tourism, either through upgrading or building new facilities, bring value to visitors and locals.

“It gives themselves or their kids or their grandkids a safe place to play and compete,” he said. “When you get into the traveling world, it allows the local community and the local families and teams to maybe stay closer to home, which allows them to save valuable funds.”

Larger sports events still on tap for this year in Springfield include USA Archery’s 2025 U.S. Open & Target Nationals, scheduled next month at Sports Town, which is projected to have $958,000 in economic impact and up to 600 competitors. Additionally, the Special Olympics Missouri State Outdoor Games is coming in October, which is expected to generate over $1 million annually in economic impact. The Sports Commission secured the organization for a three-year contract earlier this year, according to past reporting.

Back in Branson, as tournaments are in full swing at Ballparks of America, early bird registration is being accepted for the summer 2026 schedule, Satterwhite said.

“Our sales cycle for that is really from now until November,” he said. “Most teams that decide to spend the kind of money that they have to spend to come here next summer make that decision by November or December.”