Sports Force scores major victory in debut season

SANDUSKY — The box score recapping Sports Force Parks at Cedar Point Sports Center's rookie season shows its winning ways.Recently released figures reveal the outdoor youth sports complex generating about $22.3 million in total economic impact throughout 2017, dwarfing first-year projections of $16 million.Erie County officials primarily measure economic impact in two major areas:• Bed taxes, with out-of-town teams staying at hotels, motels and other lodges• Sales tax, with those visitors spending money on entertainment, food, beverages, transportation, shopping and other related purchases.Officials believe they're on the fast track to reach $57 million in economic impact per year after the 2020 season ends. They estimated Sports Force would require four full operational years to reach its maximum 12-month monetary potential.Ben Weyer, 11, watches the ball as he swings the bat before a game at Sports Force Parks at Cedar Point Sports Center on Wednesday, May, 3, 2017, in Sandusky.By 2020, they contend Sports Force can aid Erie County by indirectly producing 111,000 additional annual visitors and inducing 80,000 more hotel stays.This year already looks promising.Take one trend into account: In 2017, Sports Force staff members welcomed almost 1,300 youth teams from across the nation to their 10-field facility, consisting of baseball, lacrosse, soccer and softball. The multipurpose and adaptive fields can quickly drain water, even in heavy rainstorms, which make conditions playable immediately after severe weather events. Sports Force didn't cancel or postpone one game because of weather in 2017.Despite the 2018 season kicking off a few days ago, management already surpassed last year's registration count by booking teams throughout winter.Staff is preparing for upward of 1,800 youth teams traveling to Erie County for games during the spring and summer. This number doesn't account for family members and friends coming with these teams.Dillon Tran, 9, sprints to make it to home plate during a game of T-ball at Sports Force Parks at Cedar Point Sports Center on Wednesday, May 3, 2017. Additionally, workers want to sign up even more squads to fill in a few gaps during spring and summer play. Employees, meanwhile, haven't yet started recruiting teams for play in the fall.Sports Force staff also hammered out playing agreements with several collegiate conferences to host their season-ending tournaments. This would include the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (softball) the Ohio Community College Athletic Conference's (baseball) and the National Junior College Athletic Association (baseball).They're also strengthening existing partnerships, established last year, with local organizations who oversee youth competition — namely the Perkins Little League, Sandusky's recreation department, the Erie County Board of Developmental Disabilities and area high schools — for return trips to Sports Force.To put it into perspective for how busy it'll be in 2018: Amid a 104-day stretch, Sports Force staff scheduled games at the complex on 102 of those days.In the 2017 photo, all-Star softball players from Erie and Huron Counties battle it out at Sports Force Parks at Cedar Point Sports CenterSounding offSeveral key individuals involved in Sports Force Parks at Cedar Point Sports Center's inception and management spoke about how the complex fared in its first year and their expectations going forward:• The Sport Force's president and CEO Brian Storm: In 2017, our performance went well beyond what we had originally anticipated. That's because our guests spoke loud and clear about the services and the quality of the park. We were successful because the customers were satisfied. This year, we have 70 percent of teams returning from last year, which is a testament to how you run a facility. We said we would be a good corporate partner and a good neighbor to the citizens, we have, and we will continue doing that.• Erie County commissioner Pat Shenigo: There were a lot of people who were questioning the commissioners' wisdom in moving forward on this large-scale investment in our community. So far, everything has been a success, and we are very pleased with Sports Force and their management team in both their marketing efforts and their abilities to generate repeat visits to our community. We're excited about 2018, which is shaping up to be an even better year than 2017.Christian Good, 7, plays soccer with Boys and Girls Club Youth Center director David Icsman at Sports Force Park during Backyard Ball community event on Aug. 8, 2017.• Cedar Fair sports portfolio marketing and ticketing representative Jake Schwerer: As a whole, Sports Force Parks at Cedar Points Sports Center blew all expectations away. We are beyond excited about how the season finished last year and how we're looking entering this year. This has been a great partnership to bring in people to the area.• Erie County commissioner Matt Old: I'm very pleased to see the success of Sports Force. It has been a great addition to our community. I'm confident they will continue the success in years to come.• The Sports Force's regional manager Will Spence: Sports Force Parks at Cedar Point Sports Center has become the must-play sports park in the country. When paired with the must-go-to amusement park in Cedar Point, we offer the perfect blend of world-class facilities. And that's our message: Sports. Family. Fun.Brian Storm, president and CEO of The Sports Force, throws the official first pitch at Sports Force Parks at Cedar Point Sports Center in Sandusky on Thursday, April 27, 2017.Making sense of the dollars and centsBuilding Sports Force Parks at Cedar Point Sports Center came at a cost of $23.5 million.The project's three primary partners and investors — Erie County commissioners; Cedar Point and Cedar Fair; and The Sports Force — agreed to a funding mechanism.It breaks down with:• $3.5 million: money from Cedar Point after buying the land and contributing it to the project• $20 million: money from an increased tax rate, jumping from 3 percent to 4 percent, coming from Erie County-based bed taxes, a fee tacked onto visitors staying overnight in area motels, hotels and lodgesNote No. 1: The Sports Force — a Georgia-based company, which is investing, supervising and managing the park — is responsible for all maintenance costs.Note No. 2: The Sports Force is considered by many in the sports industry as a reputable company, which has built and/or overseen construction on about a dozen other youth athletic complexes across the country.Source: Register researchMembers of the Force All-Stars league at Sports Force Parks at Cedar Point Sports Center play a quick game with the Michigan State University baseball team on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017. Sports Force personnel invited the collegiate squad to the Sandusky-based complex for an intersquad game, which occurred after they played with local children. Reach reporter Andy Ouriel at ouriel@sanduskyregister.com and follow him on Twitter @AndyOuriel.