Looking for a place to practice your jump shot before Hoopfest? Look no further than The HUB Sports Center! Located just off Barker Rd. between the Spokane Valley and Liberty Lake, The HUB Sports Center is a 501(c)3 non-profit built for the Spokane community. This 66,000 square foot facility has five college sized basketball courts that host a variety of events including basketball, volleyball, soccer/futsal, pickleball, gymnastics, wrestling, martial arts and others. Along with hosting events, they also partner with other non-profits, such as The YMCA, Club Volleyball, Spokane AAU, Special Olympics and Club Soccer to provide opportunities for youth to participate in sports activities and learn life lessons.
Spokane Hoopfest and Spokane AAU have been partners with the HUB Sports Center since 2008. Both organizations strive to make a positive impact in the community with a focus on youth through athletic activity. Their passion is to serve and reinvest their resources back into the community.
The HUB Sports Center has just started to scratch the surface with their outreach and impact within the community. Their staff strives to be good stewards of this outstanding community resource. “We seek to maximize the use of the facility for the benefit of the community,” says Phil Chaplin, Executive Director of the HUB Sports Center. “We plan to build on the current foundation of partnerships and events and are always open to new ideas and concepts.”
This amazing facility hosts many fun activities and programs throughout the year. The HUB 360 afterschool program serves at-risk 6-8th graders from 3:00-6:00pm on school days. Staff mentor students with their school work, teach them about healthy living, provide an opportunity to experience a variety of sports and provide a snack without a fee.
Special Olympics Unified Basketball is a tremendous program that pairs students with disabilities and students without disabilities on the same team. Students get to put on their school uniform and compete for their school with classmates/teammates. Everybody wins as these athletes and their partners break down barriers and misconceptions about each other while playing basketball. Click here for more information on the HUB Sports Center events and programs.
The organization is in the middle of their capital campaign in order to purchase the building, which will ensure that the facility remains an essential part of the community. This campaign will ensure that the building remains a safe place for youth of this region for generations to come. The HUB Sports Center will continue to be a place for youth to learn life lessons, skills and to build the work ethic that creates a solid foundation towards becoming a promising community member. The campaign is for $3.9 million. $3.2 million is to purchase the facility, all the assets inside and the 8.5 acres we currently occupy. The other $700 thousand will go towards an operating reserve fund to provide the HUB funding to continue to move forward with our current and new outreach initiatives. The $3.2 million is due by the end of 2016. The $3.2 million will be paid to the Inland Northwest Community Foundation and into a benevolent fund which will be reallocated back into the community for the benefit of youth.Click here for more information the capital campaign.
“We value our partnership and relationship with the Hoopfest/Spokane AAU staff,” says Phil, “It is a win-win for the community to have a first class facility to play to great game of basketball in a safe environment through league games and tournaments provided by an organization that cares in making its community a better place.”