The athletic culture of Morgan Hill reaches nearly everyone

Photo by Marty Cheek

By Krista Rupp

Krista Rupp

Did you know that the Morgan Hill Outdoor Sports Center and Aquatics Center host 30 to 40 major sporting events annually, totaling about 100,000 attendees? Thanks to top-notch facilities and community-driven efforts, Morgan Hill has long been a hub for sports tourism. Since 2019, Visit Morgan Hill has prioritized amplifying the city’s reputation as a sports destination and enhancing the local economic benefits of visiting tournaments.

The MHOSC, with more than a dozen versatile fields, is an ideal venue for various sports and events. The Aquatics Center, known as the “fastest pool on the West Coast,” is highly desirable within the swimming community. While these impressive facilities practically sell themselves and have robust bookings, VMH is focused on attracting new, complementary sporting events and getting attendees to spend more time exploring our vibrant city.

VMH collaborates closely with facility operators to provide tournament organizers with site tours, lodging services, signage, and visitor information. This encourages sporting event attendees to visit the downtown, enjoy local restaurants, and partake in other activities like movies, bowling, or — for the 21 and older crowd — wineries and tap houses. An online Sports Facility Calendar helps hotels and local businesses anticipate visitor influxes.

In terms of lead generation, the VMH website showcases event venues and facilities, along with an online request for proposals form. This fiscal year to date, VMH has received nearly 30 leads, many of them sports-related, and representing more than 3,500 room nights. VMH also collaborates with the San Jose Sports Authority and Visit San Jose to promote Morgan Hill’s facilities alongside their sports sales efforts to attract national-level events.

In 2023, VMH supported SJSA in hosting the NCAA Men’s Golf Regionals at The Institute Golf Course. VMH assisted with hotel selection, created inserts for coach packets, published a custom web page, and produced hotel lobby signs. This event generated about 500 room nights in Morgan Hill.

Another feather in Morgan Hill’s hat is being the home city for the Indoor Football League’s Bay Area Panthers. This partnership includes significant promotional activities and, last year, resulted in about 500 hotel room nights and other local business patronage. The association with the Panthers also led to a connection between VMH and the NFL Alumni Association’s Northern California Chapter. VMH facilitated the sourcing of Coyote Creek Golf Club to host the Chapter’s Annual Golf Classic, to be held July 19. This event will bring 125 golfers, including past and present NFL players, to Morgan Hill.

After the recent closure of Santa Clara Swim Club’s “home” pool, Morgan Hill was able to snag two additional swim meets for 2024: an international meet that was held during Memorial Day weekend, and the Far Westerns to take place in July.

In addition to attracting sports events, VMH advocates for projects with potential to positively impact sports tourism. Examples include participating in the Sports Facility Master Planning process and supplying a letter of support for the public-private partnership between USA BMX and the city of Morgan Hill at the Butterfield Park development.

Morgan Hill’s dedication to sports tourism not only enhances the local economy but reflects its community values. As the efforts continue to build upon the inherent character of the city, we are set to remain a top destination for athletes and sports fans of all ages. Whether you’re playing pickleball, cheering on your kids at flag football, or grooving alongside a Bay Area Panther at Friday Night Music, the athletic culture of Morgan Hill reaches nearly everyone.

Krista Rupp is the executive director of Visit Morgan Hill. She wrote this column for Morgan Hill Life.