Henderson man started Mesquite resort designed for youth sports teams

The rooms at the resort, some equipped with bunk beds, can hold up to 12 people. (Courtesy)

The rooms at the resort, some equipped with bunk beds, can hold up to 12 people. (Courtesy)

Andre Carrier saw the potential in Mesquite as a hotbed for youth sports, and the Henderson resident envisioned an all-in-one resort that caters to those teams.

He helped open the Rising Star Sports Ranch Resort, 333 N. Sandhill Blvd., in October.

“The growth Mesquite has seen in visitor volume comes in no small degree from youth sports,” said Carrier, chief operating officer of the resort, which has 210 rooms.

He wanted to stay away from the traditional look of chain motels. At Rising Star, the rooms can sleep at least 12 kids, which are adjacent to rooms for coaches and parents .

The resort a baseball field, basketball courts, volleyball courts and more an hour northeast of Las Vegas. There’s also a 30,000-square-foot multipurpose field house that can support more indoor basketball courts, volleyball courts and a regulation soccer field. Outside, it looks like a barn; inside, it looks like an airline hangar.

The resort also has a restaurant, Victory Kitchen, that can cater to large parties.

“When you’re responsible for other people’s kids and you’re at a conventional hotel and when you’re wondering what’s going on, it’s genuinely exhausting,” Carrier said.

Carrier came up with the idea of Rising Star base on his experience with his kids playing sports.

Carrier likened the resort to a summer-camp atmosphere that benefits children and parents. He said going someplace else provides a sense of individual accountability on both sides — kids to learn independence, while the parents accept it.

“Camp is a rite of passage growing up, but it’s not in Southern Nevada,” he said. “Most camps could be from three to five hours away, and that’s a tough dead-ahead trip for only a few days.”

College coaches are set to appear for conferences at the resort. The first of its kind is scheduled May 19-21. Oregon men’s basketball coach Dana Altman is set to speak, as well as UNLV men’s basketball Marvin Menzies, football coach Tony Sanchez and volleyball coach Cindy Fredrick.

“You have to provide a platform for people like that to come and teach,” Carrier said. “It’s going to be a really fun time for us.”

Carrier said the plan is for word-of-mouth to spread awareness of the resort.

Jane Larson, a Las Vegas native living in Cedar City, Utah, had a positive experience during a recent trip with her son for a lacrosse camp.

“The staff was friendly, and they really took good care of us,” Larson said.

Carrier hopes to host more corporate functions and youth-leadership events.

“We’re so excited for the prospect of what this brings to Mesquite in the long term,” Carrier said. “The options are endless.”

Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@viewnews.com or call 702-477-3834. Follow @DannyWebster21 on Twitter.