The Grand Traverse Resort & Spa is expecting a big turnout this weekend as they host their first ever AAU basketball tournament.
They’ve transformed their health club into four hardwood basketball courts for this weekend’s big event.
Grand Traverse Resort and Spa has hosted sporting events in the health club before, including the Special Olympics.
Normally the health club features tennis courts, but Friday resort employees were putting the final pieces of the courts together. The basketball courts are pieced together like a puzzle on top of existing tennis courts.
They purchased the hardwood courts last fall, which now allows the resort to host more sporting events.
The resort partnered with FAAST Sports, an amateur sports group that works with travel sports teams in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. FAAST Sports will host a total of six basketball tournaments at the resort this year.
They expect around 800 guests to attend with more than 30 teams from 16 cities, including:
- Bay City
- Cadillac
- Chesterfield
- Cheboygan
- Dearborn
- Detroit
- Eaton Rapids
- Gaylord
- Grand Rapids
- Midland
- Oscoda
- Saline
- Sault Ste. Marie
- Traverse City
The Grand Traverse Resort is hoping to do their part to help the economy during the winter months, when typically less people visit the area.
Traverse City Tourism President Trevor Tkach says that although it’s a slower time of year, they’ve got all the amenities to be able to accommodate guests.
“It helps keep hotel rooms full, keep restaurants busy, keep the attractions busy here in our area,” Tkach said. “People know this is a great destination so this is just reassurance that we can put on an event like this in the middle of winter and people are coming and spending good money here and we appreciate that.”
Tkach explained that it’s great that their holding a basketball tournament at the resort, and believes both visitors and residents will benefit.
“The community benefits as a whole as those families are going to go explore Traverse City,” Tkach stated. “This spurs economic activity, dollars are passed around in the community during a time when it’s traditionally slower.”
“AAU teams in Northern Michigan now don’t have to travel down to Grand Rapids or Detroit, instead they can come right here,” said Grand Traverse Resort and Spa’s Public Relations Manager, Caroline Rizzo.
“There are a lot of local teams that would like to get involved in these types of events as well. This is really great for the locals and of course it’s great from an economic standpoint because it helps keep people more fully employed,” said Tkach. “Small business owners are going to take advantage of this opportunity having people in the town spending money.”
After this weekend’s tournament, FAAST Sports and Grand Traverse Resort and Spa will host five more tournaments.
There will be one tournament per month from now until July, and the resort will host two tournaments in June.
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