A suburban sports facility and its regional tourism partner have been honored for their significant economic contributions, winning two national awards for sports tourism.
The Wintrust Sports Complex at Bedford Park and Visit Chicago Southland announced they have jointly received two 2025 Champions of Economic Impact Sports Tourism Awards. The honors were presented by Sports Destination Management, a leading trade publication for sports event planners.
The awards specifically recognize the economic impact of two major tournaments hosted at the Bedford Park facility in 2025: the USA Judo Junior Olympic Championships and the Under Armour Association Boys Basketball Finals.
The USA Judo Junior Olympic Championships, described as the preeminent national tournament for athletes ages 5 through 20, brought 867 competitors and more than 2,500 spectators to the area. That event alone generated an estimated $2.3 million in economic impact for the region.
The second award was for the Under Armour Association Boys Basketball Finals. That event, which also included the OneSix middle school championship, spanned seven days and drew 350 teams. With nearly 10,000 spectators in attendance, the basketball finals generated an estimated $4.6 million economic impact.
Combined, the two tournaments brought more than 12,500 athletes and visitors to the Chicago Southland region and generated a total estimated economic impact of $6.9 million.
David R. Brady, president of the Village of Bedford Park, celebrated the recognition.
“We are delighted to receive recognition as Champions of Economic Impact by Sports Destination Management,” Brady said in a statement. “These awards reinforce that our mission to make Wintrust Sports Complex at Bedford Park an elite sports events facility is on the correct path.”
Visit Chicago Southland, the official destination management and marketing organization for the region, partners with the complex to attract such events.
Mary Patchin, president and CEO of Visit Chicago Southland, praised the collaboration.
“We continue to be proud to have Wintrust Sports Complex at Bedford Park a part of the Chicago Southland region,” Patchin said. “Our partnership is special as it’s a pleasure to support them in every way.”
According to Sports Destination Management, which is the largest publication in the sports tourism market, the award criteria factor in the revenue generated at an event, including at area hotels, restaurants and shops, relative to the size of the local market.
Visit Chicago Southland serves as the official destination management organization for the city’s south and southwest suburbs. The organization works to nationally market the region as a destination for meetings, conventions, sports events, group tours and leisure travel.