Youth Sports at USSSA Helps Boost the Local Economy

July 19, 2023 – Dave Berman, the business editor at FLORIDA TODAY, is an excellent writer and his recent article on the USSSA Space Coast Complex in Viera is a comprehensive and interesting read. We are sharing some of the information from the piece, but if you have time you should check out the complete article here.

• In the early ‘90s Brevard County spent $6.2 million to build an 8,100-seat stadium, designed for major-league spring training.
• USSSA moved into the stadium in 2017, and added several more fields and facilities to host youth sports.
• USSSA has three major components at the Viera complex ― boys baseball, mostly for teams ages 8 to 13; girls fast-pitch softball for teams up to age 18; and men’s and women’s adult slow-pitch softball.
• The complex has 15 fields. All the fields were converted to artificial turf, which facilitates keeping the fields in playing conditions, even just after a rainstorm.

• In 2022, USSSA hosted 61,440 players, plus 166,000 coaches, family members and other spectators, generating more than 91,000 nights of lodging room rentals.
• Assuming an average lodging rental rate of $150 a night, that’s $13.65 million in rental income for hotels and other accommodations ― not counting what the participants and their families may have spent there for food, beverages and other purchases, or what they spent elsewhere while in town.

Todd Pokrywa, president of the The Viera Co., said USSSA “has had a positive and profound impact” on Viera since its arrival at the Space Coast Stadium Complex in 2017.

“It cannot be overstated how beneficial the contribution of USSSA is to the economy and local community,” Pokrywa said.

Pokrywa said USSSA, with about 275 days of activity a year at the complex, “has driven new traffic to Viera that may not have otherwise ever visited Florida’s Space Coast.”

That, in turn, has spurred increased development of hotels and restaurants, including in the nearby commercial mixed-use hubs being developed in the Borrows West and Viera Town Center areas. Two new hotels now are under construction in Borrows West, not far from the Interstate 95 Viera Boulevard exit.

In addition, by exposing out-of-state residents to the Viera area, Pokrywa said, some may want to buy a second home or a retirement home here, or relocate their family or business to the area.

When the young athletes come to play, the whole family often comes along to watch, bringing thousands of dollars to spend in our area. When they have a good time, which they usually do, it’s money well spent. Viera is proud to have USSSA providing such a great service and helping the local economy.

Source: FLORIDA TODAY