Valley Sports Center on the Verge of Opening Its Doors

After working at a feverish pace since January, staff at are ready to showcase the facility this weekend.

“It’s exciting to be right here and have this ready to happen,” owner Mark Lange said.

This weekend, Lange and the staff at the indoor, multi-sports center will host free, grand-opening events. Those include a family night open house from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday evening with music, strength testing, goodie bags, refreshments, a visit from a Rock Cats mascot and a chance to try some of the sports offerings.

“It’s a community, family event,” said Christine Carpenter, director of operations and marketing for the facility.

Residents can also stop by from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and tour the 28,000-square-foot facility, learn about programs, view demonstrations, use a batting cage and join an organized basketball, volleyball, or other game.

On Sunday, April 3, families with young children can learn about the QuickStart Tennis program between 9:30 and 11 am.

Official programming will kick off Sunday afternoon with a Bill Decker baseball-hitting clinic.

Staff at the center said the facility is unique to the area with its versatility and breadth of offerings for kids and adults such as camps, leagues, clinics and specialty training.  

“I’m thrilled to bring Valley Sports Center to the families in our area. Children and adults will be able to take advantage of our quality programs and excellent instructors,” said Lange, a Canton resident, coach, businessman and Board of Education member.

Offerings for kids include vacation and summer camps, clinics and leagues and training for sports such as basketball, soccer, kickball and volleyball.

Adult can participate in leagues as well as a few drop-in programs.  

A Velocity Sports Training Program will offer strength, speed, flexibility and mobility training for athletes

Lange and his staff had the facility, the former home of the Canton Racquet Club, revamped with the multiple uses in mind.

The main court area features a nearly indestructible poured polyurethane surface large enough to use as four small basketball courts, two high-school regulation sized courts or four standard size volleyball courts.

Other features such as temporary barriers and netting that swings down from the ceiling allow games to continue on one side while batting practice commences on the other.

To the side of the court area is a long, narrow, turf-covered strip that can be used for smaller activities. One side also holds the weight machines, exercise balls and other equipment used for Velocity Sports Training.  

The facility also features a kitchen that will offer healthy snacks, hot dogs and beverages. Upstairs there are also a few arcade machines and a small café where parents can sit, read, use one of the computers provided at the center or surf the Internet on their own laptops with free Wi-Fi.

Also upstairs are two multi-use rooms for birthday parties, meetings or corporate events.

More information on program offerings, times and prices are available at valleysportscenter.com. The center is located at 310 Albany Turnpike (Route 44) at the former Canton Racquet Club next to the Mobil station near the East Hill, Route 44 intersection.