Knox Sports Complex is a non-profit organization and our mission is to improve the health & economic vitality of our community through an indoor athletic facility in Knox County. While our long term goal is still to have a facility that will include swimming, tennis, pickleball, rock-climbing and more, which will cost ~$53 Million to build, we are starting a little smaller with some courts and a turf that rolls out over them, so we can get some youth and adult programming started much sooner!
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Good luck if you want to swim. Six teams battle for a tiny pool. Tennis or Pickleball in the winter? You better be ready to drive. Let's end the traffic jam. A new facility means more court & pool space for all.
Help people thrive in Knox County. Where people belong, people stay. Provide the backdrop for meaningful connections, healthy individuals, and personal growth.
End the two-hour roundtrips. Use that time for practice while keeping money in the community. Not to mention the indirect community impact of swim meets, and pickle-ball / tennis tournaments.
Most of the county schools and clubs fight for time at the, undersized and over utilized, YMCA pool. Two lanes are reserved for the public. Practices begin at 3:30 and end at 7:30 if you're lucky enough to have a time not to mention other programming. South Knox splits time between North Daviess' YMCA, Pike Central's pool and the Vincennes YMCA. A normal day of practice requires and hour of travel.
With the addition of the KSC swimming pool the YMCA would have more pool availability for locals or clubs; therefore, ending the log jam. Another option would be to scrap the costly pool and focus on other areas of need that would be complimentary to the community; volleyball, basketball, daycare or maybe even gymnastics. KSC is happy to make sure we have complimentary services with the YMCA. With the additional pool space schools like North Knox and Lawrenceville might be able to provide swimming as a school sport.
"This facility will provide access to typical outdoor sports inside to enjoy year round for all age groups. We hope to retain professionals working in our area to live here after they finish training and provide a place for community and physical fitness."- Rebecca Cunningham
"The Pickleball scene with our highschoolers is so encouraging! It's a shame they have nowhere to go in the winter."- Vanessa Purdom
"I drive a zillion hours to Evansville each week for practices."- Shannon Turpin
"The swimming schedule is insane. My son begins practice at 7pm."- Lindsey Beumer
You may have known me from my medical practice at the Medical Center of Vincennes and now at Vincennes Family Health Center.
I am the mom of two active boys, constantly bouncing around the house. As a mom, who grew up in a community similar to Vincennes, and a physician in this community, the problem is not enough opportunities to learn and hone many athletic skills and a general lack of availability to do many sports year-round. So they turn to video games, other screen time activities, and worse things, like drugs. Then the lack of physical activity contributes to obesity. Without "things to do" in Vincennes and Knox County, young professionals don't want to move here, and our youth, when they finish school, don't want to stay.
Our facility will offer an excellent resource for activities for all ages, helping them all get and stay healthy and active. It will help reduce drowning accidents in our area by providing Learn to Swim programs for Kindergarteners and First Graders through all the local schools. Our facility will offer a place for local parties and employee retreats/workshops. It can be a tourist attraction in itself but will draw tourism to the community through tournaments and meets.
I want to see our community grow instead of shrink. I want my children to want to come back here when they finish school. I want our community to be healthier. This is my home, and I want it to be the best it can be!
Batting and golf cages for those who have no access to one.
A competition size swimming pool containing ten 50m long lanes with adjustable bulkhead that can convert pool to twenty 25 m lanes.
5-7 indoor tennis courts that partner with local coaches for tennis lessons and skill improvement workshops.
The only rock climbing wall in a 60 mile radius.
4-8 dedicated Pickleball courts for our thriving pickle-ball community.
After-school programming geared towards teens and adolescents.
Indoor turf field for our soccer players and countless other activities i.e plyometrics, nerf wars, etc.
Key allocations include a $19 million membrane, a competitive and therapeutic pool setup totaling $3.5 million, $1.9 million for premier courts, and comprehensive facilities like locker rooms and a rock wall, each reflecting our commitment to excellence. This project is more than a facility; it's an opportunity to ignite community engagement, wellness, and sportsmanship. Your support can bring this transformative vision to life, fostering a healthier, more vibrant community.
"I view the construction of an indoor sports complex as a win-win project for the Knox County Community as a whole."Dr. Darrel Bobe, Superintendent NK
"It would help attract young professionals and their families to work and live here, something that our community is lacking."Joe Yochum, Mayor
"I am particularly excited about the potential positive impact on mental health that a sports complex could bring."Gregg Parsley, Superintendent VCSC
"The potential revenue for the local business through the use of a sports complex like this would be tremendous."Jeff Cochran, Superintendent SK
"I truly believe that this facility will benefit our youth and community."Janice Jones, Principal Rivet High School
"A sports complex will help our community to move forward to being more active, safe and healthy."Karla Smith & Alan D. Stewart, M.D
We believe functionality without form is a recipe for an empty building down the road. 100 years from now we want people to think "wow they did this right!" That's why we partnered with our local architecture firm Donovan & Donovan to make a timeless and functional space. We don't want to cut any corners. Want to see the blueprint? Leave us your email in the space below.
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We see it differently. YMCA's are great for learning sports and general fitness. The types of facilities similar to what KSC envisions are for more advanced training in those and other athletics, to be able to host tournaments and competitions. Yes, our initial build will have multi-purpose courts, but the full facility will have dedicated areas for the individual athletics. Many aging adults have trouble with the hard floor courts that the YMCA has for pickleball and travel to outside counties for indoor courts that use regular pickleball court materials.
There is potential for managers and programming staff for the facility, already in our community. Many parents who would like to work but can't afford to pay for child care, may be able to utilize in-house child care for employees. As Knox County draws more young doctors to train, work, and live here, after their training is completed (or during it) their partners will also be an excellent resource for employees. As the need grows, KSC will develop our staff into different roles. Locally we have many coaches related to the sports we will offer, and to begin with, they can use the facility to give lessons, etc.; then, as the facility grows, in-house "pros" can also be incorporated.
Tennis: Knox County has around 280 tennis players of those tennis players 230 are students, 50 are adults. Currently Knox County has a growing tennis league with 120 players in it. The league also pulls in players from other communities. In addition, Knox County hosts several tournaments over the summers drawing participants from all over the region.
Pickleball: The rapidly growing pickleball community has an estimated 100+ players with more trying the sport each day. Locally, pickleball pulls in people of all ages and skill levels from retired adults and high schoolers, and now, with our youth pickleball league, younger children. Knox County also has several Pickleball tournaments throughout the year. One of Pickleball's brightest spots is seeing a growing number of high school kids going to the courts to socialize and play while meeting older members of the community. What a rarity these days!
Swimming: Three of the high schools have swim teams plus the WV Swim Team Club. The limited lanes at the YMCA makes it difficult to host swim meets that can generate a lot of tourism dollars.
The designs have undergone several revisions, mainly to accommodate what was brought to our attention as needing to be improved in our community. Many have asked for it to have even more sports available. So, it may not be big enough, but for what we have currently planned, it will support having large swim meets, tennis and pickleball tournaments, hosting parties (birthday and otherwise), health classes, etc.
Founder / President and Treasurer
CMO and Family Doc at GSH Family Health Center, Rivet MS Tennis Coach, Youth Soccer Coach
Vice President
Vincennes Youth Soccer Founder, (retired) VU Facilities Director and Soccer Coach
Secretary
CG Real Estate Properties, LLC, SK HS Swim Coach and Assistant MS Tennis Coach
Board Member
Insurance representative, Oakland City University Head Swim Coach
Board Member
FC Tucker Realtor, VU Associate Professor, Law School Graduate
Board Member
Gemtron Production Scheduler, Rivet/Lincoln Basketball Coach
Board Member
Independent Accountant
Joanah Murphy, Emilee Henson, Candice Miller, Melissa Lough, Shannon Turpin, Tracy Phegley