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LakePoint Sports, the premier travel and youth sports destination in the country, continued to be at the forefront of the surging $39b travel and youth sports industry– setting the standard for innovation, media, tech, growth, and excellence. This past quarter alone, LakePoint Sports’ national spotlight highlights include, the inspiring National Youth Sports Summit, a new media partnership, national championships, new naming rights, the national debut of the innovative Curve Test Centers and the explosive growth of Emerson, GA, home of LakePoint Sports. Read on for more insights on the highlights!
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LakePoint Sports president and CEO Mark M. O’Brien takes Cory McCartney inside the state of the travel and youth sports industry at the #NationalYouthSportsSummit.
“As a travel and youth sports industry, we have an opportunity and responsibility to come together to help address broader youth sports ecosystem as K-12 and local recreation leagues are seeing their funding, programming, and experience for young athletes evaporate as private enterprise fills the void” stated Mark M. O’Brien, president and CEO, LakePoint Sports. “While it might sound altruistic, I believe all boats rise as a more holistic approach and solution is created that gets more kids playing sports and reaping the significant short- and long-term benefits playing sports provides, including better mental and physical health, learning communication skills, teamwork, discipline, perseverance, leadership skills, and other life skills that will help kids long term prospects as adults.” added O’Brien.
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A few of the State of the Industry Highlights, from Mark M. O’Brien, President and CEO, LakePoint Sports:
The travel and youth sports industry is booming, surpassing major U.S. leagues in terms of total addressable market (TAM) value. As shown in the Sports ETA State of the Industry Report, youth sports is now driving a $52.2 billion sports tourism market. Additionally, TAM is set to grow from $37.5B in 2022 to $69.4B by 2030. While industry growth is accelerating, so are the disruptions, especially as NCAA rule changes in 2025 promise to further shake up the landscape. With NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) legal at the high school level in 38 states with more on the horizon, deals allowing high school athletes to capitalize on their personal brand is more prevalent than ever, and the collegiate transfer portal provides college athletes with extensive mobility, impacting the youth sports ecosystem and creating significant shifts for college coaches and high school athletes. Serious challenges like rising costs, accessibility, early specialization leading to burnout, and industry fragmentation must be addressed, significant opportunities persist across the travel and youth sports industry.
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Join us December 12th, 2024, at 7PM as the Globetrotters take to the Champions Center at LakePoint Sports for an interactive gameday packed with one-of-a-kind premium offerings!
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Catch Tyreek Hill in action at the Champions Center at LakePoint Sports as he hoops with the Harlem Globetrotters!
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This summer, the only thing that outnumbered the elite players at the Baseball Village were the amount of baseballs used. That’s over 6,000 in total, as hundreds of games were played across the eight major-league sized fields!
The top players in the classes of 2025, Oklahoma’s Ethan Holliday — son of seven-time All-Star Matt, and brother of Baltimore Orioles infielder Jackson — 2026, Florida’s Jacob Lombard and 2027, Texas’ Lash Henderson all starred. National championships were won from 13U-17U, and a new-look Prep Baseball Future Games drew 425 college coaches across its five days.
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The versatility of the Champions Center, and the newly-named Publix Fields, were on full display over the summer months.
Indoors, basketball (including RYZE Hoops’ Battle for Georgia, and the Georgia High School Association Boys and Girls Team Camps), volleyball (Rally Volleyball’s Rally Rumble), 7v7 football (NXGN’s The Show combine) and mixed martial arts (NewBreed) brought the competition, thousands of athletes, and hundreds of college coaches during live recruiting periods.
Meanwhile, the non-sporting capabilities of the 170,000 square feet were highlighted with over 10,000 in attendance for Georgia Outdoor Network’s multi-day Outdoor Blast trade show.
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Not to be outdone, the Publix Fields were bustling with lacrosse, soccer and 7v7 action, no doubt highlighted by NXGN’s The Show. The mixture of combine and tournament brought 650 athletes in a spectacle that included a one-one-one tournament, and $300 going to the winner.
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LakePoint Sports’ content team met the summer head on, producing over 22.3 million impressions, 15.5 million video views and adding 20,000 new followers across social channels.
At the forefront of that push was an audacious broadcast schedule that saw 21 broadcasts on Facebook, X and YouTube, with over 56 hours of air time.
It all culminated with the Future Games Watch Party, airing four games at once during Prep Baseball’s crown jewel event, and saw 21 different guests join our Cory McCartney in studio. That included appearances by ESPN/SEC Network analyst Chris Burke, MLB veteran Brandon Guyer, players and a host of Prep Baseball scouts.
LakePoint also took on new initiatives with live on-field talkbacks, where players took viewers inside their process in the middle of game action, and put cameras on umpires to give viewers a unique perspective.
The summer also brought a new feature that dots the LakePoint Sports skyline with the addition of the CURVE Test Centers. CURVE’s brain, body, ball approach aims to provide each baseball player a development analysis for talent recruiting purposes, and educational services for targeted improvements.
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Emerson, Georgia, home to LakePoint Sports’ 1300 acre campus, is actively undergoing a remarkable wave of growth. From state-of-the-art mixed-use complexes to new residential developments and hospitality projects, the area is booming with activity. This transformation is much more than just a local real estate story; it signals Emerson’s emergence as a dynamic hub for business, recreation, and community living. For investors in the sports and tourism industry, this rapid expansion offers a unique opportunity to tap into a vibrant, connected community that is elevating the region’s appeal to residents, visitors, and businesses alike. As hotels, apartments, and commercial spaces spring up, the synergy between these developments and the thriving sports complex makes Emerson a key player in the future of real estate investment.
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LakePoint Sports is committed to cultivating a culture of excellence based on its Mission, Vision, Purpose, and Values. The CHAMPIONS Values fuel the organization’s “One Team. One Goal.” mantra with an unrelenting commitment to that goal: Delivering Excellence In The Guest Experience
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In partnership with IHG, it’s time to fuel up before the big game! An excellent player needs a winning breakfast. Explore hotels fit for a champion, and stay wherever you play!
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Explore LakePoint Sports by tapping any of the icons below:
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