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Polk County
Polk County, Fl
FOR THE BEST WEATHER AND AN INCREDIBLE ARRAY OF SPORTS VENUES, HOST YOUR TOURNEY IN POLK COUNTY
Scan to discover more of what Central Florida Visitors & Convention Bureau offers sports planners at SportsPlanningGuide.com
Lake Myrtle Sports Park
Polk County, Florida is more than just a beautiful locale with pristine weather. It’s also a perfect destination to host your next sporting event. It houses a multitude of excellent facilities including the RP Funding Center (a multipurpose entertainment complex in Lakeland) and Lake Myrtle Sports Park (a multipurpose sports complex with nine collegiate-sized baseball fields and 11 lighted soccer fields).
FACILITY SPOTLIGHT
RP Funding Center Basketball, soccer, events
The RP Funding Center is a multipurpose entertainment complex in Lakeland, comprising a convention center, arena and theater. It is home to the Florida Tropics SC of the Major Arena Soccer League and the Lakeland Magic, the Orlando Magic’s affiliate in the NBA G League. Opened in 1974, the complex is home to Jenkins Arena (capacity: 8,178), YouKey Theatre (2,236), Exhibit Hall (2,834), Sikes Hall (1,865), Lake Hollingsworth Ballroom (468), Lake Parker Room (164) and Lake Morton Room (110).
Lake Myrtle Sports Park Baseball, lacrosse, flag football
This multi-purpose sports complex consists of nine collegiate-sized baseball fields featuring electronic scoreboards, oversized dugouts, home and visitor bullpens and batting cages. It also has 11 lighted soccer fields. Events hosted at Lake Myrtle have varied from the National Dog Agility Championships to regional rugby championships as well as lacrosse, flag football
and the Russ Matt Central Florida Baseball Invitational, the largest collegiate baseball tournament in the nation.
A multi-purpose building in Winter Haven features a 58,400-square-foot multi-use gymnasium space (with seating for 800) as well as a second-floor observation area. It also houses numerous meeting rooms, six basketball courts, 12 volleyball courts, a blackbox theater, classroom space and a workout area.
Northeast Regional Park Soccer
The 83-acre park includes six soccer/football fields with 4 brand new, turfed collegiate baseball fields, a concession stand, a pavilion for special events, picnic facilities and an exercise trail and a dog park. It also has lights for nighttime play and seating can be brought in if needed.
Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium Baseball
This 8,500-seat stadium in Lakeland was opened in 1966 and has had multiple renovations, most recently in 2017. Spring Training home to the Detroit Tigers, it was named after local resident and former Lakeland Parks and Recreation Director Marcus “Joker” Marchant. Among the recent renovations include six new covered sections (211-216), increasing the number of covered seats (rows N and up) from 1,246 to 2,098 seats, while more seats will be shaded with the extended roof. more air-conditioned spaces, more concession stand offerings and more restrooms as number of women’s restroom toilets is increasing 50% from 48 to 72.
CENTRAL FLORIDA VISITORS & CONVENTION BUREAU
Neal Duncan neal@centralfloridasports.com 863-551-4714 centralfloridasports.com
AdventHealth Fieldhouse & Conference Center
POPULAR ACTIVITIES
▶Legoland Florida Resort is a vacation destination in Winter
Haven, Florida. The resort features the Legoland Florida theme park itself, the Legoland Water Park, three on-site accommodations and a separately-ticketed onsite park based on the British children’s animated series Peppa
Pig that opened in February.
▶Bok Tower Gardens has offered some of Florida’s most remarkable experiences to more than 23 million visitors since 1929. The
Gardens offer unparalleled opportunities for artistic, cultural, personal and spiritual enrichment.
At Bok Tower Gardens there is something to discover for visitors of all ages.
▶Safari Wilderness Ranch is a high-quality wildlife safari park in Central Florida. Experience magnificent herds of African and
Asian species on 260 acres of pristine Florida wilderness.
AdventHealth Fieldhouse & Conference Center
Northeast Regional Park
When It Comes To Competition, We’re Ahead Of The Game.
Central Florida’s Polk County is where you’ll discover a true paradise for athletes, organizers and attendees of sporting events large or small. At the award-winning Diamond Plex, five top-notch softball fields await, with all the accompanying facilities to match. Lake Myrtle Sports Park offers nine collegiate baseball fields and 11 multipurpose fields, while Northeast Regional Park houses four brand new collegiate baseball fields and six multipurpose fields. The RP Funding Center is home to the NBA G-League Lakeland Magic, and Florida High School basketball finals. AdventHealth Fieldhouse and Conference Center boasts 60,000 sq. ft. of multi-use gymnasium space ideal for wrestling, gymnastics, martial arts, cheer and dance competitions and basketball tournaments. Plus, Central Florida’s Polk County has been the Spring home for the Detroit Tigers for 86 years. Add it all up, and you’ll find Polk County to be the sweetest spot for sporting events in the Sunshine State.
