SANDUSKY, Ohio — In a partnership with cleveland.com called “How to win at youth sports (without going broke or breaking down),” 3News talked to experts, coaches and families about the current landscape and what we can do better to develop healthy, well-adjusted players.
An hour west of Cleveland, in the shadow of Cedar Point is one of the country's top tournament sites for youth baseball, softball, soccer, and lacrosse.
"We are an all-sports turf facility, General Manager Mike Virgin explained in a recent interview. "We run baseball, softball, soccer, and lacrosse events almost the calendar year all the way around. Essentially from March to November, we get teams from all across the country, primarily in the Midwest."
All told some 2,300 teams come to Sports Force Parks at Cedar Point Sports Center annually to play in 60 tournaments, bringing 300,000 hotel visitors along the way to compete in more than a thousand individual games. There are 13 full-size turf fields here, including an exact replica of the guardian's progressive field, as well as world-class soccer and lacrosse fields.
On the day we visited, youth competitors from near and far were making good use of the facilities, and the nearby attractions. That's because it's not just the tremendous facilities drawing tens of thousands of athletes here every year. Cedar Point being a mile away is also a huge draw.
"They each get passes to Cedar Point, so they went yesterday to Cedar Point, " one mom told me. "We're going to go today after our games to Cedar Point, and then Cedar Shores...the kids have a blast."
"This is an amazing place, another parent declared. "The only other place I can see that was just as amazing was Cooperstown in that facility, but this place is just a great place to be for baseball and softball."
And as for the players themselves? It's clear they agree. As one softball player summed it up, it's a beautiful place to play the sport she loves.
" I always love playing on turf more. I feel like more natural and it's more expected. It's beautiful here and I'm excited to be able to go to the park."
In a partnership with cleveland.com called “How to win at youth sports (without going broke or breaking down),” 3News talked to experts, coaches and families about the current landscape and what we can do better to develop healthy, well-adjusted players.