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 6: Participatory Sports Trends

May 2017

Sports Market Business Strategy – Morgan Hill, CA

PAGE 96

useful to accommodate large tourism-generating events. We are aware of at least two new hotel

projects for the market.



Several comments were made regarding the lack of cooperation among local stakeholders when past

events were held. Some mentioned the need for a sports commission or tourism bureau. This agency

could develop a long-term tourism strategy and coordinate tourism efforts to attract events.

During our conversations we were informed of an area of opportunity for the development of a Sand

Volleyball facility. The sport of Sand Volleyball has always been a popular recreational activity for all ages, but

it has recently seen significant growth at the youth level due to the sanctioning of the sport by the NCAA and

the International Olympic Committee. With college scholarships now available, the sport is becoming more

popular throughout the country and there is a lack of dedicated facilities – particularly on the west coast.

Figures 6-4 provides the participation rates for Sand Volleyball throughout different regions of the U.S. The

highest number participants and participation rates are in the East North Central and West North Central

regions, with above average participation rates in the South Atlantic and Pacific regions. The popularity of the

sport in the Pacific region provides additional justification for the primary focus of a potential Sand Volleyball

facility in Morgan Hill. Furthermore, the popularity of the sport in colder regions of the country – West

North Central and East North Central, in particular – means that a dedicated facility in Morgan Hill could

attract teams from those colder climates during the winter months for week-long practice trips, clinics and

tournaments.

Figure 6 – 4