West Chester Hospital will contribute $1 million over the next 12 years to build a field house that will include restrooms, a concession area, a storage area for equipment and trainer’s rooms.
The partnership with MetroParks will provide not only a new facility but also expands the level of service MetroParks can offer to tournament participants and spectators.
That’s because UC Health will be the sole provider of health care services during sponsored events, making sports medicine specialists and physical trainers available to support tournament activity at no cost to athletes and event organizers, said Dr. Kevin Joseph, the hospital’s president and chief executive officer.
“Our mission is to give back and ultimately improve the standard of living through health,” Joseph said. “We are particularly excited to combine our expertise in orthopedic and sports medicine with our mission of enriching the local community.”
Joseph said physical therapists and orthopedic specialists will aid in the prevention of sports-related injuries such as sprains and concussions and heat-related illnesses.
As part of the partnership with Metroparks, West Chester Hospital will be the exclusive presenting sponsor for both the Crazy Cardboard Regatta and the Voice of America MetroParks Summer Concert Series, which will expand to 12 concerts each year.
The collaboration between Metroparks and UC Health is “a perfect example of two organizations moving forward together for mutual success,” said Cynamon Trohkan, president of MetroParks Board of Park Commissioners.
“The additional amenities of a modern field house and value-added, no-cost trainer services will make the Voice of America Park Athletic Complex even more desirable for tournament organizers,” Trohkan said. “The expansion of the complex is an economic catalyst to the county, shaping it into a major sports venue and tourist attraction to the region.”
Located near Interstates 75, 71 and 275, the more than 400-acre VOA Park is less than a day’s drive from 65 percent of the U.S. population, according to the Butler County Visitors Bureau, which partnered with Metroparks of Butler County, agreeing to donate $1 million over the course of 10 years for the athletic complex.
Two of the 22 multipurpose fields on the site will be converted into synthetic turf fields in 2015, an enhancement supported by $1 million in capital funding from Ohio.
Saturday and Sunday, the athletic complex will play host to its first event — USA Ultimate’s Frisbee tournament for the Great Lakes regional. The event, which will include 32 teams and draw about 1,000 people, is projected to give an $800,000 boost to the area’s economy.
There are already 12 other events booked for the coming year with more on the way, said Mark Hecquet, BCVB’s executive director.
Hecquet said Voice of America Park Athletic Complex is part of BCVB’s goal of making Butler County the best sports-related destination in the Midwest.
“In order to continue to be competitive in that field, it first and foremost starts with your facilities,” he said. “If your facilities are not up to par, then you are not going to be able to compete.”
Hecquet said the visitors bureau analyzed the needs of the region and determined there was “a major shortcoming” of a complex with a large number of fields, which are in high demand from larger sports tournaments.
“The thing that really differentiates us with VOA is its proximity to infrastructure,” he said. “Having hotels, restaurants, medical, easy access to the highway, it really, we think, differentiates what we’re able to offer from those that are surrounding us.”
But just because the Voice of America Park Athletic Complex is up and running doesn’t mean the visitors bureau is going to stop searching out tournaments to bring to town and show off amenities, services, parks and facilities throughout Butler County, Hecquet said.
“We’ve been very aggressive out there promoting our new venues, our existing venues, to bring these events to town,” he said. “The old adage ‘Build it and they will come’ is not the case in sports tourism.”
Tourism, which is a nearly $1 billion business in Butler County, supports one in 12 salaried jobs, Hecquet said. Without it, each taxpayer would need to spend an additional $600 in taxes each year, he said.
BCVB is poised to welcome more than 90,000 athletes and spectators to the region in the coming year for sporting events around the county ranging from lacrosse and ultimate Frisbee to baseball and soccer. The influx of visitors is anticipated to generate $30 million in economic impact to the region, Hecquet said.
About the Author