How Passion for Baseball Combined With Strategy Created Ballparks of America

For many professionals, a side hustle might mean consulting work or a passion project. For Springfield attorney Paul Satterwhite (Spencer Fane) and commercial real estate developer Greg Snider, a side hustle means owning one of the country's most unique sports destinations.

At first glance, Ballparks of America in Branson looks like a dream for youth baseball players. And it is. But behind the scenes, it's also a complex business venture—one that both men balance alongside demanding full-time careers.

The facility hosts youth baseball tournaments and some softball, drawing teams from across the country March through October. What sets it apart, Snider explains, is the immersive player experience. "Our fields are replicas of Major League stadiums," he says. "And we have on-site team lodging with Major League-style lockers and suites; coaches and the whole team can stay. We also have multiple entertainment options on-site: laser tag, escape rooms and batting cages."

The idea began with a Chicago-based development group transforming the vacant Red Roof Mall complex into a baseball campus with fields, lodging and entertainment. Snider and Satterwhite first experienced the facility as baseball dads and coaches, bringing their sons to play when it opened in 2016. "We just fell in love with the place," Snider says. When the original developers sought local partners to grow the concept in 2020, Snider and Satterwhite teamed up with fellow owners Steve Strobel and Dale Helle to acquire and expand it. Since then, they've added a full commercial restaurant and kitchen, expanded the pro shop and introduced additional attractions. The facility employs eight to 10 full-time staff year-round, expanding to roughly 70 in summer.

For Snider, whose day job involves commercial real estate development and private investment partnerships, the opportunity was primarily strategic. But for Satterwhite, a partner practicing employment law at Spencer Fane, the motivation was more personal. "Ballparks is a passion project for me," he says. "It's allowed me to take a love—a passion—for sports, for baseball, for coaching, and take it from a micro level […] to a macro level."

Today, Ballparks of America hosts hundreds of teams each year, including international teams. According to Satterwhite, economic development analyses conducted with the Branson Chamber and Sports Facilities Management estimate the park generates $25 million to $27 million annually for Branson and the surrounding region. About 90% of teams travel from more than 75 miles away, filling hotels, restaurants and attractions. "We consider [traveling from out of the area] essential to calculating economic impact because there's a huge difference between someone who drives in and stops at the gas station on the way out of town versus someone taking advantage of all Branson has to offer," Satterwhite says.

Looking ahead, Satterwhite says the team is exploring ways to expand activity beyond the traditional baseball season, including a possible partnership to bring the popular Field of Screams haunted attraction and a holiday experience to the property. "I'm an attorney first," he says. "But as I joke with my wife, some guys hit middle age and midlife crisis and they buy Ferraris. I did, and I bought baseball fields."