Category: Sports Planning Guide Features

There are some regions of the U.S. that claim to be year-round sports destinations, thanks to the fact that they lack a certain season or two (i.e. winter). Temperatures stay warmer throughout the year in these states, and snow is a rarity. Even so, there’s something to be said for playing soccer on a crisp autumn day, running in the greenery on a spring morning or racing through powder in a downhill ski competition.

These are often associated with the concept of Southern hospitality. While the southern portion of the U.S. is known for having this quality in spades, venture a few hundred miles north and you can also find it in the lake-lined lands of Michigan.

From the waters near the Canadian border to the northern edge of Ohio and Indiana, you will cross an array of landscapes: deep green forests, pristine beaches, cosmopolitan cities and quaint towns. In between it all are hidden—and not so hidden—treasures that lend to Michigan’s hospitable nature, artistic power and distinctive experiences.

Sports can have an exciting and inspiring impact on our lives and bring us together in a time when other aspects of life seem to be pulling us apart. Baseball doesn’t care who you voted for. Basketball doesn’t worry about the certifications you have obtained. Football doesn’t stress over what country your ancestors came from. Sports have an undeniable power which can used to help boost not just your organization or city, but an entire state’s stature.

The word “Hoosier” has been used to describe a resident of Indiana since the 1830s. It’s an iconic term passed down through the generations, a treasured trademark of the 19th U.S. state.

No state so proudly associates with, or can be so easily described by, one word. “Hoosier”—farming, basketball and proud Midwestern values. Indiana knows these things better than Colorado knows the Rocky Mountains; better than Louisiana knows Mardi Gras. But there is one detail no one seems to be sure of: How did “Hoosier” originate?

On the shores of Lake Michigan sits one of America’s most storied and culturally diverse metropolitan destinations. As host to many of the world’s greatest sports events, the City of Big Shoulders has cemented itself as a major player on the global stage.

The Second City is an overall first pick when it comes to world-class events. Some of the largest and most prestigious venues, along with the famous teams that call them home are found here.