Georgia State Games
Championship Program’s Fast Facts
Mission: To promote, develop, operate and educate sports, physical fitness and health programs and services for the benefit of ALL Georgians.
Summary:
• $1,148,300 in value in-kind services and products donations
• Number of Annual Volunteers: 1,136
• Number of Volunteers Hours Logged Annually: 30,578 hours
All Ages Served: Youngest Participant: 3 years old, in the Wrestling
Oldest Participant: 97 years old, in Masters Swimming
Number of GA Counties Served: 105 (66% of Georgia’s population)
Number of Cities Served: 552
Number of Zip Codes Served: 661
Number of Georgia Schools Served: 402
Number of Sports Offered: 42
Number of Georgians Served: Since 1990, over 2.87 million Georgians served. Over 29,437 Georgians were served.
Additional Impact:
The Georgia Games has extended its reach in the sports market being the state governing body for Taekwondo and Rugby. In addition, it has partnerships with soccer, track and field, swimming, lacrosse, wrestling and others that help operate ALL aspects of those sports in the state of Georgia. This service alone reaches over 250,000 athletes which account for an annual economic impact to Georgia of over $20 million. We also conduct disabled sports and Paralympic sports when enough support is present.
Educational Services:
The Games conduct various coaching, referee and athlete training and developmental clinics, seminars and safety programs in coordination with our partners.
The Games has also established an internationally recognized educational internship training program that has had participants from 12 countries, 40 states in addition to the majority of Georgia Colleges. In 2020, over 410 interns were saved and graduated college due to our virtual internship program!
National Championships:
The medalists from Georgia can ONLY qualify for the National State Games of America by competing in the Georgia Games and winning a medal in one of our sports. Last year 13,950 athletes represented 50 states competed in the National Games including from Georgia.
The is not only Georgia’s Grass Roots Olympic Movement BUT is also the backbone of amateur sports in the state operating and supporting 50+ volunteer driven state and national governing bodies.
Objectives:
(a) Provide sports tourism economic impact to the state;
(b) Develop and operate physical fitness, health services & sports for Georgians;
(c) Help fight childhood obesity in Georgia; and
(d) Provide educational training opportunities for future workforce.
Annual Economic Impact of the Georgia State Games Summer Championship
Over 36 cities hosted Georgia Games events. These local areas received a positive economic impact of more than $19 million and the state received an estimated $1,012,700 in tax revenue from these programs.
Economic Impact to Greater Atlanta: $16 million; % of Programs in Greater Atlanta: 50%
Economic Impact in Other Areas: $6 million; % of Programs in Other Parts of Georgia: 50%
Number of States Sending Athletes: 20 States
Economic Impact of ’s Support Role:
In working with our colleague organizations, the Games has been at the forefront of additional impact events.
• Two Regional-National Wrestling events were conducted in 2017 bringing people to the Georgia World Congress Center for an estimated economic impact of over $2.5 million dollars.
• One International Sporting Championships had been added in 2016: The Atlanta 7’s IRB Women’s Sevens World Series. $2 million in added economic impact to Georgia.
• USA Junior national cycling championships: $250,000 economic impact.
Augusta last hosted the 2002 Championships, then the state funding was eliminated. Twelve million dollars was the economic impact to the Augusta region. Many more events, services and increase economic impact could be achieved with just some support from the state.
Unfortunately, the Governor’s Office stopped financially supporting the Games, thus lost economic at the grass roots sports level will continue to be lost for the State.
Lost Economic Sport Tourism Dollars in 2022: $135 Million
Lost Economic Sport Tourism Dollars in 2021: $125 Million
Lost Economic Sport Tourism Dollars in 2020: $555 Million
Lost Economic Sport Tourism Dollars in 2019: $88 Million
Lost Economic Sport Tourism Dollars in 2018: $62 Million
Last Five Years: Lost Amateur Sports Tourism Dollars = $ 965 Million
