Setting the Stage for Sports Tourism Growth
In Pasco County, just 30 minutes north of Tampa, Florida’s Sports Coast has become a model for how local destinations can harness sports tourism to drive measurable economic impact. Since opening the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus in 2020, the commission has been on a mission to turn every event into more than a weekend of competition. Each tournament, clinic, or championship fuels local businesses, hotels, and restaurants—and that’s where Fastbreak Pulse helps them tell the full story.
“We’re funded through our tourist development tax,” said Kayla Glazebrook, Sports & Special Events Program Coordinator for Florida’s Sports Coast. “So while hotel room nights are always important, the real story is broader. Pulse helps us show how these events drive local spending, support our community partners, and strengthen our destination’s reputation.”
The Challenge: Capturing More Than Heads and Beds
Before adopting Pulse, the team relied on traditional tools like the Destination International Economic Impact Calculator and visitor studies from Downs & St. Germain. While valuable, those methods couldn’t paint the full picture, especially for events not tied to funding programs or large sponsorships.
Florida’s Sports Coast needed a more modern way to standardize reporting, visualize visitor behavior, and communicate community-wide impact to stakeholders. Without Pulse, much of that impact—restaurant visits, family spending, repeat interest—would go undocumented.
The Solution: Fastbreak Pulse in Action
Fastbreak Pulse introduced a new layer of connectivity between event organizers, athletes, and the local community. Through a branded Florida Sports Coast app, visitors could explore local restaurants, redeem discounts, share event photos, and automatically contribute to tourism insights—all in one platform.
“Pulse gave us a new layer of value for our event organizers and attendees,” Glazebrook said. “They can share their photos, explore local deals, and connect with our destination. On the backend, we receive survey and visitation data that helps us track who’s coming, where they’re visiting, and how they’re spending.”
Across Pulse reports, those insights have been consistent:
- The American Pickleball Tour saw 72.5% local attendance but also drew regional travelers from up to 100 miles away, creating a balanced mix of local engagement and new visitor traffic.
- The Tournament of Legends achieved 100% return intent among attendees and a three-night average stay, proving the destination’s draw for longer tourism stays.
Pulse helps us show the value that these events bring to our community. They’re not only staying in hotels — they’re eating in our restaurants, shopping in our stores, and experiencing everything our destination has to offer.
Kayla Glazebrook, Sports and Special Events Program Coordinator, Florida’s Sports Coast
By merging behavioral and economic data, Florida’s Sports Coast could now quantify value beyond the walls of the venue—and highlight exactly how sports tourism supports the county’s economy.
The Results: Turning Data Into Destination Stories
Pulse turned visitor engagement into measurable stories that stakeholders could understand. For example:
- The SAT Florida drew visitors from more than 100 miles away—44.7% traveled long distances, making it a clear regional tourism driver.
- The USAB State Championships reflected the same pattern, with over 94% of locals and 100% of non-locals saying they’d return.
These insights gave Glazebrook’s team the ability to share real data with community partners—highlighting where visitors spent time, which restaurants or hotels were most visited, and how event scheduling affected tourism peaks.
Sustaining Momentum Through Data and Partnership
Events at the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus run year-round, but January through June brings a packed calendar of national and international tournaments. During slower summer months, the team uses Pulse data to identify gaps and attract non-traditional sports such as pickleball, cheer, and adaptive competitions—to extend their economic impact.
“This facility has helped place us on the map as a premier sports tourism destination,” said Glazebrook. “We’ve been able to bring the FL International Cup, USA Wrestling Nationals, and the U.S. Wheelchair Rugby Championships here. The data from Pulse helps us make the case for why more organizations should choose Florida’s Sports Coast.”
The partnership goes beyond software. “Your team has truly been amazing,” she added. “They’ve supported us every step of the way, helping us connect with event organizers and promote the app so athletes can get the most out of their experience.”
The Bigger Picture: Sports as a Unifying Force
For Glazebrook and her team, the long-term vision is about more than analytics—it’s about telling a unified story of sports-driven community growth. Across multiple events, Pulse has revealed how sports tourism brings people together, generates local pride, and fuels small-business success.
“Sports bring people together,” Glazebrook said. “They generate economic value, yes, but they also create social value. Pulse helps us tell that story—to show how events don’t just fill hotel rooms, they fill restaurants, shops, and hearts. That’s what makes our community thrive.”
About Florida’s Sports Coast
Florida’s Sports Coast is where athletes, families, and fans come to play. From pristine beaches to championship-level facilities, the destination offers year-round opportunities for sports tourism and recreation. Located just north of Tampa Bay, Florida’s Sports Coast partners with event organizers and community stakeholders to host world-class competitions that drive economic impact and showcase the region’s passion for sports and adventure.
About Fastbreak Pulse
Fastbreak Pulse is a sports tourism intelligence platform that helps organizers, commissions, and destinations measure the true impact of their events. From economic activity to community engagement, Pulse turns data into clear, actionable insights so you can prove value, secure funding, and plan smarter for the future.
