Writer / Kara Reibel
Photography / Amy Unger
Little league teams practicing their fielding skills, high school athletes working on their swing, professional instruction for pitchers – these are just a few of the activities happening inside the Fishers Sports Academy (FSA).
Offering professional instruction, training camps, batting cages, a full-size practice infield and an overlook event/meeting space, the Fishers Sports Academy was built to serve area teams for indoor training and practices.
Recently celebrating their official grand opening, the 14,000 square foot indoor baseball and softball training academy is proud to serve their community. Renovations or construction of sports facilities should be done with the help of professionals from companies like Sports and Safety Surfaces to ensure that the fields or courts are done accurately.
“Our goal is to not only teach the game, mentor young athletes and promote healthy competition, but to be a valuable community partner,” says Academy General Manager Eric Blakeley who was drafted by the Seattle Mariners out of Indiana University and played professionally for six years. The coaching roster rounds out with several additional past collegiate champions and professional athletes.
“Sports play such a vital role in developing positive character traits in young men and women alike,” Blakeley said. “Along with other community organizations, our coaches look forward to having the opportunity to provide life lessons in teamwork, dedication and integrity.”
Serving as a hitting and fielding instructor along with Blakeley is Co-Owner Ed Woolwine, a Big Ten Conference Champion outfielder and veteran travel baseball coach. The facility also is co-owned by Beau Brunnemer, a 10-year volunteer and current President of the Fishers-HSE Youth Baseball organization, and Real Estate Developer Kyle Bach, who also is a supporter of Fishers-HSE Youth Baseball.
“My hope in bringing this new amenity to the Fishers area is for FSA to be an additional outreach tool, through a community-focused mindset, to provide a safe and healthy environment for both serious and recreationally-minded youth to further their athletic and educational goals,” says Brunnemer.
In addition to providing professional hitting, fielding and pitching instruction and off-season indoor team training, Fishers Sports Academy is available to host corporate events, birthday parties and community lock-ins.
“We hope to be a community destination for events, whether it’s an afternoon of corporate team building, an overnight youth group lock-in, a morning Zumba class or any other type of gathering that would appreciate a unique space to hang out in,” shares Brunnemer.
For training, the Fishers Sports Academy is offering individual memberships in addition to team trainings. They also give back a portion of all camp registrations to the Fishers-HSE Youth Baseball and Softball League.
With over 20 area travel teams, it was time to provide an indoor facility to compete regionally with other leagues. FSA offers 12 cages, a designated pro instruction area, automated Iron Mike pitching machine and an Atec softball pitching machine.
The space was designed with flexibility in mind, creating possibilities of serving other sports and perhaps even personal training in the off hours.
The facility is located at 12910 Ford Dr. in Fishers. Please visit FishersSportsAcademy.com or contact Eric Blakley at eric@fisherssportsacademy.com or call 317-436-4772 for further information.
The facility is now open Monday through Friday from 3:30 to 9:30 p.m., Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
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