At the Monday, August 5 meeting of the Greensboro City Council, the council members got some good news about the growth and impact of youth sports in the city and the county, and the huge amount of economic impact that it’s bringing to the area.

With its state-of-the-art aquatic center, ample track facilities, and a plethora of fields for soccer and other sports, the Greensboro area has a wealth of riches in that regard and, at the meeting, Richard Beard provided the City Council with an update on how those resources are being leveraged.

Greensboro was recently named by the Sports Business Journal as the Number 2 City Without a Major Sports Franchise for Sports Business in the country.

Often, the speakers from the floor segment of City Council meetings is a very unpleasant one for the councilmembers – who often get an earful of criticism during that time.  However, Beard used his brief allotted time to bring good news, which was a nice palate cleanser before what came later in the meeting: A lot of criticism of the council for the way it was addressing – or rather failing to address – the homeless situation in Greensboro.

In contrast to that negativity, Beard was absolutely nothing but upbeat and positive about the way the area was handling sports for youngsters and how much benefit it was bringing the area.  Beard packed a lot into his allotted three minutes but had to deliver the last 30 seconds after the time allotment buzzer had begun beeping.

“As we enjoy the 2nd week of the Paris Olympics,” Beard told the City Council, “Greensboro just completed the only other Olympics going on in the world – yes, the AAU Junior Olympics just completed 10 days of events that brought over 15,000 young athletes, and their coaches, parents, grandparents, and siblings that booked hotel rooms from Durham to Winston Salem, down in Asheboro and probably even staying in southside Virginia. Over 40,000 room nights booked and an estimated $49 million in economic impact. And if you were in restaurants over the past week or so, you saw many, many people in town.  This was a huge impact to our city and region.”

Beard also pointed out to the council members that, each year, the AAU Junior Olympics is one of the biggest youth sports events in the country.

According to the most recent states, 12,000 young people competed in track and field events at North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, and, every year, the Track and Field event at AAU Junior Olympics held in Guilford County is considered to be the largest track event on the entire planet.

“I cannot give enough praise to the staff of the facilities where all this happens,” Beard said. “The Greensboro Coliseum held numerous competitions that required several overnight conversions. Scott Johnson and his team [at the Greensboro Coliseum] just amazes me every day!  Also, events were held in Winston-Salem to accommodate Field Hockey and basketball.  A true Triad event!”

A&T State University and Truist Stadium are two of the key sites that make the AAU Junior Olympics possible in the area.  It offers some very large Track and Field events and Beard added that the city, the county and the region, couldn’t experience the major success it does were it not for A&T University facilities – and especially two people there that “move mountains to make this happen.”

  “Billy Edringston and Danyel Williams are simply superstars!” a glowing Beard exclaimed, adding that NC A&T’s football team was displaced for a time at the start of their practice season due to the event.

Those practices were moved to the Bryan Park Soccer Complex, while the arrangements for the Junior Olympics were going on.

 Beard called the success of the event a “win-win” due to excellent planning, and widespread collaboration and cooperation.

He said that, if the city hadn’t invested in the impressive sports fields and facilities in Greensboro, none of this “Tournament Town” national attention would be possible.

“We have so much to be proud of here in Greensboro!” a delighted Beard said.  “Greensboro truly is Tournament Town!”

Beard also praised those who play a key role in pulling off these successes each year – especially Henri Fourrier and his staff at the Greensboro Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Beard also called out Brian Ambeuhl at the Visitors Bureau, who led the planning for the event along with a dedicated team – every one of them with a “hands on deck” approach to help assure a successful event.

 Beard went on to thank his staff at the Greensboro Sports Foundation, which is led by Demp Bradford and Hunter Neal.  They filled over 400 volunteer shifts throughout the 10 days of the event. Josh Sherrick of the City Of Greensboro’s Special Events Office got praise from Beard – as did the Greensboro Department of Transportation, the North Carolina Department of Transportation, the Greensboro Fire Department, Guilford County EMS, Greensboro Police, Guilford County Sherriff Department and the NC A&T University Police Department, which implemented a new security and safety plan that Beard called “flawless.”

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