Forum

Minor League Sports in the Community

Date: July 10, 2026

Time: Noon to 1:15 pm

Event Type: Live/Livestream
Members and Non-Members may attend our forums for free

Venue: WOW Hall
291 West 8th
Eugene, Oregon
97401

City Club Eugene Icon
Other Details:

We will meet at the WOW Hall, 291 W 8th. Learn more: https://wowhall.org/about-us/. Walk, ride a bike or take the bus. You may park on the street or in the parking lot of FOOD for Lane County's Dining Room, across 8th from the WOW Hall. A freewill donation acknowledging the Dining Room's generosity may be made at the meeting.

Lunch will be available for $15.

Topic:

All across America this summer, crowds will stretch and “root, root, root” for the home team, and not just for the National Pastime, but also (if they are lucky) for an expanded group of professional soccer leagues dotting our communities.

In this program, we’ll welcome two such clubs from our area – the Springfield Drifters Baseball Club who has graced the cozy confines of Hamlin Stadium since 2022, and Sporting Cascades Football Club (that’s soccer to the uninitiated) who will begin their inaugural season in 2027 at Civic Park in Eugene.

We’ll talk about the impact minor league sports have on the communities in which they operate – both the dollars and cents of economic impact, as well as what these teams mean to families looking for affordable fun and young people who get to interact with their heroes on the field/pitch.

We look forward to seeing you there. 

Speakers

Name: Knight Jarecki
Title: Director of Communications
Organization: Springfield Drifters
Website: https://www.driftersbaseball.com/
Biography:

Biography provided by the speaker and edited for length/proofreading

Knight Jarecki is the Director of Communications for the Springfield Drifters Baseball Club.  Jarecki joined the Springfield Drifters as an intern in 2022, just ahead of the team’s inaugural season. Since then, he has become the voice of the Drifters, shaping the club’s broadcasts and leading its media efforts. Ahead of the 2026 season, he transitioned into the role of Director of Communications, where he oversees broadcasting, livestream production, public relations and advertising.


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