Sports tourism a boon for Sussex County and state

When it comes to sports tourism in Sussex County, Sports at the Beach has no rival. Estimated economic impact numbers since 2002 show the baseball playing fields have brought in nearly $1 billion to the area. 

“Literally almost $1 billion since we’ve been in business,” said Michelle Townsend, co-owner of the Georgetown facility with her husband Pete. “And we haven’t received a penny from the state.”

The facility on Route 9 features 16 grass baseball fields that are packed with tournament players all summer long. Townsend said the bulk of players come from New York, followed by New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

“In the summer, the locals usually stay home,” Townsend said.

In 2024, she said, those coming from outside the state represented more than 1,500 teams, of which 73% stayed overnight for more than 35,000 room nights and a local economic impact of more than $36 million. The total number of visitors was more than 172,000.

“These are crazy numbers,” Townsend said.

After nearly a decade of total economic impact in the $40 million to $50 million range, Townsend said revenue took a hit during the COVID years, even though the fields stayed open the entire time.

Since then, revenue has continued to tick up.

A recent report estimates sports tourism generated more than $400 million in total business sales throughout the state in 2023. There were 381,200 sports travelers in Sussex County, behind 453,400 in New Castle County. Kent County brought in 312,600.

For 2025, Townsend said, Sports at the Beach has already begun booking tournaments, and dates are starting to fill up.

“I feel like 2025 is going to take off strong,” she said.

Townsend said many people are surprised to learn the facility is private, since it is always open for the community to use its playground and basketball courts.

Looking ahead, Townsend said they are applying for a Delaware Tourism grant to help pay for an $8 million to $9 million turf upgrade, lights for the facility and other amenities.

“Most is for safety and security and comfort,” she said.

If they are awarded a grant, she said, it would be the first time.

Sandhill Fields keeps growing

Less than two miles away, Sandhill Fields has received money from Georgetown and a $1.5 million loan from Sussex County for its 57-acre sports facility that includes eight Bermuda grass soccer and lacrosse fields, a certified cross country trail, and six pickleball courts.

In 2021, the complex hosted seven tournaments, generating $15,000 in hotel taxes and $165,000 in direct economic impact for the area. Total impact for Georgetown and Sussex County was $673,000.

The Capital Cup, a women’s lacrosse tournament, was played there in 2022 and 2023, and the site hosted a five-on-five soccer tournament in 2023. 

Joe Schell, president of the Sussex Sports Center Foundation, said more teams are learning about the grass fields at Sandhill, especially during the summer months when temperatures on turf fields are brutal.

“We’re getting a lot more interest in tournaments,” he said. “The proximity to our playground – that is the beaches, the entertainment, the Boardwalk and all the other things that go on when it's hot – they want to be at our facility versus one like DE Turf.”

The facility is home to Delmarva Rush, formerly known as Henlopen Soccer Club, as well as La Super Liga Soccer League, First State Pickleball Club, Coastal Lacrosse Club and Oranje Field Hockey Club, with a total of nearly 3,000 players. The site also hosts high school cross country meets throughout the fall. 

The Super Liga Soccer League brings players and spectators from across the region, officials said.

Heading east to Route 1, Hudson Fields has been hosting Atlantic Lacrosse, part of the Eastern Shore Youth Lacrosse League, for years, and the facility is working out details with a new soccer team in the area for 2025, said Julie Hudson. 

“Our grass fields are not designed specifically for athletics and therefore with other options in the area, we normally have a difficult time attracting large groups and tournaments to our venue,” she said. “We did apply for the Delaware sports tourism grant this year with hopes of getting assistance to improve our field surfaces to attract more athletic events.”

Schell said tournaments are showing interest in the Sandhill facility, mostly soccer and lacrosse. Victory lacrosse put on a tournament recently at the facility.

DE Turf brings in millions

Not a summer weekend goes by without a packed crowd watching tournament games on DE Turf’s 12 synthetic turf fields. A championship stadium has seating for 1,000 with an onsite concession stand and other amenities for the crowds.

The facility has steadily brought in more money each year since 2021.

Total economic impact was an estimated $35 million in 2021, climbing to $45 million in 2024. Total visitors also increased during that time from 100,000 to 130,000, with the number of teams participating in the 36 tournaments hitting 2,750 in 2024. 

Daniel Yearick, director of DE Turf, said the facility hosts local leagues, and there are other local events that aren’t factored into the economic impact. 

“For travel sports, DE Turf stands as the premier tourism catalyst in Kent County and a vital contributor to the state’s development, driving both local and statewide growth,” he said.

For 2025, Yearick said, he expects similar events as in 2024, with an addition of three more, along with other community-based activities.

A stadium expansion project is underway through a partnership with the State Sports Tourism Capital Fund to increase the seating to more than 2,000, add state-of-the-art locker rooms and add a meeting space to accommodate 150 people, Yearick said.

“We are thrilled about this expansion, as it will enable us to host more college and professional events, as well as a wider range of large sporting events,” he said.