Originally published at https://www.escondido.org on April 21, 2022.
From club sports to amateur and professional tournaments, sports tourism is alive and well in Escondido.
According to the Sports Events and Tourism Association, nearly 180 million people traveled to sporting events in 2019 as a participant or spectator. These travelers generated $45 billion in travel and venues and an additional $103.3 billion in business sales including indirect and induced impacts. For cities, sports tourism generated $14.6 billion in tax revenues and spurred a high number of jobs.
Additionally, according to San Diego Sport Innovators, the Sport and Active Lifestyle (SAL) industry directly employs over 39,000 people in San Diego, with tens of thousands more working in adjacent industries.
“Providing local businesses the opportunity to increase their revenue through sports tourism is a great way to stimulate the economy throughout our city,” said Jennifer Schoeneck, Deputy Director of Economic Development.
Escondido’s location in San Diego County, and its well-designed parks and recreation centers make it a perfect location for many sports clubs, teams and sporting events throughout the year.
“We have a wide range of sports that come to Escondido,” said Patrick Martinez, Escondido’s supervisor of community services.
Martinez said sporting events bring families and teams into the city who would normally not travel to Escondido. Whether they come for weekend tournaments or week-long events, these travelers help stimulate the economy when they eat at local restaurants, buy groceries, get gas, purchase equipment and stay at local hotels.
Monica Tarango, the Director of Sales at SpringHill Suites by Marriott San Diego Escondido/Downtown said sports tourism is a real boost to their hotel. “We work with several tournaments that may not always be hosted in Escondido per se but require so many rooms that the overflow reaches us anyway. Soccer, football, lacrosse, almost any sport and we’ve hosted them,” she said. “Spring and summer tournaments are always the most popular due to the weather.”
Some of the major sporting events that take place in Escondido include softball, soccer, basketball, hockey and disc golf.
“We have eight softball fields at Kit Carson Park and eight soccer fields at Ryan Park,” said Martinez.
An aerial view of Kit Carson Park shows the many playing fields available for softball games and tournaments.
While these locations host local sports teams such as the Escondido Soccer Club, American Little League, Escondido Girls Softball League and Escondido Pop Warner, their size and structure make them appealing to club organizations that are looking to host large competitions.
Club sports such as Triple Crown Fastpitch softball league have hosted events in Escondido for years. The league’s annual July tournament takes advantage of the multiple fields at Kit Carson Park and invites players from throughout the Western Region to participate.
The skate park at the Escondido Sports Center, located at Kit Carson Park, has two covered hockey rinks where roller hockey athletes from 6 years old to professionals play year-round.
The Kit Carson skate park brings kids of all ages out to practice their tricks.
The annual Police and Fire Games, held at both Kit Carson Park and Ryan Park in June, also attract people from across the Western Region. This county-wide event brings flag football, soccer and disc golf competitions to Escondido.
A Sweet Spot for a Growing Sport
In 2010, Kit Carson Park opened the Escondido Rotary Club Disc Golf Course, a free open 18-hole course that meanders through the north picnic area. Escondido resident Mark Verrochi, an advanced amateur and sponsored Disc Golf Association (DGA) ambassador, helped with the installation of the course and started running a tournament in 2011. The tournament has taken place every year with the exception of 2020 and 2021 due to COVID.
2022 Daniel Boe Memorial Disc Golf Tournament banner.
The tournament was renamed the Daniel Boe Memorial Disc Golf Tournament in 2015 to honor Daniel Boe, a Poway resident and amateur disc golf player who died in a car accident in 2014 on his return from a disc golf tournament in Arizona.
In March, more than 420 players from 11 states and three countries participated in the two weekend-long event.
“Events like the Disc Golf Tournament that bring guests in from out of town are our favorite!” said Tarango. “These events generate demand and assist us with filling up our hotel which is one of our nightly goals.”
Verrochi, who was a board member of the San Diego Aces Disc Golf Club for many years and is still an active member of the club, said the Kit Carson location was chosen for the annual event because of the support of the club. It was also a favorite spot for Boe to play.
The tournament was open to all Professional Disc Golf Association members. It is considered an A-tier competition, which is a “fairly high-level tournament,” said Verrochi.
The events saw players from all levels and ages compete for cash prizes and gift cards. Registration for the competition opened in January and sold out in about one day for each weekend.
Disc golf continues to be a rising sport around the world and has helped golf courses such as Reidy Creek double up on their purpose and bring more players to the courses. Disc golf courses line the same course as traditional golf, and players can reserve tee times throughout the day to play.
Verrochi (left) and other disc golf players at the Daniel Boe Memorial Disc Golf Tournament.
Getting started in disc golf is a fun and low investment sport that anyone can play, Verrochi added.
“It’s relatively accessible,” said Verrochi. “It requires very little money to get involved and it’s really a great fun sport to play.”
Golf disc starter sets average $20. Discs can be purchased or rented at the SDSF Pro Shop at Kit Carson Park.
Verrochi, who runs his own private disc golf course called The Gates of Hell Disc Golf Course in Valley Center, said many new players learn the sport simply by playing. There are many videos online that provide tips and strategies to improve your game, he said.
Highlights, photos and videos from this year’s tournament are available on the Daniel Boe Memorial Facebook page. Video coverage for the feature group in the event can be found here.
Here is a list of upcoming sports events around the city with dates and locations.
April 9 & 10 – CSNSA Adult softball Tournament, Kit Carson Park
May 7 & 8 – Escondido Soccer Club Youth & Adult Soccer Tournament, Ryan Park
May 14 & 15 – Cal South/Mexican Consulate youth soccer tournament, Ryan Park
May 15 – USSSA Adult Softball Tournament, Kit Carson Park
May 21 & 22 – SAH Cup Adult Kickball tournament, Kit Carson Park
May 28 & 29 – RPSL Adult Softball Tournament, Kit Carson Park
June 3 to 5 – NARCh Roller hockey tournament, Escondido Sports Center in Kit Carson Park
June 11 to 12 – Zoom Into June youth softball tournament, Kit Carson Park
June 12 to 16 – Police and Fire Games (Soccer and Flag Football), Ryan Park
June 17 to 19 – Kickin' It Challenge youth soccer tournament, Ryan Park
June 15 & 26 – Dave Shelton youth soccer tournament, Ryan Park
June 30 to July 3 – Freedom Tournament youth softball tournament, Kit Carson Park
July 9 to 10 – Elite Cup youth soccer tournament, Ryan Park
July 11 to 16 – Triple Crown World Series youth softball tournament, Kit Carson Park
July 22 to 24 – San Marcos Cup youth soccer tournament, Ryan Park
August 6 & 7 – PWSL adult soccer tournament, Ryan Park
For more information about sports tourism or scheduling an event at an Escondido park or field, contact Patrick Martinez at pmartinez@escondido.org.