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Resident urges Ruidoso to build youth sports fields, argues tournaments could bring sizeable revenue
Summary
Local coach Nick Lawrence told the council that inadequate fields and high rental costs forced teams away, and estimated that a single Memorial Day tournament brings 170 teams and could produce roughly $612,000 per weekend if families spend about $100 each.
Nick Lawrence, a local youth coach, told the Village of Ruidoso council on March 10 that the town lacks fields and accessible spaces for children, which he said is driving away families and tournament business.
"When we have a baseball tournament up here, the Memorial Day tournament brings 170 teams ... That's 6,120 people in 1 weekend. If every family spends a $100, that's $612,000 in 1 weekend," Lawrence said, framing sports fields as an economic as well as a community retention priority.
Lawrence said many teams pulled out of the most recent tournament because of high charges to use makeshift fields, and he urged the village to consider investing in fields and youth programming to attract families, labor force and new revenue beyond the town’s traditional sources.
Councilors and Parks & Recreation staff said they have been in contact with organizers and that Parks & Rec has been willing to engage with Lawrence on logistics and planning. The speaker asked the council to take concrete steps to prioritize facilities for youth sports and to consider the long-term economic benefits of repeat tournaments.
What’s next: The council took the comments under advisement; Parks & Rec staff were cited as willing to work with organizers on field use and scheduling. No formal action was taken at the March 10 meeting.
