ST. LOUIS — Organizers of a major girls’ volleyball tournament in downtown ºüÀêÊÓƵ said the weekend passed without problem, thanks in large part to extra safety measures that included shutting a major thoroughfare to cross-traffic.
“It was a good weekend,†Capitol Sports owner Scott McQueen said Sunday at America’s Center, which echoed with the thuds of volleyball hits from the tournament’s last games on exhibit floors transformed into 75 volleyball courts for about 20,000 young women players and their families.
And he hopes for a similar success this weekend, when up to 15,000 volleyball players and their supporters return for the second leg of Capitol Sports’ Mideast Qualifier tournament, he said.
The qualifiers are Capitol Sports’ first major tournament here since its Presidents Day tournament last month was marred by a high-profile traffic crash that severely injured visiting volleyball player Janae Edmondson, 17, while she walked along a downtown street with her family.
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The crash touched off a political firestorm in ºüÀêÊÓƵ and the Missouri Capitol over public safety. Critics accused ºüÀêÊÓƵ Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner of not taking stronger action to revoke bond for the speeding driver, Daniel Riley, who was facing robbery charges and had already violated his bond dozens of times.
And the city and the regional Convention and Visitors Commission made sure to signal they took safety, and Capitol Sports’ experience in ºüÀêÊÓƵ, seriously.
“We’re sending a very clear message that we value them,†said Brian Hall, chief marketing officer of the CVC, also known as Explore ºüÀêÊÓƵ, as the tournament opened Friday. The CVC operates America’s Center and The Dome.
An entire lane of Washington Avenue in front of the convention center between Seventh and 10th streets was blocked off with bright orange barriers and turned into a pedestrian thoroughfare for the weekend. The eastbound lane was still open but westbound traffic on the downtown street was rerouted at Seventh.
CVC employees and contracted security guards in yellow vests were visible outside the convention center and throughout downtown, directing traffic and helping visitors.
Parents attending the tournament said they appreciated the changes, even if they made navigating downtown a little awkward and weren’t fool-proof guarantees against errant drivers.
“We felt safe,†said David Chitty, of Columbus, Ohio, who came to the tournament with his wife, Erika, and their daughter.
The barriers made it a little hard to navigate, but the crash was on their mind.
“I appreciate them taking the precautions, right? Just to keep everybody feeling safe,†Erika Chitty said.
Rebecca Mateski and Courtney Sherman, who each came from Chicago with their daughters and sons, noticed and appreciated the barriers.
But on Friday night, a car tore out of a parking lot between the convention center and their hotel, nearly hitting their sons who were walking on the sidewalk.
“OK, cool, high alert for pedestrians walking, but not driving?†said Sherman.
People driving don’t care, she said.
“It’s not just us, there’s more people walking. Just be courteous.â€
Rachel Smith, of O’Fallon, Illinois, said her family has been coming to the tournament for three years and felt comfortable returning. Still, she appreciated the safety precautions and crossing guards outside.
“It was impressive of the organizers to work with the city and make quick changes to help make people feel more safe and welcome,†she said.
The tournament this weekend will be the last of four Capitol Sports has hosted each year in ºüÀêÊÓƵ for more than a decade.
The private volleyball tournament organizer’s contract with the convention center runs through 2030 and, when the four February and March tournaments are combined, represents the largest single customer for the downtown convention center and among the top 10 largest events at America’s Center in 2023 by hotel room nights.
“This is a very important customer,†Hall said. “The entire downtown tourism community is activated by this.â€
The CVC worked with the ºüÀêÊÓƵ Police Department, the Downtown Community Improvement District, the ºüÀêÊÓƵ Sheriff’s Department and Mayor Tishaura O. Jones’ office to enhance public security and block the street for extra pedestrian safety, Hall said.
Thousands of visitors roaming downtown this weekend and next for the volleyball tournament and other events adds another level of public safety, Hall said Sunday.
“There’s nothing like vitality and feet on the street to make people feel a strong sense of place and safety when in downtown ºüÀêÊÓƵ.â€
Asked about the contract, McQueen declined comment. But he said Capitol Sports remains committed to ºüÀêÊÓƵ.
There were a “minimal†number of parents and volleyball coaches who last month raised concerns about returning here, McQueen said. Many of them were happy with the weekend’s event, he said.
“We knew the spotlight was going to be on us and we hoped to see some improvement,†McQueen said. “We were extremely pleased.â€
Support also came from area hotels and businesses, he said.
“I appreciate how many people tried to step forward and be helpful that didn’t even know Janae, whether it’s through the volleyball community, whether it’s been through a lot of the hotels and a lot of the downtown businesses,†he said. “We hope, not just for our event, but for the city overall, that we’ll continue to make efforts to make people want to be downtown.â€
Valerie Schremp Hahn of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.