Lafayette, LA, Is a Hub for Youth Sports
When it comes to youth sports, the event calendar fills up quickly in the Lafayette, LA, region. Just ask Jamison Abshire, the director of parks and recreation for the City of Broussard. By August 2023, Broussard already had 38 weekend sporting events scheduled for 2024 at the Broussard Sports Complex at St. Julien Park.
“We’ve put ourselves on the map lately with some of the large sports complexes we have around here,” Abshire says. “We have the capability to accommodate pretty much anything when it comes to outdoor youth sports.”
The Broussard Sports Complex is a 122-acre, $37 million facility with nine baseball/softball fields, six soccer fields, a football/lacrosse field, tennis courts and a 36-hole disc golf course. Numerous local rec leagues and youth sports groups utilize the complex throughout the week, then regional and even national tournaments take over most weekends.
“It’s definitely a venue that is sought after, where people from outside the area want to come play,” Abshire says. “That also makes it great for our local children because they have one of the best facilities in the state to play recreational sports.”
Sports Facilities Dot the Lafayette, LA, Region
A similar statement can be said of neighboring Youngsville, which boasts the Youngsville Sports Complex. This facility has six soccer fields (which can be divided into 12 smaller fields for tournaments), five baseball fields, four baseball/softball multiuse fields, 11 batting cages, 10 tennis courts (along with a pro shop) and a beach volleyball complex.
The complex’s Recreation Center also provides opportunities for indoor sports, including boxing and mixed martial arts. Plus, the original 70-acre facility is being expanded by 46 acres this year, allowing the complex to add two collegiate-size baseball fields, eight pickleball courts, an inclusive playground and an amphitheater.
“Parks and recreational sports benefit all walks of society,” says Tim Robichaux, Youngsville Parks & Recreation director. “Our commitment to youth sports helps strengthen families, build a healthy community, improve quality of life and support the healthy development of our children.”
Lafayette, LA, Invests in Sports Complexes
Lafayette is playing ball as well by investing more than $25 million in two projects scheduled for completion this year: Moore Park Soccer Super Complex, and Brown Park Baseball and Softball Super Complex.
“The youth sports market has been our fastest-growing market for quite some time, and it’s because we have great infrastructure in place with more in the pipeline,” says Ben Berthelot, president and CEO of Lafayette Travel. “We get to host all these great tournaments while also having facilities that our residents can use. It’s really a win-win for the people here.”
Sports Tournaments Bring Crowds to Lafayette, LA
With sports facilities dotting the Lafayette region, tourism is on the rise. Abshire says more than 330,000 people attended weekend events at the Broussard Sports Complex in 2023, including events like the Louisiana Little League state tournaments for baseball and softball.
“We have one of the few facilities in the state that has 100% turf fields for baseball and softball, so we have minimal rain delays,” Abshire says. “As soon as the rain slacks off, it’s time to play ball. That really helps us complete play in time at these weekend events.”
Berthelot says his group estimates that visitors associated with youth sports accounted for approximately 65,000 hotel room nights in 2023.
“Youth sports is a great way to generate overnight stays,” Berthelot says. “We work closely with all our park facilities and with sports event planners across the country to bring some really diverse offerings to the area. We’ve been very successful in doing that, and a big reason why is because we have such great facilities.”
While teams and visitors travel to the region for games, they do more than just spend time at the sports facilities. People fill their gas tanks, eat, visit shops and explore – spending their dollars in the region.
“Our facility has made a huge impact not only in Youngsville but throughout the Acadiana area,” Robichaux says. “The youth tournaments generate on-site revenue, but a larger economic impact is from off-site or indirect spending in conjunction with tournament attendance, such as food, gas, lodging, entertainment and shopping,” he says. “So the impact of sports and our complex is far reaching. Our major goals are having a facility our citizens can be proud of and creates an economic impact, and to be a driver for local businesses and business development.”
This article is sponsored by the Lafayette Convention & Visitors Commission, Lafayette Economic Development Authority and One Acadiana.