The aftershocks of the Las Vegas shooting continue to be felt. In the sports event planning world, that translates into new action plans for security in an attempt to be even more proactive and vigilant. Unfortunately, most of the country's 140 major sports stadiums are far from secure.

There are a lot of reasons to visit Owensboro, nestled on a scenic bend of the Ohio River in western Kentucky. Music fans are attracted to the area's ties to the roots of bluegrass, including the many festivals held every year, along with the unique International Bluegrass Music Museum. If you're a fan of barbecue, there's the world-famous International Bar-B-Q Festival and Owensboro's signature barbecued mutton and burgoo. More importantly, though, if you're a sports fan, there's the fact that Owensboro, the state's fourth-largest city, was picked by Sports Illustrated magazine as its "No. 1 Sportstown" in Kentucky. This city has venues for soccer, softball, tennis, football, ice hockey and figure skating, golf and so much more.

Drive through any small town in Texas on a Friday night and you'll find the local football stadium is a hub of excitement. Odessa is like that (after all, this is the origin of Friday Night Lights), but also holds the claim of being a hub for almost any sport. Discover Odessa, its first-class facilities and its warm welcome.

As a sports travel market, cheer is huge, with areas of special interest continuing to emerge. Meet the organization with not only national championships, regional and state competitions, but clinics, camps and coaching programs. The Fellowship of Christian Cheerleaders even has a hashtag: #FCCForLife, a symbol of its ongoing success.

"The only reason I don't like playing in the World Series is I can't watch myself play."

~ Reggie Jackson