City of Morgan Hill Bikeways, Trails, Parks and Recreation Master Plan

6 East Monroe Street

Fifth Floor

Chicago, Illinois 60603

Phone: 312.447.2010

Fax: 312.444.1125

Section 5: Regional Overview & Case Studies | May 2017

Sports Market Business Strategy – Morgan Hill, CA

PAGE 73

Hill could also position an indoor facility to absorb overflow demand that cannot be accommodated

at Silver Creek.

Baseball/Softball:

With respect to baseball/softball, both Twin Creeks Sports Complex and Ken

Mercer offer two prominent baseball/softball facilities that host tournaments. Conversations with

stakeholders in the region suggest these facilities satisfy the demand for regional tournaments. This

does not, however, preclude the OSC from investing in new baseball/softball fields to accommodate

local demand – especially if the fields are designed similar to those at Twin Creek Sports Complex

where the baseball fields are also striped for soccer and lacrosse. This approach would not only boost

the inventory of local baseball/softball fields in Morgan Hill, but could add to the inventory of

multipurpose outdoor fields when combined with the offerings at the OSC.

Outdoor Sand Volleyball:

The lack of dedicated sand volleyball complexes in the region is an area of

opportunity for Morgan Hill. Now that the sport is sanctioned by the NCAA, the popularity at the

youth level will increase and demand for facilities with 20+ courts will follow. With such a low

supply in the regional market, Morgan Hill should strongly consider the benefits that could come

with being one of the few facilities in the region. The complexes can be used for tournaments, local

recreational leagues and winter training for teams located in cold weather climates.

Aquatic Centers:

There is high inventory of competitive aquatic centers within a 200-mile radius of

Morgan Hill. The Morgan Hill Aquatics Center is well-positioned to continue to serve the local

recreation and competitive swim needs, while also hosting multiple regional competitive swim events.

While the regional market is quite saturated with aquatic centers, the Morgan Hill Aquatics Center

compares favorably and is successful due to strong management and a quality facility.

COMPARABLE MARKET INVENTORY

To effectively penetrate the sports market, a cross section of facilities is needed, along with an effective

marketing program/strategy. If the City wishes to establish itself as a sports tourism destination, then it must

upgrade to facilities worthy of attracting top tournaments. To attract tournament teams there needs to be a

parallel strategic marketing effort, as well as support from the local hotel and retail community. Any wavering

by the City could result in tournament teams and organizations looking at other complexes.

The tipping point in deciding regarding investment in facilities is the broader economic development strategy

of the City. Morgan Hill will battle for attracting new tournaments and sports tourists with other cities in the

region. Good facilities help attract sports tourists, but facilities alone will not be sufficient. There must be

support from the sports marketing side of the convention and visitors bureau (CVB), as well as local hotels

that may need to lower their average daily rate (ADR) to meet the expectations of sports tourists.