Indoor sports facilities a growing phenomenon in Saskatoon

ALEX MACPHERSON, SASKATOON STARPHOENIX

Published on: March 1, 2016 | Last Updated: March 1, 2016 8:08 AM CST

The crack of a wooden bat connecting with a baseball echoes through the dimly-lit warehouse. Even in the middle of February, Saskatoon ball players can swing for the fences, thanks to a new training facility.

“It’s a baseball saying: If you build it, they’ll come,” said Jordan Draeger, a former NCAA college baseball player and current instructor at Going Yard Baseball Warehouse, which opened in April 2013 and currently boasts about 120 members.

Going Yard — the name refers to smacking a home run — offers pitching, hitting and fielding training for players of all ages and skill levels.

Matt Kosteniuk ran his own baseball school before signing on to manage Going Yard. He said it has attracted people from across north-central Saskatchewan, as well as Chris Colabello and Kevin Pillar of the Toronto Blue Jays, who dropped in last week to pummel some fastballs.

Draeger said the 11,000 square foot facility fills an important void in Saskatoon by allowing talented players to train at home rather than travel to expensive academies in Alberta and British Columbia. At the same time, it offers another way for people to stay fit during the long Saskatchewan winter, he added.

“(It is) adding something else into the mix and being able to come in here and just keep youth active in the winter and the off-season,” he said. “It’s there for fun, but we’re ultimately also going to get a lot better, and a lot more talented.”