Former pro player pitches city-paid sports development post to drive tourism and economic activity

Jeremy Hazelbaker, a former Major League Baseball player, asked the Gallatin Council Committee on Sept. 23 to create a Director of Sports Development to recruit regional and national tournaments, coordinate facilities and attract private investment in sports tourism.

Hazelbaker told the committee the position would recruit events, create partnerships with schools and clubs, and help secure funding and private operators for facilities. “The ask is for a position to be created. That position is gonna be for me to develop Gallatin as a sports destination,” Hazelbaker said. He highlighted examples of mid-sized cities whose sports complexes draw hundreds of thousands to millions of visitors annually and cited estimated potential revenue ranges presented earlier by economic development staff. “One event could easily cover what my salary would be,” he said.

Economic development director Rosemary Bates and staff member Jenna Landstrom framed the pitch by citing comparative data and the region’s proximity to Nashville-area professional teams; Bates said a sports tourism effort could deliver from “$500,000 to $5,000,000 in additional revenue a year” depending on scale. Hazelbaker showed examples from other cities — Frisco, Texas; Westfield, Ind.; Elizabethtown, Ky.; and Sand Mountain Park, Ala. — and said private interest exists for a mixed entertainment/sports development near existing parks.

Council reaction was broadly supportive but cautious. Members asked for a job description, clarity on funding and whether the role would be city staff, a consultant, or a privately funded position. Several councilmembers urged a pilot approach and asked for cost and funding details to come back in writing. Council members also stressed the need to avoid un-funded new positions competing with other department needs.

Outcome: Council asked staff and the proponent to prepare a proposal and recommended returning the item to a work session for further discussion; the group agreed to place a proposal on a future agenda and discussed scheduling it for an October 28 work session to allow staff and department heads to review the concept and funding options.

Why this matters: Sports tourism can generate hotel room nights, restaurant and retail sales and private investment in facilities. Council members emphasized private funding and operating partners should be prioritized to limit direct taxpayer obligations.

Provenance: presentation introduced by Rosemary Bates; Jeremy Hazelbaker’s presentation and council discussion ran from the sports-item introduction through a follow-up staff direction where the council asked for a formal proposal to be returned at a work session.