Updated: 04/30/2020
Plano is a youth sports mecca in its own right. Here are the top 10 reasons why teams love to #PlayinPlano!
Perfect location. Right smack in the middle of the great American southwest is Plano, Texas. Getting to Plano is simple! Plano is located just 20 miles north of Dallas with convenient access to two major airports and is a very drivable destination.
Variety of venues. When it comes to hosting major sports tournaments and matches, Plano’s got game and plenty of venues to accommodate, whether it be baseball, softball, lacrosse, cricket, hockey, basketball, tennis or golf. Plano provides a major league sports support infrastructure to conduct the best competitions possible, amateur and non-traditional alike. There are 83 public parks spanning more than 4,000 acres, 82+ miles of paved trails, 168 athletic fields, nine public swimming pools, 133 public tennis courts, two public golf courses, and five recreation centers. Turf fields can also be used and there are even tournament parks built into existing parks.
Professional athletic and maintenance staff. Plano is 75 square miles of meticulously planned sport fields and facilities maintained by experienced and dedicated park professionals who work seamlessly with the Visit Plano team. With the support of an experienced, award-winning athletics staff, we do youth sports right and tournaments repeatedly want to return because of our city’s dedication.
Plenty of accommodations. Plano has 55 hotels with over two thousand double rooms to serve youth sports. Our city was designed so every Plano resident lives within a mile of a park and a recreation center. The result is that no Plano hotel is more than twelve miles from any park, so teams won’t come to Plano and drive 45-minutes to play. At the same time, Plano is big enough to provide the hotel brands, retail, restaurants, and attractions that teams and families trust and enjoy.
Award-winning sports city. Plano is ranked among the top five in The Sporting News “Best Sport Towns” and has been named a “Top Soccer City” by Livability.com. Plano routinely hosts 250+ team tournaments, including the 850-team Plano Youth Soccer Association Labor Day Invitational.
Visit Plano support. From in-house computerized housing coordination and welcome packets with area information and brochures to registration assistance and special event planning, your Visit Plano team is here to support the tournament and teams in order to make your tournament run as smoothly and as enjoyable as possible.
Kid & family-friendly attractions. Plano offers plenty of family-friendly activities for before and after tournament play, from a zip-lining and ropes course at Go Ape and a premier indoor family activity center at PINSTACK to the new, most colorful family destination for interactive, creative play at the Crayola Experience. And don’t miss out on Plano’s new skate park! Carpenter Park Skate Park features some of the most extensive and unique skate features in all of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. For a complete list of attractions, visit visitplano.com.
Incredible dining. With over 1,000 restaurants in Plano, your dining options are endless and convenient. No matter where you are staying in Plano, there’s always plenty of options within a short drive of your hotel or tournament venue. For a complete list of dining options in Plano, click here.
Entertainment. Plano has four stand-out entertainment areas across the city. From the historic brick-lined streets of the Downtown Plano Arts District with boutique shopping and unique, casual dining offerings to the upscale shopping and dining options of The Shops at Legacy and Legacy West. The Boardwalk at Granite Park also provides a relaxing atmosphere for your dining adventure.
Reliability. Tournaments return year after year to enjoy the safe, affordable park fields, hotels, restaurants, and attractions modern families enjoy.
Cover photo credit: Nan Palmero
Cricket photo credit: Visit Plano
Pinstack photo credit: Nan Palmero
Gallery photo credits (L-R): Arena Blake, Nan Palmero, Nan Palmero, Jessica Bowers, Nan Palmero, Visit Plano, Dawn Monroe, Visit Plano, and Visit Plano
