“Go big or go home.”
That was the overarching theme panelists were speaking to at a state-wide forum on how sports complexes can help community revitalization and economic development. The Community Playmaker Summit was hosted at Rhythm & Rally Sports & Events the world’s largest indoor pickleball facility, by The Sports Facilities Companies.
The event featured engaging panel discussions, peer networking opportunities, and a firsthand look at the innovative Rhythm & Rally facility. Panel discussions focused on economic development and sports tourism in Macon-Bibb and the state, the pickleball explosion in the United States, and the journey from concept to success for Rhythm & Rally, as well as the overall Macon Mall rejuvenation project.
“We’re gonna bet on ourselves….we’re gonna bet on pickleball,” Mayor Lester Miller told the gathered group. “We wanted to be that sports destination, that tourism destination, and we wanted to host the biggest and baddest tournaments here.”
“When we talk about pickleball as the fastest growing sport, Rhythm & Rally is at the forefront of the effort of its growth and is a leader in having the sport impact an entire community,” said John Roberts, General Manager of Rhythm & Rally. “Since COVID, the sport has grown by 13.6 million players. These are eye-popping, gob-smacking numbers.”
More than 60 people from other cities, counties, tourism agencies, and economic development organizations around the state were provided valuable insights and best practices for revitalizing structures, such as shuttered malls, into world-class sports and event complexes that can enrich the lives of city residents, increase city tourism, and provide positive economic impact.
Macon-Bibb has been working to help its pickleball community grow for several years, creating the Tattnall Square Pickleball Center, adding courts at Lake Tobesofkee, and now opening Rhythm & Rally. According to Robert Walker, Recreation Department Director, the Center was created after staff talked with the community about what types of sports and programming they were interested, and it was an instant success.
“The best strategy we had was listening to the community to make sure it is thriving, and from day one…as soon as it opened…people were there to play.,” he told the group. He then added to drive the point home, laughing, “Staff could not be late because I would hear about it.”
And it takes more than just listening to people…it takes following through on the projects and providing what is needed and desired.
“Create a team. Macon is a great example of this, where we all work together and are on the same page,” said Gary Wheat, President & CEO of Visit Macon, before encouraging his fellow tourism colleagues to get involved with community development. Currently tourism supports 4,200 jobs in Macon-Bibb, and by being involved with projects like this, an agency can help grow the local economy.
Paul Midkiff with Southern Pickleball pointed out the strength of the local community and how it has grown and how it is impacting tourism with the opening of Rhythm & Rally. Southern’s Macon Love tournament had 105 players from 3 states in 2021, and they considered that a successs. In 2024, though, it had more than 850 players, thanks to the opening of the new facility keeping it from being potentially rained out.
Rhythm & Rally doesn’t exist in a vacuum as a project; it is tied to the overall Macon Mall revitalization project that includes government offices, new retail and restaurants, and the openig of the Atrium Health Amphitheater.
“We invested in things that made sense for Macon,” said Alex Morrison, Executive Director of the Urban Development Authority. Already, Rhythm & Rally and the Amphitheater are coordinating schedules with the intent of, in the future, people traveling to Macon for an entire weekend of concerts, tournaments, festivals, eating, shopping, and more.
“Our goal has always been to make this for the entire community,” he told them.
About the Mall Rejuvenation Project
Rhythm & Rally Sports & Events is located within the former Macon Mall, currently undergoing a significant rejuvenation project. Alongside Rhythm & Rally, the project includes the recently opened and already successful Atrium Health Amphitheater and the relocation of various government offices, signaling a transformative revitalization effort in the area.
About Visit Macon
The mission of Visit Macon is to unify and lead our community in marketing the Macon-Bibb County area as a superior visitor and meeting destination. Visit Macon promotes Macon, Georgia to travel writers, meeting planners, group tour operators, and leisure travelers in an effort to bring people and revenues into the community and area businesses.
About the Sports Facilities Companies
The Sports Facilities Companies (SFC) are the Nation’s leading resources for the management and development of sports, recreation, wellness, and events facilities. As a turn-key solution for community leaders and developers alike, SFC services span the gamut of sports and recreation needs from sports tourism and recreation master planning, program planning, and feasibility through professional facility management services. Our 40+ managed venues and 1500+ team members, represented by the SF Network, welcome more than 25 million guest visits and produce over $250 million in economic impact each year. To learn more, please visit SportsFacilities.com and theSFnetwork.com.