Wyo Sports Ranch Names Mike Gaffaney as General Manager
Industry veteran to lead new indoor sports complex
Posted On: January 5, 2024 By :Wyo Sports Ranch and Sports Facilities Companies have appointed Mike Gaffaney, an industry veteran with over three decades of experience in the sports, athletic, and fitness industry, as general manager when the facility opens in 2025.
Gaffaney will be relocating to Casper from Portland, Oregon, where he served as general manager at large tennis and athletic club facilities and coached high school and girls’ club volleyball, earning Oregon State 6A Volleyball Coach of the Year in 2016. He was also director of sports sales and development at the Eugene, Cascades & Coast Sports Commission from February 2012 through July 2015.
“I’ve seen firsthand the benefits that sports and event tourism can have on a community,” Gaffaney said. “It creates and drives excitement to an area that impacts and inspires those who participate, motivates growth within a community, and encourages better outcomes. It’s exciting to know a large sporting event or unique conference, even if only for a weekend, is coming to your area.”
Wyo Sports Ranch is a 131,000-square-foot complex designed to host youth and amateur events. The facility adjacent to the Ford Wyoming Center, will feature 10 basketball courts, 20 volleyball courts, a seasonal indoor multi-use turf space, community rooms and a sports performance center.
“The project has already created an enormous amount of excitement and participation and I look forward to contributing to what I believe will be a game-changing facility for Casper and the wider Wyoming community,” said Gaffaney. “The Casper area is challenged with not having enough basketball and volleyball courts to meet the demand. We will be providing our community access to a quality sports training facility that is unmatched. Having a new and special place to play, meet, and support should inspire us all, and the fact that this place is focused on our youth makes it even more rewarding.”
Gaffaney has held executive general manager positions in private athletic clubs and his coaching career spans three decades, including six years coaching women’s collegiate volleyball and over 20 years coaching high school and club girls’ volleyball.
“I was quickly and pleasantly surprised with Casper’s unique beauty and sense of community,” Gaffaney said. “Our long-term hope is to establish the WSR as the premier training and sports facility in the region, helping to bring youth sports out west. Our goal is to not only be a popular destination city that attracts regional and national tournaments but also business groups, conferences, corporate events, parties, and even creating sporting events ourselves.”
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