Mission Viejo hosts successful Dutch high-performance summit and signs working agreement for next four years

The City of Mission Viejo hosted TeamNL (Netherlands Olympic Committee) and nearly 30 of its Olympic and Paralympic national federations for a High-Performance Summit last week. The City partnered with TeamNL to serve as the primary pre-games training site for their Olympic and Paralympic teams for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

During their visit, the City and TeamNL officially signed a cooperative working agreement between both organizations for the next four years resulting in a significant investment in our City for the benefit of Mission Viejo hotels, restaurants, facilities, stores and other businesses.

"The Ayres Hotel family is incredibly thankful for the City of Mission Viejo's efforts in attracting TeamNL and various athletic events to our community," said Corporate Director of Sales Cassidi Haskell. "These initiatives not only boost business for our hotel but also create positive impacts for many local businesses within Mission Viejo. We are proud to welcome TeamNL to our community and are excited to support efforts that elevate our City as a premier destination for athletes and events."

Mayor Robert Ruesch echoed those sentiments and said this monumental effort is historic for Mission Viejo and well beyond.

"Signing the agreement was a very special moment for our community and the City of Mission Viejo," Mayor Ruesch said. "It essentially was a culmination of years of hard work from our Sport and Economic Tourism Committee, and we can't wait to host our Dutch friends between now and the 2028 Games."

The summit - for coaches, technical directors and operations staff in preparation for the LA28 Games - was led by TeamNL's Director of Elite Sport Andre Cats. It included interactive workshops and tours of several potential training venues expected to be used for pre-games training camps in and around Mission Viejo.

"Every time we visit Mission Viejo, it just reconfirms why they are the perfect training partner for us leading up to the 2028 Games," Cats said. "Their sporting resources are exactly what we need, and the enthusiasm throughout the community is just amazing."

The group toured the Marguerite Aquatics Complex and Tennis Pavilion, Saddleback College, Trabuco Hills High School, Mission Viejo High School, Santa Margarita Catholic High School, Lake Mission Viejo, Oso Creek Golf Course, the Storm MMA Training Center, Norman Murray Senior and Community Center plus numerous athletic fields and running trails throughout Mission Viejo.

For more information about the City of Mission Viejo, visit cityofmissionviejo.org or its sports website at missionviejosports.com. Information is also available by contacting Director of Community Relations Robert Schick at [email protected].