The Sports Facilities Companies (SFC) has been selected by the City of Vicksburg as the operating partner for its premier sports and entertainment venue, formerly known as Sports Force Parks on the Mississippi. It will now be known as Key City Park.

As the city’s operating partner for the park, SFC will manage all aspects of daily operations including marketing and booking, staffing and training, guest services, food and beverage, and maintenance. Vicksburg is the fourth municipality in the state of Mississippi to utilize SFC as the chosen operating partner for their sports, parks, and recreational assets.

“This is (a) state-of-the-art destination for youth sports in Mississippi and across the Southeast,” Vicksburg Alderman Alex Monsour said. “We’ve enjoyed the success of the park for the past five years, but we believe the best is yet to come with SFC as our operating partner.”

The park, which opened in 2019, is a destination for youth and amateur athletes and their families from across the Southeast region. It includes 10 baseball fields and seven full-size soccer fields, featuring synthetic turf and high-quality lighting. The venue also offers on-site dining options, family putt-putt, a playground, and even an on-site convenience store. Throughout the year, the venue welcomes a number of sports tournaments, including youth travel baseball, softball, soccer, football, and more.

Unlike the previous private operator, SFC is an outsourced operating partner to the City of Vicksburg. This means the city will have more control over the park and more opportunities for community collaboration. To help launch the next generation of operations at the park, SFC officials said it will lead an extensive rebranding process, including a new name as Key City Park. Rejuvenating the park’s name, logo, and brand identity will better represent the spirit of the venue, the city, and the facility’s future patrons, they said.

“We are thrilled to partner with the City of Vicksburg to build on the success of the park and usher in the next era of sports and recreation to the community,” SFC Vice President Cole Lacey said. “By leveraging our regional event, tournament, team, and facility partners we have the opportunity to improve the health and economic vitality of Vicksburg. Our commitment to the city is to be a great and collaborative partner every step of the way.”

SFC selected Ryan Kennard as their community liaison and general manager of the property. Kennard will be supported by on-site staff at the park as well as 80-plus subject matter experts in marketing, risk management, procurement, human resources, and finance at SFC’s “support center.”

“I couldn’t be more excited to join the SFC team and continue to serve the City of Vicksburg,” Kennard said. “We have an incredible opportunity to impact the lives of thousands of children and their families as well as the economy of the city as we bring in new visitors to stay, play, shop and eat at local Vicksburg businesses.”

SFC is a consultancy company that plans, develops, and operates sports, recreation, entertainment, and events facilities nationwide. The SFC Network, its collection of managed properties, represents the largest and fastest-growing portfolio of managed youth and amateur sports and recreation destinations in the United States and includes award-winning facilities in destinations such as Gatlinburg, Tenn., Branson, Mo., Panama City Beach, Fla., and Sandusky, Ohio, SFC officials said. SFC operates more than 50 properties nationwide in 20 states.

Visit the venue’s new website at www.keycitypark.com for upcoming events and tournament details.