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Sask. Selects tournament drives multi-million dollar influx to Moose Jaw

Results suggest that the program contributes an estimated $2.7 to $3 million annually to the local economy.
football-coach
Zeljko Stefanovic (foreground) delivers an announcement during the Sask. Selects “Battle On the Prairies” football tournament at the Yara Centre on Jan. 11. Each year, the tournament is estimated to bring in upwards of $3 million to the local economy.

MOOSE JAW — The City of Moose Jaw scored big recently — both on and off the field.

In the wake of the recent Saskatchewan Selects football tournament held at the Yara Centre, thousands of visitors arrived in the city to support their team and brought with them a significant boost to the economy as evidenced by packed hotels and bustling restaurants.

With around 400 rooms booked over a five-night period, event organizers said approximately 2,000 room nights were booked in Moose Jaw — a recurring economic influx that happens each time Sask. Selects hosts its annual tournament.

“And that’s just us — that’s just our block,” said Zeljko Stefanovic, the managing director of the Selects Football program in Saskatchewan.

“That’s just our teams coming in from out of the country, and that doesn’t include any of the families that are coming. There are Airbnb’s booked, there are breakfast places booked… There’s not enough rooms in Moose Jaw to be able to accommodate everyone.”

In total, he said, around 4,000 people were estimated to be in the city specifically for the tournament that ran from Jan. 9 to 12.

Sask. Selects is based out of the Yara Centre in Moose Jaw and has played host to the annual tournament each year since 2018, minus a brief pause during the pandemic.

Stefanovic said an economic impact survey was conducted on behalf of Sask. Selects around two years ago that assessed how much money its activities brought in each year the tournament is held.

The study included a survey of parents and calculated their combined spending during their visit. Results suggest that the program contributes an estimated $2.7 to $3 million annually to the local economy, and around 300 families have attended around 10 weekends of practice so far.

“We’re just in January, and we are going to the end of February,” he said. “The amount of money that’s pumped into this economy is mind boggling.”

Stefanovic added that around 95 per cent of the athletes were from outside of Moose Jaw.

“They can’t just go home for lunch,” he said. “They’re buying hotel rooms here, they’re going to eat in restaurants, and (they’re) getting fuel. That’s huge for our local economy.”

Hoping to see greater accuracy, Stefanovic said the organization’s economic impact figures are based on a detailed survey of parents and their spending habits, rather than on inflated, “pie in the sky numbers” that yield exaggerated projections that he said are commonly seen in large-scale event analyses.

“We actually surveyed parents. How much money do you spend? What did you spend last weekend? After parents go home, (we ask), ‘How much did you spend on hotels? How much did you spend on food?’” he explained. “Then we multiply the amount of weekends that we have (an event going on) times the amount of families that we have.”

Jasvir Singh, manager of the Ramada by Wyndham in Moose Jaw, said all of its 63 hotel rooms were sold out during the weekend of the tournament. This trend included all the other hotels he spoke with and he said it repeats each time the tournament is held.

“Otherwise, because of the weather conditions, (very few) people generally travel on the weekdays or (even on) the weekends,” he noted, explaining that his hotel and others might see a few company employees but around 60 to 65 per cent less occupancy.

Singh added that the next analogue event is the upcoming 2025 World Men’s Curling Championships set to take place from Mar. 29 to April 6 in Moose Jaw.

“With these kinds of tournaments, things get really changed up. You see a lot of (additional guests) in the summertime too. (It makes) a very good impact.”

To learn more about the Saskatchewan Selects Football club visit SelectsFootball.com or visit ‘Sask Selects’ on Facebook.

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