Naperville Gets New Indoor Recreational Facility

Naperville is known for its growing and active population, so it’s no off-chance that many indoor sports and recreation facilities are choosing Naperville for their next spot. With plans in the works for additional space, residents will soon have even more places to go to stay fit & active.

One of the new facilities being built is gargantuan. Measuring in at over 101,000 sq. ft., Naperville Yard Indoor Sports Complex is being constructed on 17.5 acres just southwest of Freedom Drive and Diehl Rd. When completed, Naperville Yard will be the local version of the Westmont Yard facility in Westmont and will offer daycare and a workout area in addition to indoor turf playing fields for soccer, lacrosse, and football.

Naperville Yard will offer four main turf fields -- two at 35 by 50 yards and two at 30 by 40 yards -- as well as a speed and agility training center with a weight room, a plyometric floor, high-speed treadmills and a turf training area. On a second floor that spans half the building, the layout will include smaller turf fields for younger athletes and private training.

“We’ve been waiting for something like that to open,” said Paul Stolzer, one of the owners and directors of New Wave Lacrosse. Stolzer added that New Wave Lacrosse is looking forward to the versatility of spaces Naperville Yard will bring to the area. “It has the flexibility to be either a very, very small field for individual or semiprivate lessons, and it has the ability to expand into a tournament-sized facility where we could have multiple games going on at the same time,” Stolzer said.

New Wave Lacrosse is working closely with Naperville Yard Owner Bill Gust and his team to help spread the game of lacrosse in the Naperville area.

“We’re running a lot of our winter programs over there to make it convenient for people to get to,” added Stolzer. For New Wave Lacrosse, which is centered in Naperville and draws players from about 50 high schools in the region, Naperville Yard will bring needed field space and convenience. “It’s absolutely very centralized,” Stolzer said. “It’s off the main highway, so it’s going to be real accessible for people.”

Paul Stolzer wasn’t kidding when he said that New Wave Lacrosse was running a lot of their programs there. So far, there are plans for 9 separate programs at the new facility, including Youth and High School Leagues, Skills Programs for both boys and girls, and several clinics run by professional lacrosse athletes. Stolzer ended his interview by saying, “We’re looking forward to using this facility to its fullest potential and we can’t wait for it to open in November.”