Concord Sports Plex offers indoor baseball and softball cages, pickleball courts
Dec. 7—Three coaches and fathers from the Concord Township area recently opened a new indoor sports facility, providing visitors with two pickleball courts and five baseball and softball practice lanes.
Concord Sports Plex opened on Nov. 10, according to co-founder Scott Pietrzak. It is located at 7993 Crile Road, along the north side of a retail plaza.
The owners said that lanes for pitching and catching include a radar gun, while mats are placed at different distances to reflect different age groups. The facility also includes cages with pitching machines. The netting can be retracted to open up the space.
One cage offers HitTrax equipment, which tracks where batters hit a ball and allows them to see the ball's angle and speed. They can watch where it would land and what the resulting play would be in a virtual replica of a real-life stadium like Progressive Field.
The owners added that the software also includes options to change the home run distance and skill level and compete in various games like a home run derby. A protected screen allows batters to see the software without needing to leave the batting area.
Meanwhile, one of the owners described the two pickleball courts as "state-of-the-art."
He said that they may possibly add a golf simulator in the future. The facility's logo includes a golf ball along with a baseball, softball and pickleball.
Another owner mentioned potentially hosting events in the future.
The facility also includes bay doors, and an owner said that they can be opened up to provide fresh air when the weather is warmer.
The partners came together for Concord Sports Plex in April, one of the owners said, adding that they had already known each other from coaching. They wanted to support baseball and softball teams, addressing a perceived lack of indoor options for local recreation and travel groups.
They said that they turned to area contractors and student volunteers for help during construction. A friend's daughter painted a sign on one indoor wall, while a local student painted a "Concord" sign on another wall that highlights the facility's sports and the township's sights.
All employees went through safety training from the fire department, including resuscitation, CPR training and training with an automated external defibrillator, an owner added.
Customers can pay to reserve amenities for specific time periods using free online accounts, he said. Groups can generally book up to two weeks in advance, though by request the facility will let them book up to eight weeks in advance.
The facility also offers open pickleball play for $10 from 9 a.m. to noon each Sunday and 7 to 9 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, according to its website.
The website also invited people to contact the facility for information on clinics, camps, pickleball lessons or pickleball leagues.
More information on reservations and pricing can be found at concordsportsplex.com.
The website states that it is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends, though an owner said that visitors can ask about coming in earlier.
