Parking was the number one complaint when Rip the Duck, an annual lacrosse tournament, moved to another venue in 2025. Here's what Edwardsburg Sports Complex did about it.

For a youth sports complex run by volunteers and sustained by tournament revenue, losing a major event has real consequences. Edwardsburg Sports Complex, a nonprofit facility in Michigan that hosts thousands of young athletes across soccer, baseball, lacrosse and football each year, found that out when cars backed up on US-12 in both directions — and the organizers of their biggest annual event decided not to come back.

The problem no one could ignore

Rip the Duck, an annual Midwest youth lacrosse tournament, is the largest event the complex hosts each year. When it ran on manual parking operations, the result was gridlock. Volunteers took payments on Square with cash in aprons, and pre-registered attendees were checked off a printed Excel list at the gate. Cars lined up on US Highway 12 as far as anyone could see in either direction. Attendees who planned to arrive 30 minutes early for their children's games waited 45 minutes in line before they could park, then drove around in frustration looking for a space.

The tournament moved to another venue in 2025. For a small nonprofit that depends on events like this for its operating income, losing it wasn't something the complex could easily absorb. Jeremiah Wilson, a board member who pushed to find a solution, spent time at the events that had relocated to other facilities, listening to what attendees said. "People would show up 30 minutes early for their kids' game and then wait in line for 45 minutes," he recalls. Parking was cited as the number one complaint. That was what drove the search for a better way to manage the gate.

Pre-sold passes and a plan for the gate

Working with JustPark, Edwardsburg Sports Complex set up EventPass to allow attendees to buy parking in advance through a link on the complex's website and distributed by US Lacrosse directly to participating families. Prime devices at eight entry lanes replaced manual check-ins with QR code scans. No Excel lists. No cash. No slow-moving lines. For the two-day event, attendees who scanned in on day one received a windshield sticker, meaning on day two their cars were waved through without a second scan.

The difference was notable. The lines cleared. The experience improved, and the feedback didn't just go to the complex. It went straight to the tournament organizers.

Not only did [JustPark] alleviate the backup—we were getting secondhand compliments from attendees going straight to the tournament director about how smooth the experience was from start to finish.

– Jeremiah Wilson, Board Member, Edwardsburg Sports Complex

JustPark Suite gave the complex something it hadn't had before: real visibility into its own operations. For the first time, Patty Patzer, the complex's manager, could see exactly how many passes were sold in advance versus at the gate, what payment types were used, and how demand broke down across both event days. After the event, a clear summary was available without anyone having to compile it manually.

What it means for the sports complex

Edwardsburg Sports Complex is volunteer-run. Every tournament it hosts is revenue that funds facilities, maintenance and the programs that give young athletes a place to play. Losing Rip the Duck in 2025 had a real cost. Getting it back, on the strength of a better parking experience, is what the investment in JustPark was about.

The Results

• Entry delays on US-12 eliminated

• Rip the Duck returned in April 2026 after leaving in 2025 and is confirmed again for 2027

• First-time visibility over advance vs. gate sales, payment types and post-event performance through JustPark Suite

• Unsolicited positive feedback from attendees delivered directly to tournament organizers

"We don't feel like we're flying blind into these events anymore."

— Patty Patzer, Complex Manager, Edwardsburg Sports Complex

The next step is real-time capacity data across five parking lots. Today, volunteers count open spaces from golf carts. That problem becomes solvable as the team builds its data over future events.

Is parking holding your events back?

Edwardsburg Sports Complex is one of a growing number of youth and amateur sports facilities using JustPark to manage tournament-day parking. If your complex hosts large events and parking is the friction point holding you back, we'd like to talk. Book a demo with JustPark today.