If you’ve been reading The Natchez Democrat’s sports section the past three Sundays, you’ve seen the series of stories about the need for a sports complex in Natchez.

Hopefully the stories have allowed you, the readers, to make an informed decision about Natchez’s need for a sports complex or if the current facilities are enough.

I don’t know about you, but in my opinion the answer to the question of whether Natchez needs a new sports complex is a resounding yes.

Many cities and municipalities across the country, especially in the sports crazy Southeast, have realized that a sports complex is a big time moneymaker for their city.

Even small towns in Mississippi, such as Magee (population about 4,000) and Philadelphia (population about 7,200) have built sparkling new sports complexes in the past few years in the hopes of drawing more money into the town. And on the whole, it’s working.

One of the biggest booms of the past several years has been the rise of traveling and summer league teams. Youth organizations like USSSA host numerous tournaments throughout the year, which last several days and include numerous teams from across the state and region.

People who participate in these tournaments are too far away from home to drive to and from the tournaments so they will need to stay in area hotels. They also need to eat, so they’ll dine in area restaurants.

And it’s not just baseball. There are also many people who would flock to Natchez for softball, soccer and even swimming tournaments, were such a facility available.

Natchez has an added advantage in the fact that it is a city full of history. Natchez has a lot to offer with its historic antebellum houses and museums.

People who come for the tournaments have the chance to see all the beauty and history Natchez has to offer, and want to return to visit another time.

And then there are all the different shops downtown. From antique stores to book stores to coffee shops, there are plenty of downtown establishments that will greatly benefit from a sports complex in Natchez.

Yes it would be pretty expensive to build a sports complex in Natchez but it seems that the money that would be made from a complex would quickly surpass the cost of building it.

A city official in a town that recently built a sports complex estimated that it has brought over $5 million into the city. And that’s in a city that does not have anything close to what Natchez offers.

Natchez can probably expect that and even more due to its many different shops and unique restaurants.

While the money brought into the city would be an important reason for building a sports complex, there is another reason as well. And that is to benefit the local youth.

Every child deserves a great place to play. The current facilities are nice, but they’re very spread out and only benefit the players of baseball and softball. There are no youth soccer fields in Natchez nor is there a public outdoor swimming pool.

Kids deserve to have a central place to play and enjoy their childhood, whether they play baseball, softball, soccer or any other sport. Kids also deserve a swimming pool where they can cool off during the hot summer months.

I know it has been talked about a lot over the past 10 years, but when you add up the benefits of building a new sports complex, it’s a real no-brainer. It’s time to start talking and start to really come up with a plan for a complex.

Our children deserve one and so does the city budget.