Premier Sports Campus Lakewood Ranch's expanding reach to the world

By Nick Williams

The high quality level of sports programs and athletes coming through the Premier Sports Campus at Lakewood Ranch is making the area a national and international destination.

Pretty soon, it may have to be referred to as "Training Town USA".

Here's a rundown of what's happened in January alone:

* 50 youth teams converged at the campus for a chance to advance to the USSSA National Championships.
* Members of the U23 U.S. Womens National Team team trained there. Some of the members have a shot at making the U.S. Women's Olympic soccer team.
* Major League Soccer's DC United held its preseason training there.
* Athletic Edge Sports on Main Street began training nearly two dozen NFL prospects.

Mike Gough, who founded and operates Athletic Edge, has trained professional baseball players, golfers and tennis players. All of whom may be seen walking down Main Street throughout the year.

"Working with the sports campus, I partnered with them to support all of the athletes that are training on the fields as well," Gough said. "That was kind of the vision SMR had when they wanted to build this out. They were going to open up a training facility and they were looking for someone to do that and I was already established."