JONESBORO — The Clayton County Board of Commissioners is considering the formation of a sports coalition.
At a March 12 county commission work session, Clayton County Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Valencia Williamson and Clayton County Office of Economic Development Marketing Coordinator Brandon Carden made a presentation about the proposed sports coalition.
The aim is to generate revenue and spur long-term economic development through sports.
Short term goals (within two years)
♦ Establish formal Clayton County Sports Coalition infrastructure.
♦ Launch specific pilot sports programs.
♦ Staffing to help in getting grants, private donations and other funding.
♦ Develop partnerships with local schools and community organizations to expand reach and development.
♦ Anticipated impact return of $1 million.
Mid- and long-term goals (three to six-plus years)
♦ Build a state-of-the-art sports facility.
♦ Establish an endowment for scholarship funds for county athletes.
♦ Implement comprehensive sports education programs in collaboration with schools, promoting skills development ad culture of sportsmanship over the next five years.
At its March 5 meeting, the county commission approved a contract with Game Changer Nation to provide an assessment of parks and recreation facilities.
Commissioner Gail Hambrick said Game Changer and the Sports Coalition could work in conjunction with one another.
“We see the value in having a coalition too,” Hambrick said.
Commissioner DeMont Davis, who is a proponent of the sports coalition, said the coalition can help spur economic development.
According to statistics provided at the work session, U.S. sports tourism has an impact of nearly $92 billion, generates 635,000 jobs, and nearly $13 billion is collected in tax revenue.
In 2023, the SIAC basketball tournament generated $1.5 million for the…
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