Growing Sports Tourism Contributes to Orange County Economy

An overhead shot of Faller Field in Middletown, N.Y. Courtesy of Enlarged City of Middletown School District

Sporting events are growing among the various attractions that bring visitors to Orange County, according to Tourism Director Amanda Dana.

“We call hotels and ask them, ‘What are the top reasons that people are coming?’ It is always weddings, events, Legoland, and tournaments—they are just the top four,” Ms. Dana told The Epoch Times.

Just weeks ago, a statewide public high school track and field championship brought more than 7,500 people to Faller Field in the town of Wallkill, filling up local hotels, restaurants, and gas stations.

When the same championship came to Wallkill in 2019, attendees spent $2 million in the area, according to an estimate at the time. 

A cross-country race at 12th Rocks Sports in Orange County, N.Y., in 2020. Courtesy of 12th Rocks Sports

Blue Sky Sports, a relatively new outdoor facility in Wallkill, has lined up 13 tournaments, up from 10 in the past year, according to partner Fred Dana Jr.

Soccer and lacrosse are the main sports played on the expansive 249-acre facility.

Mr. Dana attributed much of the growth at his facility to Orange County’s central location on the East Coast, coupled with the availability of top-notch destinations for all ages.

“Think about this: What is the little brother and little sister going to do, and what is mom or dad going to do after the tournament? We have Legoland, Woodbury Commons, and West Point—there is plenty to do here,” Mr. Dana told The Epoch Times.

On the facility’s website, links to nearby attractions and the landing page of the county tourism department are listed to help people take full advantage of the trips.

Orange County Economic Development Director Steven Gross at his office in Goshen, N.Y., on May 22, 2023. Cara Ding/The Epoch Times

Once visitors discover attractions in Orange County, many will come back and bring about multiplied economic benefits, according to Economic Development Director Steve Gross.

“They see the area, and they fall in love with it,” Mr. Gross told The Epoch Times. “‘Let’s come back and do something else, let’s go to Angry Orchard, let’s go to City Winery, and let’s build a home here.’

“So anything we can do to grow that sector is good for Orange County residents because it doesn’t come out of their pockets—it is visitors that are coming here and leaving their money behind.”

Developing Indoor Facilities

Mr. Gross and Ms. Dana agree that developing indoor facilities will help bring more sports event attendees to the county, especially in wintertime.

Several developers have expressed interest in developing facilities for basketball and tennis in discussions with the county development team, according to Mr. Gross.

A rendering of the future indoor facility at 12th Rocks Sports in Orange County, N.Y. Courtesy of 12th Rocks

12th Rocks Sports, a nonprofit facility just west of the City of Middletown in Wallkill, is building a 20,000-square-foot indoor track, turf, and court sports complex, with an estimated price tag between $15 million and $18 million.

“I’ve been running sports stuff here in Orange County for 22 years. The infrastructure is here, the people are here, and the location is great,” owner Greg Jaloszynski told The Epoch Times.

“What we’ve been lacking in the area is a privately owned indoor facility,” he said.

12th Rocks Sports partners with local school districts to use their indoor facilities, but school functions always take priority when there are scheduling conflicts.

The indoor facility project is now in the phase of site work and the architectural rendering of the complex, after which utilities installation and building construction will begin.

Since day one, grants and donations have been the main funding mechanism for the project—phase one was funded by a $50,000 donation from Rowley Family Foundation—and Mr. Jaloszynski intends to finish the project that way, he hopes within three years.

Hotel Bottleneck

Another challenge that Mr. Jaloszynski faces is finding lodging for event attendees.

For an upcoming September throwing event, he booked rooms in April. However, he can’t put together enough room blocks for an October cross-country meet, where athletes from 11 colleges of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) will compete.

Mr. Jaloszynski said he had been looking at hotels outside Orange County and short-term rentals to fill the gap and that the need for lodging will only grow once his indoor facility is open.

Orange County Tourism Director Amanda Dana Courtesy of Amanda Dana

According to Ms. Dana, hotel rooms in the county are almost 100 percent booked between Thursdays and Sundays during the tourism season; the occupancy rate drops by half between Monday and Wednesday.

In the Town of Wallkill, a four-story, 101-room hotel is being planned near the highway intersection; the project is seeking sales and mortgage recording tax exemptions of $1 million from the Orange County Industrial Development Agency.

“The bottom line is that these sports tourism entities contribute greatly to the economy,“ Ms. Dana said. ”They really are great community-minded groups that bring people in, and these people ultimately spend money in our community.”