Best Practices is your go-to resource for expert strategies, actionable tips, and proven insights to elevate every aspect of your sports event planning. From choosing the right venues to optimizing team logistics, our articles are designed to help you create unforgettable experiences for athletes, fans, and communities alike.
All roads lead to Lincoln! Whether it’s youth tournaments, state high school championships, collegiate tournaments or professional games and matches, sports are a really big deal in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Specifically, youth sports continue to grow and the grand opening of the Sandhills Global Youth Complex in 2025 means that athletes and their families from across the region will continue to visit Lincoln for years to come for tournaments and a great time in the community.
Housing eight fully turfed fields, the Sandhills Global Youth Complex, in the shadow of downtown Lincoln, boasts two championships fields, one for baseball and one for softball, plus five youth fields that can be used for baseball and softball. The complex is a space for players of all backgrounds and abilities to come together and play, expanding opportunities that will have a positive impact on youth throughout the region. Visit sandhillsglobalyouthcomplex.com for more details.
We have all heard the old adage, “Time is money”. This phrase is widely credited to Benjamin Franklin circa 1748. In a letter to a young laborer Franklin made the case that sitting idle while not generating revenue was, in essence, trading time for money (or not using...
Nearly every person or team that has ever been successful has had other people supporting them. Sure, there are a few outliers that shouldered everything themselves and achieved some level of success. But true leadership greatness involves motivating a team, a...
There are many great ideas for new facilities. In most communities, the idea for a new sports complex begins during a visit to another city’s facility when a visionary leader or group asks themselves, “Why can’t we do this in our community?” Then, with research and...
As the sports tourism industry has grown, so has the size of the sports destination project. These massive developments, sometimes up to $100 million in development costs, require new levels of expert planning, strategic partnerships, political will and community...
Planning successful sports tourism facilities requires a good process. With intimate experience in dozens of sports and recreation projects, we have developed the Concept-to-Concrete model as a road map for the major elements required to turn ideas into action. In far...
In a few weeks, the Final Four will descend on our home town of Phoenix, Arizona. It will be the first time Arizona has hosted college basketball’s most important weekend. The event will also mark a long-awaited return of the Final Four to the West, the last time it...
This week we pose to you a question….. What is the best learning experience you have ever had? I bet the answer has little to do with classroom setting, and more to do with an experience you had watching or working with someone else. There is a good chance that this...
The selection of a competition venue is just as important as the event budget and event date.
The organization of an event is not a one-person task, but it does require a leader who takes the responsibility of making the important and/or final decisions.
Volunteers are the foundation of nearly every successful nonprofit organization and competition organizing committee.
Over the past few years several sports commissions and even some convention bureaus have entered into the event creation business. While some have struggled, others have had success in this space. By creating their own events destinations are developing assets that...
Let the Idea Run Typically beginning with community requests or the insight of a few key leaders, the early visioning phase for a new sport, special events, or recreation center is an exciting time. Once the idea progresses and community leaders begin to get behind...
Explore our State-by-State Sports Planning Guides to discover top venues, local resources, and expert insights for hosting a successful tournament or competition. Whether you’re looking for world-class stadiums, multi-sport complexes, or hidden gems, our guides provide everything you need to plan with confidence. Select a state to get started!
