CASPER, Wy. – Wyo Sports Ranch (WSR) and Sports Facilities Companies have appointed Mike Gaffaney as general manager.
Gaffaney, an industry veteran with more than three decades of experience in the sports, athletic, and fitness industry, will be at the helm of operations when the facility opens in 2025.
“I am honored to be selected to lead the Wyo Sports Ranch team. 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,” says 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.”
In addition to 30 years of industry experience, Gaffaney hopes to bring a level of expertise and leadership to move Wyo Sports Ranch forward and develop a team that will ensure a sustainable future. “My vision for the WSR is simple: to make a positive impact on the quality of life for youth through sport,” says Gaffaney. “The power of sports is real; sports change lives, and the WSR is the starting line.”
Wyo Sports Ranch is Casper’s newest indoor sports facility, a 131,000-square-foot complex designed to host youth and amateur events for the community and for national opportunities. The facility, located on the grounds 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.
A graduate of UCLA with a degree in Economics and a Master’s in Athletic Administration from Seattle Pacific University, Gaffaney has held executive GM positions in private athletic clubs and served as a director of a sports commission. His coaching career spans three decades, including six years coaching women’s collegiate volleyball and more than 20 years coaching high school and club girls’ volleyball.
“I’ve seen firsthand the benefits that sports and event tourism can have on a community,” shares Gaffaney. “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.”
Gaffaney will be relocating to Casper from Portland, Oregon, where he served as GM 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, as well as coach of the year in the highly competitive 6A Metro League.
