Young Family Athletic Center opens to the public

Feb. 20—The City of Norman opened its doors to the Young Family Athletic Center on Monday.

Hundreds of locals gathered inside the new gym, greeted by city officials, community leaders, and the Young Family.

Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks point guard and Norman North alumnus who played in the 2024 NBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis, Indiana the day before and who also played in this year's NBA 3-point competition, sent a personalized video message that was played on the gym's new 74-foot screen.

"For me, it's an honor to be a part of this project. It's something that is very important to me," Young said. "Since I was a kid, I was always playing at the YMCA. It always helped me become who I wanted to be."

Young's father, Rayford Young, spoke at the event. He said his son had to travel to Los Angeles, California to train at a facility like the one that was just dedicated.

"As someone who runs a foundation, these are the types of projects we want to be a part of," Rayford said.

The YFAC, as it is affectionately known, 2201 Trae Young Drive, is a 122,000-square-foot facility on 12 acres of land north of the Embassy Suites off 24th Avenue NW.

The facility includes eight NBA-grade basketball courts which can convert into 12 volleyball courts, 12 pickleball courts, an 8-lane 25-yard competition pool, and a 4-lane 25-yard pool for warm ups and recreation.

Marina Wells, a mother of two, attended the ribbon-cutting because one of her children plays basketball in the city's league.

I've seen the facility being built over the last year or so," Wells said. "They were going to do a grand opening and I thought it'd be really cool to bring them out and see."

She said that she was impressed with the building.

"It is beautiful. It's absolutely stunning," Wells said. "It's better than I was expecting. It is state of the art, and it's something that Oklahoma desperately needed."

Jason Olsen, Norman Parks and Recreation director, said Norman teams had previously traveled to neighboring states for tournaments, and that this new facility will allow residents to stay local.

Rayford said Naismith Hall of Fame member Bill Self, an Oklahoma native who coaches the men's basketball team at the University of Kansas, visited the YFAC.

"You know how big this is?" he said, quoting Self. "We're going to find the next Trae Young in this facility."

The facility cost $43 million, $32 million of which came from the City of Norman, most of which came from the Norman Forward initiative which collects half of a percent of sales tax over 15-years. The bond was passed in 2015.

In addition, $7 million came from Norman Regional, and $4 million came from the Trae Young Family Foundation.

Norman Regional Health System has partnered with the YFAC and has facilities on site, though the Norman Regional section of the building is operated separately.

The new Norman Regional site includes NMotion Sports and Human Performance center, an expansion of the Ortho Central, and relocation of Ortho Central Physical Therapy.

Richie Split, CEO of Norman Regional, spoke at the event and said he looks forward to helping to improve health outcomes in Norman through this new center.

"We all reap the benefits. Quality of life makes the city attractive and vibrant and it draws in new families and new businesses. When our community thrives, we all win," Split said.

Matt Peacock, Ward 8 councilor, said the new facility will ensure that thousands of Norman kids will have the best opportunities available to them.

"Trae isn't the first professional athlete to come out of Norman, but with his love and dedication to this issue, we know that he won't be the last," Peacock said.

Larry Heikkila, Norman mayor, said he was impressed at the size of the facility, as well as the public art piece that was dedicated hours before the ribbon-cutting event, "Elevate The Game," by Di Bari & Associates.

The 1,200 pound kinetic steel sculpture depicts three individuals playing basketball.

"There's a beautiful statue that's out there. It stands as a shining example to what we can do," Heikkila said.

He said the facility, itself, also stands as a symbol of the commitment the city has to improve the lives of those who live within its boundaries.

"It symbolizes our collective commitment to enhancing sports and wellness opportunities to our residents, and also our commitment to the arts and community," Heikkila said.

Olsen said the facility has room for expansion. The Norman Forward tax bond expires in 2030, and he said by 2027, the city hold an election that would extend the sales tax.

Missing from the current facility are weight rooms.

"We want a 50-meter competition pool with seating, two weight rooms, and a parking structure," Olsen said.

Brian King covers education and politics for The Transcript. Reach him at bking@normantranscript.com.