They pop 15-foot jumpers, lay down bunts and hit bull's-eyes.

Some kick, others putt, skate or dance.

All of them spend money and they're helping create a new niche for the Wisconsin Dells area.

Sports, much of it youth-oriented, is adding up to big business, filling hotel rooms, restaurants and the scores of shops and entertainment opportunities that pervade the region.

And if the growth continues, millions of more dollars could be spent in the near future to improve and add facilities, all in an effort to further establish the Dells as a year-round destination and one of the leading spots in the nation for sports tournaments.

"It's been evolving," said Romy Snyder, executive director of the Wisconsin Dells Visitor & Convention Bureau. "It's fairly new for us in terms of really going after it. When families and groups come to this area, we already have a built-in entertainment base."

That includes indoor and outdoor waterparks and theme parks, river excursions, museums, shows and horseback riding, all suitable for athletes and their families looking for things to do around games that in many cases take up just a few hours each day.

Some of the tournaments use gym space at schools, baseball fields in community parks and ice at area rinks, but the majority of the competition is happening at private facilities.

Big-time aspirations

One of the biggest is Chula Vista Resort just north of Wisconsin Dells, off Highway 13. As part of a $200 million expansion at the waterpark resort, president Mike Kaminski in 2007 added a 90,000-square-foot dome that can hold a full-size football field or be converted to 10 basketball courts or 16 volleyball courts. Chula Vista also built a conference center with 110,000 square feet of space.

"We made the commitment to try and build a big facility because we didn't want to be a local facility. We want to hold regional and national events," Kaminski said. "The key for us is flexibility because every sporting event and trade show all have a little different way that they set stuff up. We've really made a commitment to youth sports."

In April, his 620-room resort hosted 900 collegiate fencers while Saturday marked the conclusion of the three-day National Junior College Athletic Association's Division II Women's National Volleyball Championship.

In the fall, high school football teams from Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota used the facilities for overnight training camps. The dome also can hold up to 14 mats for wrestling. In December it hosted a high school tournament that included a college match between Wisconsin and Iowa.

The resort also has outdoor soccer fields and a 24-field baseball complex could be built in the coming years.

But Kaminski says it's not just his resort that benefits. Some visitors stay at other resorts or less expensive hotels, eat at area restaurants and shop.

"If you build it, they may come. If you don't build it, they aren't coming," Kaminski said.

‘Endless' potential

Dave Royston opened JustAgame Fieldhouse in downtown Wisconsin Dells in 2006. The $2 million, 36,000-square-foot facility can house four basketball courts or eight volleyball courts. He estimates about 16,000 players from about 1,700 teams used his facility last year, accounting for about 12,000 room-nights in area hotels and resorts.

Royston also wants to add two more courts to his facility that last year hosted 67 tournaments, the largest a 175-team event that also used other gyms in the area.

"I think it's endless," said Royston, when asked about the potential of sports for the area. "We haven't had problems getting people here because of where we're located."

Long-term stability

The genesis for the sports efforts goes back about five years when business and tourism leaders gathered to talk about how to draw families to the area in off-peak times. Sports was one of the markets that rose to the top, said Tom Diehl, president, general manager and co-owner of Tommy Bartlett. He's also a member of the Lake Delton Village Board.

"I think we're positioning ourselves very well," Diehl said. "It's another niche we're able to work on to ensure the long-term stability of the area."

He points to the addition of bowling centers at the Kalahari Resort and Knuckleheads, an indoor entertainment facility, both in Lake Delton. He said officials are also looking for a suitable spot for a 75- to 125-acre complex that could host soccer, rugby and lacrosse tournaments.

Not owning a facility doesn't exclude tournament organizers.

Rich Janor of Game Day USA in Naperville, Ill., has been using public fields in the Dells area the past two summers for youth baseball and fast-pitch softball. Next year he plans on 11 weekend tournaments, the largest with 120 teams. Most average about 50 teams a weekend, he said.

Today also marks the conclusion of a 35-team youth hockey tournament using rinks in Wisconsin Dells, Reedsburg, Baraboo and Prairie du Sac.

John Schwarz, owner of Ultimate Tournaments based in Wood Dale, Ill., said his teams this weekend were expected to use about 1,200 room-nights at area hotels. He has tournaments planned for this winter that will bring in 350 teams from 15 states and Canada. In five years, he wants to expand to attract skaters from 30 states.

"It's a good middle meeting point and a great destination," said Schwarz.

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