Weather in Indiana can be unpredictable, but a new business just south of North Webster offers space for indoor sports and events regardless of whether it’s raining, snowing, hot or freezing outdoors.
The Field House Indoor Sports and Events, 4640 Ind. 13, Leesburg, is owned by Michael and Ashley Mettham.
Ashley is a professional dog trainer and started The Dog House in 2011 in North Webster. Then in 2015, it expanded to its current location on Ind. 13.
“The more that she got into doing different sorts of events, like dog agility and that, we were like, ‘It would be really nice if we had a big enough spot inside with turf that we could do that,’” Michael said at the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday.
“My background has always been in sports, and I’m involved with my kids and coaching baseball and whatnot, and I was like, ‘There’s nowhere around here, in this part of the county, that has an indoor sports facility like this. That would be a great asset up here,’” he continued.
In 2018, the Metthams got approval from the county for the facility, bit the bullet and built the building.
The Field House is about 9,000 square feet, with the turf area about 72 feet by 100 feet.
Michael said, “So 7,200 square feet of just wide-open turf that can be used for anything you really need. We have batting cages, pitching machines, cornhole. We’re running speed and agility coaching right now on certain nights. We’ll have open cornhole, soccer.”
The majority of the time it will be open for people to rent it for youth birthday parties, indoor soccer tournaments or similar events.
“We’ve been talking to some of the other local organizations that run leagues outside. They’re needing places to play inside. So it’s really open to anyone who wants to use it for whatever purposes,” he said.
The facilities has a Facebook page where people can contact The Field House or they can call 574-244-2039. The email is thefieldhouse@mediacombb.net.
“Here in the next couple of weeks, we’re going to have an online platform, it’s called EZ Facility, for these type of facilities where people can make bookings online, pay their deposits online. We can even register for tournaments and teams or whatnot and manage all of that through that system,” Michael said.
The business has standard office hours, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., where people can call if they need to speak to someone. The rest of the time, it’s by appointment, he said.
Several baseball teams have already had practices in the facility. People have made use of the batting cages, and they’ve brought their dogs in to run the agility course. Birthday parties are being scheduled for later this summer.
Monday nights, Michael is having open speed and agility for kids from 6 to 7 p.m. That and other events will be posted online. Any other times, The Field House is available by appointment. Rentals can be made by calling the office.
“The word’s getting out there, slowly but surely,” Michael said. “Just come check it out. It’s a place really to just come and have fun. Do whatever you want to do.”
