Central Iowa’s efforts to emphasize amateur sports events are paying off in impressive ways. Whether it was the long-term example of the Drake Relays or something else, something convinced leaders a few years ago that Des Moines would be a fine place for mid-sized amateur events, and the list began to grow.

This summer brings the Hy-Vee ITU World Cup triathlon downtown and at Gray’s Lake, and it will be immediately followed by the Western Junior golf tournament at the Wakonda Club.

The last day of that competition, June 22, is also the first day of the 2007 U.S. Youth Soccer Midwest Regional Championships.

And the list goes on from there.

Such events bring lots of people and money to town. For example, it’s predicted that the soccer championships will draw in more than 12,000 people and have an estimated economic impact of almost $7 million.

In Indianapolis, which has established itself as a capital of amateur sports, it’s estimated that the direct economic impact of athletic events on that city from 1977 through 2004 was more than $2.5 billion.

We’re well behind Indianapolis, but we do have some selling points. We have a central location and a nearly perfectly sized metropolitan area for hosting these crowds. They can get around easily and find all the hotel rooms and amenities they need. Also, each tournament gets to be a major story in the local media, which is a nice benefit for the participants and their supporters.

Sure, Des Moines envies the glamour that major-league professional teams give to other cities. But pro sports can lead to economic problems, as the demands for bigger and better facilities just keep on coming. Back in 1993, a study of 47 cities with professional sports found that only Indianapolis had “realized tangible benefits” from investing in sports.

Hosting athletes on the golf courses, soccer fields and city streets that we already have, that’s an ideal way to go about the sports business.