Latest news with #NCFusion
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Burlington debuts new pickleball complex
BURLINGTON, N.C. (WGHP) — FOX8 got a sneak peek at the new Burlington pickleball complex before its grand opening on Friday afternoon at City Park on Overbrook Road. It's a culmination of years of work. $4.6 million was approved by the city in 2022 to construct the state-of-the-art ball fields, which will host local residents and draw tournament play. NC Fusion renovates Greensboro fields to bring in more opportunites 'Some people call it a fad. I don't call it a fad. It's here to stay. A lot of people are playing it,' said Tony Laws, director of recreation and parks. Pickleball is suitable for people of all ages, and Burlington is embracing its popularity. 'The fastest growing age group in pickleball is 18-35,' Laws said. Laws has 56 years of experience and says the new courts are meeting a huge demand in Burlington. 'We added a lot of courts so people wouldn't be sitting in line, getting frustrated,' Laws said. The complex has 17 courts and a covered championship field, which is wheelchair accessible. 'We plan to bring some tournaments here on the weekends, and the number of courts we got helps us get those tournaments,' he said. They added chairs and tables, making the space even more hospitable, which Burlington Pickelball General Manager Rachel Vinson said will be part of the draw. 'We're looking forward to hosting our own tournaments that we'll do with the city but as well as bringing some tournaments from the region that will bring in those economic impact dollars,' Vinson said. The facility will offer open play, memberships, camps and clinics. 'We are going to have clinics for ages seven and up to really introduce the younger kids who are really starting to learn about it in recess and in school,' Vinson said. The city invested in LED lighting so the courts can stay open after dark, and the location is easy to get to for everyone in Burlington. 'The big thing is it's exactly in the center of town,' Laws said. For pickleballers who want to plan ahead, there is a way to do it. An app will allow them to see what courts are available. The Burlington pickleball complex opens to the public on Friday at 4 p.m. after a ribbon cutting, and they'll have information on clinics and memberships, plus snow cones to celebrate the big day. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NC Fusion renovates Greensboro fields to bring in more opportunites
GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — It was a big night for the soccer community in Greensboro as they celebrated the opening of two new turf fields at the North Carolina Fusion stadium at Bryan Park. It has been a long-awaited project to upgrade the fields. The City of Greensboro invested in this project with the hope that it would bring economic growth to this area. The improvements were around renovating two grass fields into turf fields and adding lighting to six fields. The goal of this renovation is to make the complex more appealing for national organizations to host events and ultimately bring more visitors to Greensboro. 'It's become kind of an arms race across the country where, if you're not constantly improving, building more, adding more fields, you're kind of falling behind,' said Austin Homan, head of operations for NC Fusion. With the goal of becoming the national hub of youth sports, it was time to catch up. The City of Greensboro decided to invest in the North Carolina fusion soccer fields at Bryan Park soccer complex for a much-needed facelift: two new turf fields and lighting on six fields. 'Massive impact for this facility to not only be able to host games even when it's raining but also, if there's no much rain that we have to close certain grass fields, being able to play later into the evenings on 15 lit fields is just, again, just such a huge asset,' said Homan. These renovations are a part of the plan to keep Greensboro on the map. 'We're fortunate that we really are on the front end of reaching out and attracting these regional and national events we typically host between 12 to 14 here at Bryan Park each year,' said Homan. This upgrade also means economic growth for Greensboro. 'Usually these national events are bringing in well over 250 teams. They're obviously bringing parents, possibly some siblings, staying in hotels, spending money at restaurants,' said Homan. Jonathan Hill owns The Grinder Cafe sets up shop out of their coffee truck for most tournaments, he said this upgrade meant he has to expand too, to keep up with the growing demand. 'We're getting ready to add a second unit so that we'll be able to serve in more than one area of the park, which is obviously good for us and it's good for all of the guests coming in,' said Hill. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
