Chula Vista is uniquely position to become a youth sports tourism hub in the southwestern United States. Already well known for recognized youth talent, Chula Vista offers available land which is critical for the development of tournament capacity facilities and world-class training venues for youth sports. Not only will these facilities provide access to local athletes, but they will also draw elite level coaching and boost economic development benefitting parks and recreation facilities for the broader public.
This vision for a sports mega city expands on our local healthy lifestyle initiative by encouraging activity and enhancing the mental, emotional and physical wellness of our citizens. Sports and recreation is woven into the fabric of our community culture and history with Little League World Series championships and generations of Chula Vista families committed to involvement in youth sports. Our city can use these facilities to host recreational youth tournaments and events and continue the momentum of attracting individuals dedicated to excellence. It will also complement the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center, a place dedicated to the development of elite performance for U.S. men’s and women’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes.
The infrastructure necessary to house a world-class development facility can be achieved through a public-private partnership. Land is available throughout the city for new housing. Developers building these master planned communities are required, as a condition of their development plans, to pay for and develop parks and recreation opportunities for Chula Vista residents. Development of parks and recreation facilities which will draw tourists and provide training and tournament capacity will generate revenue necessary to sustain ongoing maintenance and operation costs. Currently, parks and recreation costs compete with public safety services and other general fund budget demands. Providing for the development of a sports mega city addresses competition for scarce resources, becomes a source of revenue for the City and benefits complementary private sector businesses.
Chula Vista has the land, local support and culture necessary to build a youth sports mega city. We need to capture this opportunity before the city is completely built out. We can become a community that thrives on excellence in athletic training. The concept of youth sports tourism creates a balance that benefits the city, residents and visitors by encouraging a healthy lifestyle, revitalizing the local economy and develops aspiring athletes for generations to come.
As mayor, I will prioritize making this opportunity a reality.
Rudy Ramirez is a former Chula Vista councilman and current candidate for mayor. Anwar Nash is a leader in Chula Vista youth sports
