ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Rochester, NY. held a ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday for the new “R-Training Center” at the Rochester Community Sports Complex.
The center is the first of its kind and will help athletes be in touch with the latest sports equipment and professional athletes. It will also help increase availability and accessibility for both playing in sports and training. The training facility is modern and up to date in style and holds turf fields for football, soccer, lacrosse, and baseball. The new center also includes basketball and volleyball courts.
In addition to the fields and courts, new training equipment was brought into the facility. Athletes will be able to access a track for running, batting cages, a fully equipped fitness center, and a classroom for film watching.
The $2.4 million center was able to be completed by a $460,000 grant from the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation.
Mayor Lovely Warren states, “This project represents a win for equity. For far too long, the youth of our city lacked the opportunities, access, and facilities to train for, and get better at sports, as compared to their suburban counterparts. Today, we begin transforming the quality of life and the future of our young people for the better.”
“The Community Foundation’s 2017 report State of Play noted significantly inequitable access to youth sports facilities in the City of Rochester,” says Jennifer Leonard, President and CEO of Rochester Area Community Foundation. “Access to youth sports is essential for developing healthy, vibrant kids and communities. I am grateful that our collaboration with the Wilson Foundation and the City of Rochester has produced a multi-million-dollar facility that brings us much closer to realizing that goal for all children and families.”
The facility is now open for business and is expected to have an immediate impact on sports in the surrounding areas.
Rochester is also home to the National Football League’s Buffalo Bills, and several minor league teams. Rochester also acts as a consistent mid-size market for traveling youth and amateur sports.
