YMCA to Debut New Sports Complex Saturday; Cross-Country Track Event Set for Fall

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

The Anderson Area YMCA will host a ribbon cutting to celebrate the opening of the new Sports Park, a major expansion of property on and around the old Duckworth Fields Saturday at 9 a.m.

The new facilities include four baseball fields, a centrally located sports tower with concessions, five multi-purpose fields, a playground, walking paths and increased parking.

YMCA CEO Joe Drennon said the property would also be open to the community for fun runs and other events.

“We’re excited about what this is going to mean to the community,” said Drennon in a 2023 interview with the Observer.

The park will also serve as home Anderson School District Five’s Cross-Country Programs at T.L. Hanna and Westside. The official opening of that facility is set for in the Fall.

The 87-acre facility at the complex, which includes not only new fields for sports, will include a state-of-the-art cross-country facility aimed at attracting regional meets for high schools and colleges/universities.

The $7 million effort, is also expected to provide an economic boost for Anderson County by hosting regional events. District 5, which is providing $1.9 million with funds from penny sales tax revenue.

The goal is for the track, which features the latest digital technology to allow visitors to watch runners at every point in the race, is to attract regional NCAA meets to the facility.

For more than 60 years, the Anderson Area YMCA has been building strong kids, strong families & strong communities through programs which include: after-school enrichment, outdoor day camp, athletics, aquatics, pre-school, and wellness. The original YMCA was located on Greenville Street across from AnMed, and later moved up to a facility on S.C. 81 adjacent to the old Bi-Lo, before moving to the current expanded budling on East Reed Road.

Since that time, the YMCA has grown to over 11,000 members.