We are excited to report that Rocky Top Sports World recently closed the books on its biggest year yet! In the 2017-18 fiscal year, our athletic complex delivered a $45.7 million economic impact to Sevier County, TN. For the fourth consecutive year, Rocky Top Sports World has generated even more money than projected, topping the previous fiscal year by more than $10 million.

Attracting over 42,000 athletes each year, Rocky Top Sports World is one of the most popular tournament destinations in the United States! Since opening its doors in 2014, our 80-acre athletic complex has established itself as an industry leader with its superior amenities and friendly staff members. In 2017, the readers of SportsEvents Magazine voted Rocky Top Sports World one of the nation’s Top 10 Multi-Use Sports Facilities. To help you plan your next tournament, we have put together a handy guide to five features that set Rocky Top Sports World apart from the rest.

When Rocky Top Sports World opened its $20 million athletic complex in 2014, it was a big investment for the city of Gatlinburg and Sevier County, TN. Our 80-acre campus was funded as a joint venture by the city and the county. Now that Rocky Top Sports World has closed the books on its third year, we are pleased to report that the area’s investment in our sports complex continues to pay major dividends.

Attending a youth sports camp is a great way for young athletes to sharpen their skills outside of their school or travel team. The best camps offer invaluable instruction from accomplished athletes and coaches that you won’t find anywhere else. However, not all of the camps out there are worth your money. To help you select the right camp for your child, be sure to look for these four things as you do your research:

Here at Rocky Top Sports World, we can accommodate virtually any type of sports event. With seven outdoor fields, an 86,000 square ft indoor complex, team rooms, referee locker rooms, and plenty of bleacher seating, our campus in Gatlinburg, TN has everything you need for an incredible tournament. While soccer, football, basketball, and volleyball tournaments are most common at Rocky Top, we are definitely not limited to these sports! In fact, we love to host tournaments for sports that don’t always get the same attention as their mainstream counterparts. To help spark your imagination, we have put together a list of five unorthodox sports tournaments that you could organize at Rocky Top Sports World:

At Rocky Top Sports World’s grand opening in September 2014, our ambassador Coach Phillip Fulmer told the crowd, “This was a great vision by a lot of people to come together and this will not only impact the lives of a lot of young people around the country, but the lives here economically.” Coach Fulmer could not have been more correct. Data from Rocky Top Sports World’s second year shows that our sports complex has had a profound economic impact on Sevier County.

After a nationwide search, The Sports Facilities Management is pleased to announce the promotion of Lori McMahan Moore as General Manager of Rocky Top Sports World. Moore, a Sevier County native and graduate of the University of Tennessee, previously served as Director of Marketing and Business Development and Interim General Manager at the facility.

The 2016 Summer Olympic Games are right around the corner, and here at Rocky Top Sports World, our young athletes couldn’t be more excited! The children and teenagers who train and compete at our Gatlinburg sports complex can’t wait to see their favorite athletes head to Rio to try and bring back the gold. While many Olympic contenders have captured the imagination of young visitors to Rocky Top Sports World, there are a few athletes and teams who really stand out.

Here at Rocky Top Sports World, we love summer in the Smoky Mountains! With average highs in the mid-80s and lows in the 60s, the weather is perfect for outdoor sports camps and tournaments. At the same time, the summer heat requires athletes to take special precautions when they enjoy some fun in the sun. We have put together a convenient guide with everything you need to know about staying hydrated during summer sporting events at Rocky Top:

Here at Rocky Top Sports World, we love getting feedback from the athletes and families who visit our sports complex in Gatlinburg TN! We are very proud to have over forty 5 star reviews on our Facebook page, with an average rating of 4.7 stars. As we read over our reviews, we noticed that certain themes kept coming up over and over again. Here are the top three things visitors loved about their experience at Rocky Top Sports World:

Here at Rocky Top Sports World, we like to keep up with the latest information and studies about youth sports. One trend that we thought was worth investigating was sports specialization in kids. Increasingly, many parents are encouraging their children to intensively train in only one sport from a very young age. Does this early specialization actually give young athletes an edge? To find out, we took a look at a comprehensive study from the Sports Health journal entitled Sports Specialization in Young Athletes. We’ve summarized and analyzed their findings below.

Kids love staying active and being outdoors; and parents love letting their little ones burn off their extra pent up energy! Playing team sports at Rocky Top Sports World is not only fun, but it also improves the quality of life for children. Here are just five of the benefits of playing Smoky Mountain sports:

Rocky Top Sports World is thrilled to announce a new, exciting feature for residents, athletes, and guests! The City of Gatlinburg recently completed construction on a greenway around our Smoky Mountain sports complex and Mills Park. The new greenway provides a convenient and scenic way to travel from field to field. Read on for everything you need to know about these beautiful walking trails.

Here at Rocky Top Sports World, we offer some of the best athletic facilities in the Southeast to players and teams from around the country. In addition to our top notch courts and fields, we also strive to maintain a positive atmosphere that keeps athletes coming back again and again. If we had to sum up the culture and standards we aim to foster at our sports complex in Gatlinburg in one word, it would be “sportsmanship”. In this article, we will examine what sportsmanship means to us and what we expect from athletes, coaches, and parents who visit Rocky Top Sports World.       

Becoming more active is something that most people strive for as they begin a new year, and it is an especially important goal for kids. One of the best ways to get your child moving is by having them join a sports team. Along with having fun with friends, there are many great benefits for playing a team sport. Here are just some of the advantages of joining a Smoky Mountain sports team: