Youth Sports Can Save Snyder, even without oil....

      A recent article in The Snyder Daily News serves two purposes. On one hand, it shows that a local family’s dedication is paying dividends to young people. On the other hand, the families’ formula gives us a crystal clear blueprint for what Snyder could do to attract more business and ultimately lower all our property taxes.

     The article is about the annual Pop’s Memorial Junior Golf Tournament hosted by the Leatherwood, Chapman, & Terry families. The event, held in July since 2012, honors the life of Lonnie Terry. Youngsters and their parents come from hundreds of miles to Snyder. The numbers tell the story. The tournament’s grown by a minimum of 10 percent, but up to 20-percent every year. More than 100 young strikers participated last year. About 25 percent came from Snyder under coach Ricky Hunter's tutelage. But still, about 75-percent came from out of town! That’s both wonderful news and news we should use to bring ‘new money’ into our local economy.

      Barbara Leatherwood, Mr. Terry’s daughter, has a great quote in the article. “We never believed the tournament would grow like it has,” she told SDN.  Barbara may have never believed her tournament would grow like it has, but she’s always known that youth sports could be a gold mine for Snyder.

      First and absolutely foremost, the Pop’s Memorial is all about honoring Mr. Terry and that’s why Barbara and the family team started the tournament. But also know that the Leatherwood, Chapman & Terry gang have the ‘midas touch’ when it comes to bringing people to Snyder. Think Snyder Wheels Car Show… need I say more?

     Barbara probably wasn’t the first to talk about youth sports in Snyder and she probably won’t be the last. The difference is, she said long ago while we served on the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors that youth sports is money. She said that we (the chamber) should focus on that to bring business to town. Unfortunately, we (the chamber) did not. But, Barbara did and she’s proving her point in spades.        

     So without further ado, shouldn’t we all take a page out of the Pop’s Memorial handbook if we want an almost guaranteed formula for weekend business in Snyder?

     Before I get to the ‘how to’ part, did you know increased sales tax revenue will eventually lower your property taxes? It’s true. The Texas Department of Tourism even created a video many years ago showing if smaller towns will do something to create a consistent influx of sales tax then their property taxes could/would begin to decrease.

    Now to the ‘how to’ part. The easy answer is a SPORTS COMPLEX, but as I write those words I can sense many, if not all the naysayers, reading this asking me; “Who’s going to pay for this? I’m not going to pay for this! If it was good enough for me, it’s good enough for my grandkids.”

    So, forget a sport complex for now. It’ll be something Snyder regrets, but forget it for now. Instead, let’s think of what we have that can be put to use EVERY WEEKEND for youth sports, subsequently creating an infusion of new money every weekend.

    We have a football field, we have multiple baseball/softball fields, we have gymnasiums, etc. The point is, kids play football, baseball/softball, basketball, etc. I’d encourage any group hoping to make a buck for their cause and asking for HOT FUNDS to go the youth sports route versus another dance or party.

     I suppose this formula is primarily intended for our chamber as its mission is simple; “Bring business to Snyder,” but it can apply to any group that needs a guaranteed to grow fundraiser.

      The blueprint is simple. Think competition. First of all, all parents know that youth sports mean traveling. Parents budget for this. To the Chamber I say, the only events putting ‘heads in beds’ are sporting events and primarily those involving school aged children. College events don’t usually include traveling parents. To the foundations or museums in Snyder I offer, why pay thousands in time and money for a party that less than a couple hundred attend, who are almost exclusively local, and will cost more every year versus growing an event that costs pennies on the dollar?

     The point is and the ‘ Pop’s Memorial proves it, competition events are practically 100% ‘new money.’ Just about anyone spending their money is from out of town. The only Snyderites in attendance are the volunteers who are generously giving their time. That’s the perfect event! That’s new money!

     I say to those who need weekend business, you need customers over the weekend. Youth sports happen over the weekend. I say to those who don’t have a child in the game, the bottom line is crystal clear. The more sales tax revenue generated in Snyder… the greater chance you have of decreasing your property taxes.

     Congrats to the Pop’s Memorial. Y’all have the ice cubes recipe.

Bill Robertson