Southaven a standout among N. Miss. cities building facilities

OXFORD -- The principals don't draw eight-figure salaries, but youth sports can be big business.

Participants may not all be star athletes, but they may be building a lifelong habit of exercise. Then there's the truism that 12-year-olds wearing baseball uniforms are less likely to wear jail jumpsuits later in life.

For those reasons and more, sports complexes are getting increasing attention -- and commitment -- in some of the region's towns.

New Albany sees amateur sports not only as an amenity for local children and adults, but also a basis for economic development. Baseball, softball and soccer tournaments at the New Albany Sportsplex help keep the city's motels and restaurants busy from March to October, drawing as many as 150,000 participants, coaches and supporters in a year.

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