Georgia’s LakePoint Sporting Community Partners with Mizuno

Mizuno signage can now be found in LakePoint.

LakePoint welcomes more than one million visitors annually to its Emerson, Ga., sporting community and Mizuno USA Inc. will now have an official position throughout a complex that includes 16 baseball fields.

Mizuno and LakePoint Sporting Community announced a multi-year partnership Monday that makes Mizuno the official performance sports gear partner of LakePoint and integrates Mizuno signage, retail kiosks and gear throughout the complex. The site will soon include a Mizuno Mezzanine in The Champions Center, a custom-designed-and-branded scouting terrace.

“We are thrilled to partner with Mizuno as our performance sports gear partner,” LakePoint CEO Earl Ehrhart said. “Mizuno is committed to the mission of LakePoint—to be the premier sports vacation destination and provide a place where kids can showcase their sports skills to advance their education while working to make the world of sports safer, smarter and better. We are glad to have a valued partner in Mizuno.”

LakePoint, located 35 miles north of Atlanta, includes more than 1,300 acres in the foothills of the North Georgia Mountains adjacent to Lake Allatoona. Opened in 2013, the complex has far more than just 16 baseball fields. The property includes 10 sand volleyball courts, three multi-use fields for soccer, football, lacrosse and rugby and one of the largest cable wakeboard parks in North America. In 2016, LakePoint opened The Champions Center, a 175,000-square-foot indoor facility for basketball, volleyball, wrestling, dance and more. Future plans include 16 additional baseball fields, 14 additional multi-use fields and softball fields alongside added retail, hotel and office properties.

“LakePoint is revolutionizing the idea of tournament play for athletes and their families, and we believe the potential is endless,” Mizuno chief operating officer and president Mark O’Brien said. “Not only does this partnership showcase our brand to the highest degree throughout the complex, it is also an opportunity to gather brand, product and event feedback from athletes from every corner of the country in every sport we touch, all in one place.”

Mizuno also plans to sponsor tournaments at LakePoint and provide gear for the complex. Mizuno USA, known for its baseball, volleyball and golf equipment and apparel, is based in greater Atlanta as a wholly owned subsidiary of Mizuno Corp., based in Tokyo.

“LakePoint is playing a major role in the continued growth of the Atlanta sports community,” O’Brien said. “We are very proud to add LakePoint to our stacked roster of premium partners in our hometown.”

— Tim Newcomb covers gear and business for Baseball America. Follow him on Twitter at @tdnewcomb.