Case Study
Hosting competitive sports tournaments FOR young adults
A group of high school students in Holdrege, Nebraska came up with the idea of hosting competitive sports events to foster a sense of community among young people in their town.
The students worked with a local business association that helps promote community, culture, and businesses.
Details
Summer, 2022
Holdrege, Nebraska
Categories
UpStarts Rural
The students came up with an idea of hosting competitive sports tournaments for the young adult population in the area. There would be a registration cost and prizes offered at the end of the tournament season.
The local business association identified and presented the problem of population decline among young adults in rural Nebraska, to high school students who participated in this program. High school students interviewed local businesses and local youth to understand the reason behind this. The interviewees stressed a lack of entertainment options downtown, housing shortage and childcare for the main reasons why young people migrated to larger towns. Students developed a solution for entertainment by offering competitive sports events for each season. There would be an entry fee, advertisements by local businesses, and prizes for the winner. These sports events would engage young adults, bring back good high school memories, and re-bond with their friends. Thus, they might consider moving back to the rural town, knowing they had a sense of community, belonging, and entertainment options. The community members and business partners applauded the solution and considered implementing it to help retain the population in rural Nebraska.
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