If the renovation of the Pullman Park baseball field is completed over the next several years and a minor league team eventually calls the park home, the historic ballfield in the west end of Butler might be considered the most high-profile tourist attraction in Butler County. But baseball at Pullman Park is just one of many current and potential sports and recreation attractions available in the county.

Visiting Pullman Park last month, Gov. Ed Rendell brought state support for the renovation of the ballpark and the economic development of the city's west end with a $1.86 million grant and a hint at more support to come.

Pullman Park is seen as a diamond in the rough and an attractive potential home to a minor league baseball team. With Rendell's endorsement of the baseball field's development, it is natural to think of the economic benefits that a new ballpark and minor league team could bring to the city and county.

But baseball, even with a minor league team at Pullman Park, is only one of many recreational assets available in Butler County. Across the county, established golf courses have prospered, and new ones have been built to satisfy the demands of local players as well as visitors from outside the county.

Moraine State Park, as Butler County's premier natural asset, attracts visitors for boating, fishing, swimming, hiking and biking. The park also features triathalon races, regular sailboat races and occasional canoe races. At a recent regatta, Lake Arthur's conditions were praised by scholastic rowers from area crew teams, and there have been suggestions that more races might be held there in the future.

The park features trails utilized by hikers, mountain bike riders and horseback riders.

Bowlers have been welcomed to Butler County in recent weeks by area merchants who clearly recognize the economic benefits of hosting the Pennsylvania State Bowling Tournament.

The list of recreational and sporting opportunities in Butler County is long - and growing. It might soon be time to have a more active oversight and coordination of this busy recreational/sporting-events calendar.

The Butler County Tourism and Convention Bureau would seem to be the ideal organization to serve as a clearinghouse and promoter of sports and recreation activities in the county, given the natural link between those activities and tourism. Athletes and their families are willing to travel for attractive events and activities.

A sports and recreation committee within the official tourism group could help flesh out a comprehensive annual calendar of events, with the idea of trying to avoid scheduling conflicts, while also helping with promotion. Once established, the sports and recreation calendar could also help focus efforts on creating new events, especially during the slower periods of the year.

Brainstorming within the committee might come up with new events, such as kite-flying tournaments, road rallies for sports car enthusiasts, bicycle road races, kayak races at Lake Arthur or on Slippery Rock Creek. Some ideas might be dropped as impractical or lacking economic impact; others might be developed to become realities and permanent fixtures on the sports calendar.

Slippery Rock University and Butler County Community College already play host to a variety of sports activities outside the realm of traditional inter-college play. More events might be possible with the university communities serving as hosts.

Butler County already boasts extensive sports and recreation opportunities. The ability to draw more people would be enhanced by oversight, development and promotional efforts of the county's tourism agency.

With Pullman Park's renovation looking more likely, this would be a good time for the tourism group to take an even larger role in advancing sports and recreation attractions in Butler County.

- J.L.W.III