By ANDY COOK
Westfield Mayor
When we first contemplated the idea of Grand Park, I challenged the team to “think big.” Well, we did and now we have what, in my opinion, is THE premiere youth sports venue in the country, if not the world. Having the caliber of fields and facilities in one location is unique and is very much appreciated by travel sports athletes and parents!
With more than 2.5 million visits a year, Grand Park has put Westfield on the map and done what it set out to do – build an economy. Whenever I travel, I proudly wear the Westfield and Grand Park brands, and there is rarely a day that I am not stopped by folks who say, “I have been to Grand Park and loved it.”
In the few years we have been fully open, we have become proficient in hosting events all year long. It is great to see so much vibrancy in Westfield. As we continue to perfect our events and our relationships with our event organizers, we are looking to “what’s next.” So, last month we announced the launch of the Grand Park Research and Development HUB. The HUB will serve as a center of innovation for entrepreneurs, businesses and universities that are developing new technologies, services and research projects related to facilities and activities within the sports tourism industry. There is no better place for ideas, technologies and research opportunities around sport to be originated, vetted and eventually launched into the marketplace.
We announced our inaugural partnerships and will accept more business and research partners focused on the areas of professional, youth and recreational sports clubs and teams, accredited universities and educators, national governing bodies and local hospitality and sports tourism partners. William Knox, the Grand Park Director, is leading this effort, and since we announced this program, he’s received inquiries from almost a dozen businesses and universities. To me, that is a credit to the innovation mindset we have in Westfield. Our desire to build an ecosystem around sport will lead to new businesses coming here, but also new ideas and products.
I love William’s quote about the HUB. He said, “Our goal is for the HUB to use our 400 acres for advancing every aspect of sport. With the proliferation of competitive and recreational sports, there is opportunity to innovate in the areas of safety, technology, marketing, nutrition and understanding. Youth sports, specifically, is now a $19 billion industry. We can play a part in making it safer and more accessible.”
“Safer” and “more accessible” are the key words. Grand Park is a sports tourism destination. We care about the health of this industry. The innovations in technology, products and research will only grow the ability for athletes at all levels and their families to participate in sport. To me, the HUB will be a differentiator for Grand Park. It is just another way our team has answered the call to “think big.”