GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (KSNB) – The Grand Island Community Fieldhouse is making their final preparations for the winter sports season.

The facility is now taking reservations for winter sports and offer a variety of activities for organizations, including: indoor batting cages, turf sports fields, basketball and volleyball courts, meeting rooms and a playground for kids.

Recreation superintendent Jeremy Bachman said new lighting this year will enhance the game and practice experience.

”We are getting new LED lighting for the building and the turf and the basketball area, so if you’re used to the lighting from last year, it’s going to be a little bit brighter this year,” Bachman said.

In addition to the lighting, Bachman said the turf that was installed last year has so far done its job and the hope it lasts the test of time, despite the wear and tear it gets every season.

”It’s kind of rough on it when we’re taking it out and putting it back in, but hopefully this newer turf is more resilient,” Bachman said. “We had the lines that are actually sewn into the turf, so we don’t have to paint those lines, so hopefully this new batch of turf will last a little longer.”

Bachman also said the benefit to using the Grand Island Community Fieldhouse, is that it’s open to the public and helps kids stay active in sports all winter long.

”It’s something to help kids stay in the game all year long for these baseball, softball and soccer teams all year long,” Bachman said. “We have the batting cages, we have the turf, as well as pickleball courts.”

Despite the benefits, space fills up quickly at the facility, which Bachman said has led to a need for either another facility or more recreation space to ensure organizations get the sports practice they need.

”The need for green space during the winter months is key for this town because these teams want to be practicing all year long to get ready for the summer,” Bachman said. “More greenspace, more turf, anything like that would benefit the community.”

If you or your organization is interested in making a reservation for the Grand Island Community Fieldhouse, you can check out the Grand Island Parks and Recreation website.

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