From the local Y.M.C.A. to courts scattered all over the place, the town is in need of a unifying complex that brings new fields for play and recreational activities.
That changed with the Sports of the World project, which seeks to bring state-of-the-art sports complexes introduced not only to the city, but to the entirety of the southwestern region.
“I feel like it is a big upgrade from the Dome,” Yasmin Angeles, Health junior, said. “Just that there are minimal courts that we have over there. They are going to have a lot more, and I feel like it is also a place where they just have fun.”
An ongoing project since 2019, the Sports of the World project has recently finished the construction of The Refinery and opened to the public as of Nov. 21.
The project has received 50 million dollars in Sales Tax and Revenue (STAR) bonds, a type of bond that finances innovative projects for tourism and entertainment.
“I honestly have been waiting for it to open for a while because the other best option we had here was the Dome,” Trevin Tabor, Public Service junior, said. “It did not have much variety to it and it was not very big.”
The Refinery consists of a Fieldhouse and Events Center. The Fieldhouse is the sports facility, encompassing multiple courts for basketball, volleyball and pickleball. There is also an area with indoor turf that allows for football, soccer, softball and baseball.
The Refinery’s Events Center is a conference center that allows individuals to host events like weddings and parties within the center.
“I think it’s pretty cool,” Paul Lappin, Life Skills teacher and head wrestling coach, said. “We don’t have anything like it, so hopefully it is something that our community is able to use and benefit our kids in our community.”
The high school’s annual Rocky Welton wrestling tournament is being hosted in the Refinery this year, bringing new opportunities as the tournament is traditionally hosted in the high school building.
Officials state that the project brings vast opportunities not only for the residents but for the city. Analysis shows that the Sports of the World project will attract millions of visitors yearly, spurring economic activity that contributes to growth for the city.
“It will allow for a lot more youth sports, which bring more tourism and different competitions,” Lappin said.
The project has started on the second phase, which plans to implement a sports bar, weight training facility and turf fields for baseball and softball.
“I know that they are going to build a new complex,” Angeles said. “So hopefully, people could support the softball team.”
The Sports of the World project brings forth new opportunities for families and the youth, whether it would be serious athletic training or recreational activities made available by the project. This is only the beginning for what Sports of the World will bring to the region.
“I’m really excited for this and the new opportunities it will bring for sports and just everything in general,” Tabor said.
