Category: News

Date: April 15, 2020

B-roll: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1h70eH8B9DU6oLcqCak6E0we5IYsqrvx0

Contacts:

• Lance Kettering, Springfield Sports Commission, 417-881-5300 or lkettering@springfieldmo.org
• Tracy Kimberlin, Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau, 417-881-5300 or tkimberlin@springfieldmo.org
• Susan Wade, 417-881-5300, ext. 101; 800-678-8767, ext.101; 417-830-0645 (cell); swade@springfieldmo.org

CITY’S LARGEST ANNUAL GROUP EVENT EXTENDS CONTRACT BY THREE YEARS

Springfield, Missouri – After being forced to cancel the 2020 event due to the pandemic crisis, the organizer of the National Christian HomeSchool Basketball Championships signed a contract to bring the event to Springfield for an additional three years.

That’s much needed good news for the local leisure and hospitality industry, said Tracy Kimberlin, president/CEO of the Convention & Visitors Bureau.

“The local industry is suffering tremendous losses right now,” Kimberlin said. “I’m glad we have some good news to share.”

Lance Kettering, executive director of the Springfield Sports Commission, which is managed by the CVB, said he is pleased the contract was extended.

“The NCHBC has been a great partner and we are thrilled to announce a three-year extension that will keep the event in Springfield until at least 2025,” Kettering said. “The event brings in more than $4.5 million in spending annually and is very important to our sports tourism efforts in Springfield.

“We took the opportunity during the COVID crisis to further our partnership and commitment to host the event in Springfield and we are looking forward to many more years of working together to bring over 350 teams, 3,500 basketball players and 8,000 to 10,000 folks to Springfield annually in March each year.”

Springfield has been home to the tournament – the city’s largest annual event – since 2009. The 2020 tournament was canceled in March due to the COVID-19 crisis.

“We are thrilled to have extended our national championship to be in Springfield through 2025,” said event organizer Tim Flatt. “It is fantastic to work with a city that appreciates what the NCHBC brings to the local community.”

This is one of many events brought to the city through the efforts of the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Springfield Sports Commission, nonprofit marketing organizations dedicated to improving the local economy through growth in travel and tourism. For more information, call 417-881-5300 or visit new.springfieldmosports.org/ or www.SpringfieldMO.org.

Big news coming from our friends at Lake Country Soccer and Rush Soccer.

Lake Country Soccer has partnered with FC Legacy, Magic Soccer Club, and other soccer organizations in Southwest Missouri, to form Southwest MO Rush.

Lake Country Soccer will also be working in coordination with the Springfield Sports Commission for a new soccer event by inviting many of the 100 Rush affiliate clubs to Springfield for an annual event. With Rush Clubs throughout the region, teams will be invited to Springfield for a chance to compete and share fellowship with Rush players and coaches from throughout the region

More information on this and the Rush Soccer affiliation can be found in the Press Release linked below.

SWMO Rush press release

Missouri State High School Activities Association 

1 N. Keene Street, Columbia, MO 65201-6645 ◆ P.O. Box 1328, Columbia, MO 65205-1328 Phone (573) 875-4880 ◆ Fax (573) 875-1450 ◆ www.mshsaa.org ◆ email@mshsaa.org 

Dr. Kerwin Urhahn, Executive Director Stacy Schroeder, Associate Executive Director Davine Davis, Assistant Executive Director Kevin Garner, Assistant Executive Director Craig Long, Chief Financial Officer Don Maurer, Assistant Executive Director Lou Mazzocco, Assistant Executive Director Kenny Seifert, Assistant Executive Director Greg Stahl, Assistant Executive Director Jason West, Communications Director 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Jason West Date: September 4, 2019 Phone: (573) 875-4880 

MSHSAA Baseball Championship to U.S. BallPark 

COLUMBIA, Mo. – U.S. Ballpark in Ozark, Mo. will host the 2020 Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Baseball Championships. The park was awarded the championships for the 2021-25 seasons earlier this year. 

For the past seven seasons, the River City Rascals have hosted the championships at CarShield Field in O’Fallon. The Rascals recently completed their final season and were not able to complete the final year of their hosting agreement. 

“We are very grateful to the Rascals for their assistance in putting on our championships,” said Dr. Kerwin Urhahn, MSHSAA Executive Director. “At the same time, we are excited to showcase our championships in a venue like U.S. Ballpark. We are confident that Mark and his staff will help continue to make the MSHSAA Championships a top-notch event.” 

The MSHSAA Championships return to southwest Missouri, as Springfield’s Meador Park hosted several championships including from 1968-71, 1973, 1975 and 2007-12. This year’s championships will be June 1-6, 2020. 

“Bringing the MSHSAA State Baseball Championships back to our region will no doubt be well received,” said Mark Stratton, U.S. Baseball Park general manager. “We are very pleased and appreciative of the support of the U.S. Baseball Park management team and their commitment to bring this prestigious event to southwest Missouri.” 

U.S. Baseball Park, a 501(c) 3 entity, is a 4,000 plus-seat stadium in Ozark. U.S. Baseball Park features a turf playing surface and also features a state-of-the-art video board. U.S. Baseball Park is also home to Drury University Baseball, Show-Me Collegiate League, Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament, and Heart of America Conference Tournament. U.S. Baseball Park hosts over 200 events annually. 

– MSHSAA – 

“The MSHSAA promotes the value of participation, sportsmanship, team play and personal excellence to develop citizens who make positive contributions to their community and support the democratic principles of our state and nation.” 

Date: October 7, 2016

Contacts:

• John Markey, Lake Country Soccer Executive Director/Tournament Director, 417-862-3211, johnm@lakecountrysoccer.org

Soccer Bringing More than 3,000 People to Springfield Oct. 15-16

Springfield, Missouri – About 3,400 people are expected to be in Springfield for the 2016 Sport Shake Lake Country Soccer Fall Classic Oct. 15-16.

That’s 158 teams from a six-state area and their family members who will be filling up many of the city’s hotels, restaurants, attractions and retailers. They’re coming from Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska, said tournament administrator Bobbi Box.

“This is the first time we have had a team travel as far as from Omaha!” Box said.

The tournament also is the first Lake Country Soccer event sponsored by Sport Shake, chocolate and vanilla milkshakes filled with nutritional benefits that enhance an athlete’s recovery following practice or competition.  

John Markey, Lake Country Soccer executive director, said the sponsorship is a good partnership for both organizations.

“At Lake Country, we are excited about this partnership and feel it is a natural fit due to Sport Shake’s support of soccer and the value Sport Shake brings to the athletes as a great tasting recovery drink,” Markey said.

The competitions will take place from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Oct. 15 and 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 16 at Lake Country Soccer, 2334 E. Pythian St. Admission is free for spectators.

Lake Country Soccer was founded in 1983 and is a 55+ acre facility with 20 outdoor fields (seven of which are lighted) and an indoor facility (two fields) serving close to 2,800 registered youth players and nearly 120,000 facility visits annually by players, coaches and fans.

Lake Country Soccer is a dynamic sport specific driven organization serving all of Southwest Missouri and hosts programs, activities, events, leagues and tournaments from ages 3 through adult.

The Lake Country Soccer family consists of supporters who have been involved with the organization since its inception. Lake Country Soccer is a positive influence on the local economy and an established friend in the community.

Lake Country Soccer hosts leagues and tournaments for youth and adults, indoors and outdoors virtually year round.

For more information, call 417-862-3211 or visit http://lakecountrysoccer.org/tournaments-1/fall-classic.

This is one of many amateur sports events brought to Springfield with assistance from the Springfield Sports Commission and the Convention & Visitors Bureau, nonprofit organizations dedicated to boosting the local economy through growth in travel and tourism. Learn more at new.springfieldmosports.org/ or www.SpringfieldMO.org or by calling 417-881-5300.

Date: March 6, 2018

Contact: Susan Wade, 417-881-5300, ext. 101; 800-678-8767, ext.101; 417-830-0645 (cell); swade@springfieldmo.org 

Youth Events Draw Thousands to City

Springfield, Missouri – Heads up, Springfield! Thousands of visitors are coming to the city in March and April and two of the largest events are this week.

The Missouri State High School Activities Association Boys and Girls Basketball Championships runs March 7-17 and the National Christian HomeSchool Basketball Championships is March 10-17.

MSHSAA games are expected to be attended by about 40,000 people and 6,500 room nights are booked at hotels. The HomeSchool games will be attended by about 10,000 and more than 7,000 room nights are booked.

The basketball tournaments will be followed in April by other large events including:

April 7-10 – Missouri Future Business Leaders of America – Phi Beta Lambda Leadership Conference with 5,500 attendees and 2,574 room nights.
April 11-13 – Assemblies of God Children’s Ministry Conference with 2,000 attendees and 1,730 room nights.
April 20-22 – Lake Country Soccer Ozarks Coca-Cola Dr Pepper Cup with 5,000 attendees and 2,400 room nights.
April 27-29 – Missouri Youth Soccer Association Spring Presidents Cup with 2,700 attendees and 2,000 room nights.
“That’s obviously good news for the city’s hotels and also for restaurants, attractions and retailers as well as for tax revenue,” said Tracy Kimberlin, president/CEO of the CVB. “The CVB and Sports Commission work hard to bring group events to the city because they help improve the local economy. Our work is paying off this spring.”

Kimberlin also credits the community with helping book the events in Springfield, including businesses and individuals providing financial backing, facilities, volunteers, etc.

These events and many others are booked year round by the CVB and Sports Commission, nonprofit organizations working together to boost the local economy through growth in travel and tourism.

Learn more at www.SpringfieldMo.org or new.springfieldmosports.org/ or call 417-881-5300. To view a list of other groups coming to Springfield in March and April, go to http://issuesandinfo.com/2018/02/cvb-gearing-up-for-group-business-season/.

The Missouri State High School Activities Association State Baseball Championships will have a new home starting in 2021.

The MSHSAA board of directors designated U.S. Baseball Park as the State Baseball Championships venue from 2021 through 2025.

The stadium in Ozark was selected in a competitive bid process over other strong venues from throughout Missouri, said Lance Kettering, executive director of the Springfield Sports Commission, which assisted in the bid with U.S. Baseball Park.

“The Sports Commission was honored to partner with U.S. Baseball Park in submitting the bid to host the MSHSAA State Baseball Championships,” said Kettering. “The winning bid is a testament to Coach Mark Stratton, and the entire crew at U.S. Baseball Park. We are thrilled for the opportunity to work with Coach Stratton to bring the state Baseball Championships back to our region and add to our list of outstanding events hosted in our region.”

Stratton, general manager of U.S. Baseball Park, has been instrumental in bringing quality events to the region and the all-turf complex in Ozark.

“Bringing the MSHSAA State Baseball Championships back to our region will no doubt be well received,” said Stratton, U.S. Baseball Park general manager. “We are very pleased and appreciative of the support of the U.S. Baseball Park management team and their commitment to bring this prestigious event to southwest Missouri.”

“Receiving this bid represents three things. First, it lines up with our continued goal and commitment to bring quality baseball to southwest Missouri. Secondly, it is a reflection and acknowledgment of our commitment to high school and amateur baseball and thirdly, it showcases the strength of regional partnerships. It is our privilege to continue to work with Lance Kettering, executive director of the Springfield Sports Commission to bring sporting events to the region for the benefit of our communities. We are excited to welcome families and athletes from all over Missouri to the gates of U.S. Baseball Park.”

The MSHSAA State Baseball Championships were previously held in Springfield at Meador Park from 1968-71, 1973, 1975 and 2007-2012.

“We are excited to partner with U.S. Baseball Park and general manager Mark Stratton, the Springfield Sports Commission and the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau. U.S. Baseball Park is a beautiful facility and will afford our students and communities a great baseball experience,” said Dr. Kerwin Urhahn, executive director at MSHSAA.

All five classes will compete in the MSHSAA State Baseball Championships at U.S. Baseball Park as follows. Paid attendance for the championships over the past five years has averaged 8,349 each year.

May 31-June 5, 2021
May 30-June 4, 2022
May 29-June 3, 2023
May 27-June 1, 2024
June 2-June 7, 2025

U.S. Baseball Park, a 501© 3 entity, is a 4,000 plus-seat stadium in Ozark. U.S. Baseball Park features a turf playing surface and also features a state-of-the-art video board. U.S. Baseball Park is also home to Drury University Baseball, Show-Me Collegiate League, Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament, and Heart of America Conference Tournament. U.S. Baseball Park hosts over 200 events annually including the Premier Baseball Incoming Freshman Championship, a Sports Commission event held in the Springfield region since 2012 and is also involved in grassroots efforts to grow baseball through the Monday Mini’s tee ball and coach pitch programming.

The Springfield Sports Commission is a 501© 6 non-profit organization whose mission is to create economic impact for the Springfield area through sports travel and tourism. A small sample of events the Sports Commission has helped land recently for the Springfield area includes MSHSAA State Basketball Championships 2018-2022, National Christian HomeSchool Basketball Championships 2009-2002 and the NAIA Softball World Series 2019 and 2020.

MSHSAA is the governing body for high school activities in Missouri. About 580 high schools are members of MSHSAA, which conducts championship-level activities in 23 activities.

The Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) have announced Springfield will be the host city for the 2018-2022 Boys & Girls State Basketball Championships and 2016 State Football Championships.

“We’re excited about coming down to Springfield,” said Kerwin Urhahn, MSHSAA Executive Director. “It’s a high-school rich environment and southwest Missouri supports high school sports very well. We’re looking forward to having all of our participants experience that excitement and enthusiasm first hand. We also appreciate all the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis has done for us in football and all that Mizzou has done in basketball over the years. We greatly value those partnerships and their support.”

In a competitive bid process, bids were submitted by the Springfield Sports Commission and the Convention & Visitors Bureau with facilities at Missouri State University (MSU) serving as the venues. Supporting entities include the City of Springfield, Greene County, Springfield Hotel Lodging Association, Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, Elliott Lodging, Hammons Hotels & Resorts, O’Reilly Hospitality Management, Chevy Dealers of the Ozarks, Buffalo Wild Wings with numerous other organizations providing promotional support.

“We’re delighted Springfield was selected,” said Tracy Kimberlin, president/CEO of the Convention & Visitors Bureau, which manages the Springfield Sports Commission. “With the cooperation and partnership of MSU and many other businesses and organizations, we submitted a proposal showing very strong community-wide support for hosting the state championships.”

Craig Long, CFO at MSHSAA, said the organization was impressed by the amount of community support and they’re looking forward to returning to Springfield.

“We’re humbled by the magnitude of community support that was evident in the proposal that came from the Springfield community and we’re excited about the championships being at Missouri State University,” Long said.

The basketball championships will be at JQH Arena and Hammons Student Center and football at Robert W. Plaster Stadium.

“We are very excited after 20-plus years to have the MSHSAA football and basketball championships coming back to Springfield and Missouri State,” said MSU Executive Director of JQH Arena & Senior Associate Director of Athletics for Facilities and Operations Keith Boaz. “We look forward to providing first-rate facilities and making the state championship experience a memorable one for the students and participating schools.”

“Missouri State University is thrilled to be selected as the host site for Missouri’s premier high school state championship events,” said Missouri State Director of Athletics Kyle Moats. “This has certainly a collaborative effort between the City of Springfield, Convention & Visitors Bureau, Springfield Sports Commission and the University, and we are proud these events have finally returned to Springfield and the great facilities on our campus. We look forward to serving as the hosts for high school basketball and football fans across the state.”

During the five years the basketball championships are in Springfield, more than 40,000 people will attend the events each year. Attendance at the football event will be about 25,000 people this fall.

“The Springfield Sports Commission and its board of directors are honored and excited to be the host of the state basketball championships,” said Lance Kettering. “Special recognition goes to the staff at Missouri State University for allowing the opportunity to bid on and ultimately host this event in Springfield. The Sports Commission does not control the athletic venues when we are submitting a bid, it’s paramount for organizations to work together to bring championship-level events to Springfield.”

Columbia hosted State Basketball Championship events for boys from 1973 through 1988 and 1992 to present and for girls from 1980 through 1988 and 1992 to present.

Springfield has hosted the State Basketball Championships at the following venues:

Central High School – 1939, 1943-1945
McDonald Arena – 1941, 1942, 1947-1950, 1956 and 1964
Hammons Student Center – 1983, 1985-1991 (Boys & Girls)
The Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis has hosted the football championships since 1996. Springfield last hosted the football event in 1995 at the Robert W. Plaster Sports Complex at Missouri State University.

Springfield has hosted football at the following venues:

John F. Kennedy Stadium in 1968
Briggs Stadium/Robert W. Plaster Sports Complex 1971 and 1988-1995
MSHSAA is the governing body for high school activities in Missouri with about 580 high schools as members. The organization conducts championship-level activities in 23 activities, including sports and academic events. Learn more at www.MSHSAA.org or call 573-875-4880.

The Springfield Sports Commission extends its gratitude to the more than 100 commission members that help Springfield bid on championship events.

The Springfield Sports Commission and the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau are nonprofit organizations dedicated to improving the local economy through growth in travel and tourism. For more information, call 417-881-5300 or visit new.springfieldmosports.org/ or www.SpringfieldMo.org.