Grand plans floated for youth sports

Though often undeclared academically, young men and women have attended colleges and universities for decades to major in sports – football, basketball, hockey and more.

The pursuit of such a “major” and the accompanying glories forced a trickle-down effect driven by the wallets of parents that is manifested in a demand for better facilities, coaching, opportunities, training – better everything.

There are high schoolers who say they’re a wrestler or football player before they say they’re a student. They might as well be pros, and pros demand and deserve the best.

Fontana resident Todd Wilkins is attempting to put the “student” back in student-athlete by putting kids first and sports second with a multi-purpose, multi-sport facility focusing on youth hockey, soccer, lacrosse and the next frontier – an all-encompassing sports broadcast facility.

OK, this sounds like a grand idea that would simply cost too much to the taxpayers, right?

Think again.

With federal, state and county assistance supported by private funding potentially on the horizon, Wilkins said there have been three proposed locations in the southeastern Wisconsin area.

“With Walworth County visitors spending $478 million in the county last year, many new opportunities have been introduced to increase that number by over 30 percent moving forward,” states a presentation titled “Hockey Hillmoor.”

The presentation goes on to detail how youth hockey-lacrosse tournaments have been successful in Canada and the U.S., and Wilkins and his team want to use the vast resources in the Lake Geneva area to bring the same feeling to this area.

Currently, parents spend countless hours and money on driving their children to play hockey at the Rec Plex in Pleasant Prairie and other facilities in Janesville, Madison and Libertyville, Ill.

Wilkins says precious time, energy and resources are being wasted on these long trips, which often include weekend hotel stays.

According to USA Hockey, in 2014 for the third straight year, the organization attracted more than 100,000 youth players ages 8 and younger to hockey, a rare accomplishment.

“The future of the sport is indeed bright,” said USA Hockey.

Wilkins said this is an economic “game-changer,” and could change the local economy “forever,” as thousands of travelers thirsty for youth sports would flock to the area from September through May.

While the area is traditionally an economic Siberia during winter months, Wilkins proposes a first-of-its-kind, state-of-the-art sports broadcast facility within the athletic complex that would be an outlet for the forgotten kids, the ones who sit the bench or never get to even be on a team but still have a desire for sports.

While still in its infancy, Wilkins said, there is already plenty of backing and interest from local businessmen.

Continued support in seed money has the project moving to the state and county levels, said Wilkins, while Eb5 funding and federal soccer and lacrosse grants are available.

There are three proposed sites, the old Hillmoor golf course in Lake Geneva, the former George Williams College golf course and an undisclosed parcel in Williams Bay.

With more than a million people involved in youth sports, Wilkins said the retail, hotel-water park, medical and food and beverage industries could benefit.

“The development will create over 700 new jobs and bring stability to a seasonal resort area that with hockey alone will fill to capacity all the surrounding resorts in the winter season, which will turn seasonal summer jobs into potential full-time opportunities,” Wilkins said.

Wilkins paints a picture of a sports complex between two airports, O’Hare in Chicago and Mitchell in Milwaukee, that has the benefit of consistently being ranked in the U.S. as a top-20 destination.

Initially, Wilkins wants to raise awareness and get the word out. He hopes a public forum can come together in April.

“I’ve already met with a few state representatives,” Wilkins said. “There are people with capital, but it needs funding from state, county and federal grants.”

“It must be supported by private capital in a collaborative effort.”

With an emphasis on the area code 262, Wilkins hopes to give kids a chance to play youth hockey in the area seven days a week, to train and exercise in the facility, and he wants to keep the focus on the family.

Wilkins said travel teams have led to increased college scholarships for athletes, as well as social development associated with group travel.

“Play together and stay together for the entire family,” Wilkins said.

A shot in the arm like this is something the Lake Geneva area can use, and the shockwaves throughout the surrounding areas could be massive.

With the Wisconsin men’s hockey team, Milwaukee Admirals and Chicago Blackhawks all in the vicinity, why not allow this area to have the same opportunities for indoor hockey, soccer and lacrosse that many surrounding areas are allowed in the winter?

It’s basically just an idea right now, but a Facebook post of the model generated more than 100 shares in one day, and there’s also been a push on Twitter.

Burlington’s changing landscape

With change in the youth culture evident, maybe it’s time to start listening.

In Burlington alone, Little League numbers are dropping and there will be fewer players this summer, including the elimination of two teams, Korky’s and Pharmacy Station, according to the Burlington Little League Board.

Korky’s is an original to Burlington Little League dating to the 1950s.

The league will shrink from 10 teams of 11 players to eight teams of 12 players.

While there will still be plenty of local youth baseball players, but it’s clear some families are choosing elite traveling clubs regardless of cost.

Is the desire to seek higher levels of competition with traveling teams killing the community-based leagues?

I think there will always be benefits to both, but the Little League changes are significant.

Also, soccer, the most popular sport in the world, will be undergoing a facelift.

The Burlington Youth Soccer program will be partnering with the Croatian Eagles Soccer Club and Burlington High School to form Burlington United Soccer Club this fall.

“BUSC will offer high-level local competitive soccer to players of all abilities while maintaining a family-based atmosphere and positive relationships within the community,” according to a press release.

The stars are aligning, and locally the sports of baseball, soccer and, potentially, hockey are going to be extremely different in the near future.

These are participatory, not spectator sports, with goals of family atmospheres, learning, exercise and education.

If local kids have the ability to drive a few minutes to Lake Geneva for indoor soccer, hockey, lacrosse and potentially sports broadcasting, journalism and social media opportunities, the roof could blow off before the tornado even begins.

You’re talking about tens, potentially hundreds of thousands of youth players and their families flocking to the tri-county area in search of all that the spectacle of sport has to offer.

There’s still a lot of work that needs to be done for Wilkins and company, and communities must unite to help make this happen, but reinvesting in our nation’s most valuable resource, children, is never a bad idea.