The Woodlands Real Estate Blog

The Woodlands area will soon be home to one of the largest sports training complexes in Texas.

Legends Sports Complex, which is located at 602 Pruitt Road just south of Sawdust Road, plans to open its doors in January. "This will be one of the largest multi-sports complexes in Texas,"" said Legends' General Manager Todd Allen. ""It's pretty neat to have it right here in The Woodlands Tx."" When it opens in January, Legends will feature facilities for a broad range of sports. Outside there will be four baseball and softball practice fields. Those fields will eventually be replaced by four tournament fields - three different sites are being looked at as possible locations. Inside, there is a 44,000-square-foot basketball field house that will accommodate four full-size basketball courts, or eight smaller basketball or volleyball courts.

A total of six batting cages are being constructed, four with traditional ball launchers, and two that mimic the overhand motion of a baseball pitcher. There will also be two pitching lanes, plus a third lane that Fox will have equipped with high-tech video equipment to tape lessons and work with pitchers. For the soccer fans, there will be a 30-yard by 50-yard indoor turf field, that cannot only be used for football and soccer, but also for a number of other indoor training activities.

A large weight room is being built as well, as is a cardio room, aerobics room and spinning area. There will also be a yoga room. Other features include two aboutGolf simulators, that allow a member to play on virtual courses from around the country. The simulator will also allow someone to play at Legends against a friend in another state - also on a simulator - at the same time. There will be a restaurant, currently slated to have a sports bar theme, and an inhouse sports medicine company.

There will also be an arcade and a kid's area to keep younger members interested while the facility is being used. Six directors have been hired to head up the different focus of the complex.

Former NFL player Jermaine Williams will serve as the football director, Todd Parsons will work as basketball director, professional volleyball player Willie Villarreal will be the volleyball director, the soccer director position will be Ricardo Anderson and Kacy Stallman will work as the fitness director. The complex has also hired Chad Fox, a former Major League Baseball player who won a World Series ring with the Florida Marlins, as the baseball director. Scheduling of events at the complex will be handled by Charlie Bertero, the former athletic director at The Woodlands Christian Academy. Allen came to the project from a job leading the golf course projects in Carlton Woods.

He is overseeing the construction of the 96,000-square-foot complex, and planning for the opening. Legends will sell memberships to the complex, with varying levels based on what aspects of the facility a person is interested in, and how many people are becoming members. For more information on the complex, visit the company's Web site, www.thelegendssportscomplex.com.