Is Hickory a senior softball hub? Sports tourism coordinator aims to bring state tourney to town
Jeff Taylor, sports tourism coordinator with the Hickory Parks, Recreation and Sports Tourism Department, has filed a proposal with the North Carolina Senior Games to bring the senior state championship tournament to Hickory next year.
He said there are several reasons Hickory is the right city to host it.
"First and foremost, we feel like we have a phenomenal facility," he said. "Our three-field complex at Stanford Park, it's really versatile and we can play everything from 8U baseball up to adult men's softball on that complex."
Ron Merritt Jr. steps up to the plate at the Unifour Senior Games softball tournament in Hickory on April 25.
He also said many of the teams that play at the state tournament are coming from the western part of the state, with some players coming from the Hickory area and surrounding counties.
"Ultimately, we're trying to grow adult men's softball as a participant sport," Taylor said. "From Charlotte west, all the way out to the end of the state, there are a lot of numbers, and they are becoming familiar with our venue here. That was a big factor in us wanting to put this bid in."
Ron Merritt Sr. (right) talks to a teammate as he coaches first base at the Unifour Senior Games softball tournament on April 25 in Hickory.
Hickory already hosts the largest qualifier in the western part of the state. In April, 123 players from as far away as Greensboro and west of Asheville played on nine teams in the Unifour Senior Games Softball Tournament. Taylor said it makes sense to bring the men's tournament to Hickory since so many of the players are coming out of the qualifying event.
There is also a Monday league that just finished up on Nov. 2 at Stanford Park. Tim Mays, who coordinates the league, said it is a loose, friendly league. He said most Mondays see several dozen players from four to six teams competing.
"(Hickory) is the hub for men's softball in the western part of the state," Mays said.
For Mays, the league is an opportunity to stoke the pipeline with more players for the qualifying event and the state championship. But more importantly, it's a time for senior men to get out, build friendships and stay active.
"The goal is activity which helps keep you healthy, physically, mentally and emotionally," Mays said.
Making it happen
Taylor said he should know around mid-December if the bid to bring the tournament to Hickory is successful. If it is, the city will have to turn to community partners to make the tournament happen.
"If our bid is accepted, we will request assistance from the Hickory Metro Sports Commission to make that happen," Taylor said. "We feel like reaching out to community sponsors to cover some of the event, people like the sports commission, but maybe some other businesses as well; we can cover that."
He doesn't have an exact dollar amount yet, but he believes the city is set up better than most to make it cost-effective.
"Our city has a parks, recreation and sports tourism department," he said. "Field preparation and maintenance and those kinds of things are almost folded into our budget. ... A lot of places would have to bring on extra manpower to make that happen, and we have that already. So that's a cost we wouldn't really have to absorb."
He said the biggest expenses would likely be for officials and medical personnel, but the tournament's positive economic impact would also be significant.
Making an impact
Taylor said the department estimates that a similarly sized travel softball tournament recently had a $200,000 impact on the city. He doesn't think a senior softball tournament will bring in quite as much money for the city, but he does think it could be at least half.
"Senior players don't bring as big of a crowd," Taylor said. "With seniors, you definitely get spouses that come, and sometimes you'll get other family members. Some of them might be day tripping in, but still, you get an economic impact."
He also called attention to another benefit that might be more pronounced with a senior tournament.
"A lot of these folks are the kind who might come here, spend a weekend and say, 'this is a pretty nice place to live,'" Taylor said. "I think seniors, they're at the point in their life where they're maybe looking for a good place to settle down and spend their retirement years."
Either way, Taylor sees it as another opportunity to showcase what the Hickory area has to offer.
"We love the opportunity to put on a good event and then also showcase our city and our region to folks," he said.
Jason Koon is the Sports Editor for the Hickory Record and can be reached at jason.koon@lee.net.
