In a country full of home-runs, three pointers and the cherished hole-in-one, there is a lot of debate as to what sports are more popular than others. According to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), rugby is currently the nation’s fastest growing team sport in the United States, and it is taking off successfully in the state of Maryland. Continue reading
sports tourism
Longer than any Triple Crown race, Maryland’s Hunt Cup is this Saturday
Many may be focused on the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes at this time of year, but one cannot overlook Maryland’s Hunt Cup, known as the most demanding event in timber racing. Continue reading
What’s New and Next in Baltimore | Connect Sports
We talked to Amy Calvert, senior vice president of convention sales and services at Visit Baltimore, about the latest news in Charm City.
Fishing Angling for a Spot in the Olympics | Sports Destination Management
If this actually takes place, it might be the greatest thing to happen to fishing since the invention of the earthworm.
The international governing body for fishing (the Confederation Internationale de la Peche Sportive, or in English, the International Confederation of Sport Fishing) has applied for Olympic status in the 2020 Games in Tokyo. – See more at: http://www.sportsdestinations.com/sports
Continue reading the article here
Variety Is the Spice | NASC
At the October NASC Market Segment Meetings, a lot of the talk among attendees was focused on keeping kids involved in sports. As we’ve noted, by the time young athletes hit early high school, participation drops dramatically and with an organization like NASC, kids playing sports is vital to keeping the organization, and the industry, growing.
A recent article on ESPNW takes the youth sports discussion one step further—why you want your young athlete to be involved in multiple sports in this day and age of sport specialization.
Source: Variety Is the Spice – NASC
Maryland Sports Unveils New Video
In FY16, Maryland Sports touched 317 events generating $176,641,000 in direct spending. But this is only the beginning and we are working to make the coming years bigger and better than ever.
Terry Hasseltine, the Executive Director of Maryland Sports stressed the importance of the video to highlight Maryland as a world-class sports destination. “The video highlights the continued focus of Maryland Sports to promote Maryland as a sports destination and to highlight the strategic alliances we have created in order to achieve that goal. At the same time, emphasizing the importance of the sports tourism industry in the State of Maryland.”
Maryland Sports Aims To Increase State-Hosted Events
According to its website, the mission for Maryland Sports is to “enhance Maryland’s economy, image and quality of life through the attraction, promotion, retention and development of regional, national and international sporting events.”
For Terry Hasseltine, the agency’s executive director, that means casting a wide net.
While Hasseltine worked hard to bring the 2014 and 2016 Army-Navy games to M&T Bank Stadium and the 2011 game to Landover, Md.’s FedEx Field, and just finished working with Johns Hopkins University and Towson University to submit what he called “a robust series of bids” for the 2019-2022 NCAA women’s lacrosse championships, he’s also excited about an event happening at Fruitland Recreation Park Nov. 19-20: The US Quidditch Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships.
