Soccer balls. PC: Fox 11 Online
APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — More and more Midwesterners are heading to Appleton for their youth sports tournaments.
Sports visitors spent a record $14.1 million in 2025 when visiting the Fox Cities. That figure has doubled over the past decade, according to the Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau (FCCVB).
“Basically every weekend of the year, and then some, there are sporting events that are taking place in the Fox Cities that are bringing visitors to the area,” said Director of Sports Marketing with the FCCVB Matt Ten Haken. “And we know it when those visitors come to play in their sporting events, when they’re done competing, they’re out in the community spending dollars at hotels, restaurants, shops, and attractions.”
Community First Champion Center accounts for 30-40% of spending
Appleton became a more year-round youth sports destination when the Community First Champion Center opened in late 2019, hosting AAU basketball from March through July, and club volleyball and hockey November through early March.
It now hosts tournaments nearly every weekend, averaging 100-150 teams per weekend, about two-thirds visiting from out of town. That means about 600 to 1,000 players visit every weekend, plus any family members who travel along with them.
“We’re using offsite courts and high schools and things like that to keep taking more teams in here,” said Champion Center general manager Adam Ligacki. “So we’re kind of capped out. Like we’re at the point right now where like we can’t take any more teams for a lot of our tournaments without adding more space.”
Most teams travel from the Midwest, but eight teams from Canada played in a basketball tournament just last month.
Ligacki said the Champion Center plans to add an additional four basketball courts as soon as 2028, in part funded by an $800,000 state taxpayer-funded grant.
USA Youth Sports Complex on the north side of Appleton draws 1,500+ teams per year
The complex has 15 full-size soccer fields and four baseball fields.
“I think last year we had about 1,500 teams come into the Fox Cities,” said Wisconsin United soccer coach Dennis Esposito.
Close to half of the teams travel from other areas.
“We’re looking for a steady growth,” said Wisconsin United Executive Director Eric Gebhard.
Fox Cities recently won national sports tourism award
The Fox Cities recently won a national award for best Sports Tourism Organization of the Year (under 500,000) in a field of 400 cities.
The Fox Cities also hosts regional bowling tournaments, and national foosball, axe and knife-throwing competitions.
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