Sports Trends to Look Out for This 2019

Sports are undoubtedly a huge part of our lives; it entertains us, excites us, keep us physically fit as much as possible, teaches us about good character, and inspires us. The popularity of sports has united all of us as we enjoy it. Throughout the years, the sports industry has evolved. The common knowledge we have about sports is it is a competitive physical activity, but nowadays, it is more than that. In recent years, the sports industry has evolved and new trends have emerged. And, 2019 won’t stop that. There are many entities that are huge factors into changing and evolving the sports industry of today. It is anticipated that 2019 will be no stranger to upcoming sports trends. Here are sports trends to look out for this 2019:

Safety First

The safety of the athletes is always a top priority, and athletes getting injured is one of the most talked about issues in sports. In football, for example, concussions have risen massively and are being discussed, other sports joined in the discussion as well. Hence, Safe Sport emerged to ensure the safety of athletes in several Olympic sports. Safe Sport is an independent organization that investigates and protects athletes and all personnel involved in an Olympic event. They conduct full background checks on the athletes and coaches, and even referees, officials, event volunteers, and board members. In some sports league, they’ve implemented certain protocols to follow to prevent incidents that may harm athletes and on what to do when an athlete suffered an injury.

Establishing New Home Grounds

In recent years, some sports organizations had relocated or are still planning to relocate. USA BMX, USA Badminton, and the USSSA did that last year. The main reason for a sports organization’s relocations is due to a specific area’s economic development. They help create more available jobs for the local community because the more the events, the more hotels, restaurants, local shops, and businesses accommodate people. These movements are an obligation that the sports organizations fulfill as part of a contract and formal agreement. And, these can also help to promote their name and respective sports to other communities.

Tourism Improvement District (TID)

The main goal of TIDs is maximizing the overnight visitors availing for accommodations and services in an area. TIDs now use sports as a means to attract more visitors, which means more revenues coming in. However, for the past several years, some areas have already done this tactic. But, just recently, large areas like Texas and Oklahoma embraced the tactic of implementing TIDs. And, it doesn’t stop there; the competition becomes even more competitive as Illinois and Wisconsin are also planning to do so. Probably in the years to come, all cities, towns, and states will follow this move as well.

Revamping Facilities

Some sports facilities are being revamped for other sports. For instance, people playing golf have dwindled in recent years; thus, golf real estates no longer profit as well as they used to. They have transformed their facility into multi-purpose sports complexes to accommodate other sporting events, which can help the locals and attract big sporting events. Some parks and recreational facilities even changed their tennis courts into a pickleball court because pickleball’s popularity has risen. This concerns some people in the sports industry and is currently debating about it as they fear that golf and tennis (which are classic sports) might be forgotten.

For the Sake of Sports

Nowadays, there are many communities using tourism-related taxes to build sports venues that have the potential to attract numerous big sporting events. This trend has been going on for quite some time; but, 2019 won’t/can’t stop it. This tactic is showing no signs of slowing down as countless communities continue to build gigantic sports venues. Building sports venues using tourism-related taxes allows sports commissions and CVBs to take control of their venue assets; this can generate overnight stays and offer local teams to play for well-innovated venues.

Making Owned Events

Making owned events is another trend that has been around for a while now and is still going on. If you can make an event together with local partners, then you don’t have to bid for these assets because you won’t have big-time competitors to bid against with. Small and mid-tier markets that can’t compete with wealthy competitors do this more often.

Non-Traditional Sports Rising to Popularity

Sports around the world are constantly growing and so does the non-traditional ones. There are now colleges offering scholarships for E-sports and professional E-Sports league with winning prizes up to millions of dollars have grown into major popularity. Who would have thought that computer gamers can earn that big nowadays? Pickleball membership in the USA has ballooned to 28,000 members in the last five years. According to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association, BMX racing leads as the fastest growing sport in the USA. Even drone racing now has its own official league system. In the US, offices and infrastructures are being built for famous international sports like cricket. Although it’s not a bad thing to introduce a new sport, hopefully, classic sports will remain as it is.

Legalization of Gambling

Gambling has always been a staple topic when it comes to sports. People love to bet (especially the rich) whether who wins, who gets knocked out, what round will the knockout happen, how many goals will the team make, who will win the trophy or belt, and so on. Gambling in sports can generate huge profits for casino and other betting sites like wetten.com which you can visit with this link.  Gambling can have a huge impact on sports, and it could be of great concern. We’ll probably see soon enough. Check out hier to see some updates.

Politics

Just like gambling, politics has become a staple entity in sports. Sports have become a huge part of a country’s industry and economy; thus, politics putting a hand on it is inevitable. The government will always have a part to play when it comes to the sports industry. Even certain actions or events made by the realm of politics can cause rippling effects which include sports. For instance, the US has trade agreements with Canada and Mexico which is constantly changing as of today, and they have made partnerships with both countries to host a World Cup event in the future, that means their partnerships may be in jeopardy.    

Keeping an Eye on Non-Profit Organizations

How non-profit organizations spend the funds given to them is being watched carefully these days. Non-profit organizations include sports commissions, the National Governing Bodies (NGBs), conventions and visitors’ bureaus, and many more. The government entities have become more vigilant in overseeing the flow that their funding undergoes. Due to the govt. entities’ constant overseeing, some C-level professionals lost their jobs for questionable spending practices they’ve done within their organization. Hence, non-profit organization leaders should also be vigilant to protect their reputation.

Enjoy Sports as Always (Conclusion)

Change is an inevitable force in any industry like sports. No matter the changes, it is essential that we embrace them along with long-time traditions. In 2019, we should continue the way we’ve always enjoyed sports, let it continue to unite and bring us joy. Let 2019 be another great and memorable year for sports.