Despite the cold, wind and snow Sidney residents turned out for the soft opening of the Richland County Sports Complex at the fairgrounds this week.
The new facility, located in the Cattle Barn at the fairgrounds, will provide opportunities for teams and organizations to practice batting, pitching and throwing in an indoor setting during the off-season.Â
Richland County Sports Complex
The next open date for the public is Thursday from 3 to 7 p.m. At this time all the work is being done by volunteers who can help oversee the activities and help with the required usage waivers for participants.Â
"First day, I was really pleased with the turn out and the people coming in," founder Terry Roth said. "It's going to be awesome!"Â Â
There are eight different areas set up inside. The batting area is set up with two batting cages and a few nets to swing into. One of the batting cages also has a pitching machine. There are some tees and special hitting aids such as rope bats. For the pitching and throwing area there is a fastpitch rollout mat, portable pitcher's mound and plenty of space to toss a ball around.
Also set up is a softball jugs backyard bullpen which contains marked balls with pitch count and location, and the ability to track pitch speed with a radar cube.Â
"Trying to help the youth of the community is our goal," Roth said. "The kids can come in, they do their stuff and they get better at it."
The complex has a dirt floor to allow for more-realistic training — participants can even wear their cleats. The facility does have some equipment such as helmets, bats and balls available for use but it is strongly encouraged that participants bring their own equipment to use.
At this time there is a cash-only facility fee per person and spots do need to be reserved.Â
