Pine Bluff takes its sports and recreation seriously, and it’s becoming big business.
From fishing and hunting to the World Series (Junior Babe Ruth, that is), Pine Bluff’s youngsters as well as adults have the opportunity to participate in a variety of sporting activities for recreation and to compete on local, state, regional and national levels — often bringing home the championship.
“Without question, Pine Bluff is the finest sports town in Arkansas,” says Travis Creed, executive director of King Cotton Sports, Inc., a nonprofit sports promotion company.
Two factors contribute to this success, he says: Pine Bluff’s sports facilities, and the city’s volunteers.
“No one will argue the point about baseball. Pine Bluff is light-years ahead in facilities and interest.”
The city has numerous Little League parks, plus four other baseball parks that house high school and youth programs. All have played host to state and regional tournaments, and Taylor Field just last summer was the site of its fourth Junior Babe Ruth World Series.
A total of more than 68,000 fans turned out for seven days of baseball last August, when Pine Bluff hosted the 13-15-year-old Junior Babe Ruth World Series, says Eddie Bryan, host president. More than 250 volunteers worked on the event, which is estimated to have brought $1.8 million into Pine Bluff’s economy, he says.
“A survey conducted by the Pine Bluff Convention and Visitors Bureau shows that restaurants and motels reported a 22 to 28 percent increase in business during the World Series,” Bryan says, “not to mention the increase at our grocery stores with Pine Bluff host families buying groceries for the teen-age baseball players.”
Bryan reports that he has already been contacted by Babe Ruth headquarters asking the city to host another World Series in 1996, 1997 or 1999.
“They said, ‘Just pick your year and age group,'” Bryan says.
The Regional Park softball complex is busy all summer with local competition as well as state and regional tournaments.
This fall the Regional Park, which is located on Lake Langhoffer, is abuzz with activity as the city’s long-awaited 18-hole public golf course — Harbor Oaks — is under construction by D. A. Thomas Enterprises. The driving range is to be completed in December, and the course itself is expected to be open by July. Fletcher White, longtime golf professional at Rosswood Country Club in Pine Bluff, has resigned to join Harbor Oaks.
The Pine Bluff Convention Center arena provides “the finest in basketball facilities,” Creed says, and is home of the 12-year-old Entergy AP&L King Cotton Holiday Classic, which is rated as one of the nation’s finest high school basketball tournaments.
“The wonderful community support is the reason King Cotton is such a success,” says Creed, the tournament’s founder, who estimates that from 1,200 to 1,500 volunteers have worked with the tournament during the past 12 years.
He attributes the success of the holiday classic for bringing national recognition to Arkansas high school basketball teams.
“Prior to King Cotton, no Arkansas high school teams were being invited to play in national tournaments,” he explains. “Their good showing in King Cotton has led to exposure for many of our Arkansas teams.”
Each year one or two Arkansas teams is invited to compete in the tournament. Pine Bluff Dollarway High School, Little Rock Parkview High School, Searcy High School and Star City High School have been invited to participate in this year’s tournament along with teams from Houston; Indianola, Miss.; Memphis, Tenn.; Montgomery, Ala.; Peoria, Ill.; Toledo, Ohio; Stamford, Conn.; and Marietta, Ga. The tournament will be Dec. 27-30.
“Each year we have about 300 basketball fans coming to Pine Bluff for King Cotton no matter what teams are invited,” Creed says. “They come from Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Texas and, of course, Arkansas. This is their annual trip, and they make hotel reservations for the following year when they check out.”
In addition to the fans, college coaches the tournament as an opportunity to watch recruits.
“During the last two days of this year’s tournament, we expect to have between 75 and 100 NCAA Division I coaches at the tournament,” Creed says.
In March, the convention center will be the site of the 1995 Arkansas High School Basketball Tournament Finals for all divisions. This two-day event is expected to draw close to 7,500 fans.
King Cotton Sports also produces the annual Budweiser Big Bass Tournament on the Arkansas River, with headquarters at the Regional Park. Open to amateurs only, the two-day tournament draws about 1,500 fishermen annually and offers a total of $50,000 in prize money for first through fifth place catches. In its six years, Creed estimates, a total of $500,000 in prize money has been paid out.
An addition to King Cotton Sports’ agenda is a four-day summer basketball team camp in July at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff with high school teams being invited to participate.
“I’m already hearing from coaches wanting to participate,” Creed says.
Creed is also working to bring a PGA-Nike Tour Event to the new Harbor Oaks Golf Course, which would be “a major golf event for Southeast Arkansas, with proceeds going to charity,” he says.
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