CCAC Celebrates 10th Season
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
City-County Athletic Complex is celebrating its 10th season this year.
It now serves more than 5,000 local youth and adult athletes; more than 150 out-of-county tournament teams per year; approximately 130 girls, women, men, co-ed and church softball teams; and is home to the Warsaw Tiger soccer teams, Kosciusko County Soccer League, Northern Indiana Soccer League, Hispanic Soccer League, CCAC adult soccer leagues and the Pro-Life Music Festival.
Andy McCleary, CCAC director, said the CCAC was formed because, with the creation of the Central Park district near Center Lake, Warsaw was faced with the dilemma of where to relocate two softball fields and a soccer field that were there. Because of the need to relocate the downtown athletic facilities and a growing need for recreational fields, the CCAC was proposed.
Former mayor Jeff Plank headed up the proposal to build the cooperative facility for the community, McCleary said.
Now the CCAC incorporates 60 acres, including more than 800 parking spaces, four men's softball diamonds, two women's diamonds, two youth diamonds, nine soccer fields, seven batting cages, three concession stands and two shelters.
The soccer fields, McCleary said, will continue to be built up.
"We are proud to provide one of the top soccer fields in our area," he said. There is an ongoing project to light the soccer fields. "Our goal for this year is to light one field for Phase 1 (of the project), the varsity field."
New this year will be the seven-station batting cages. There will be 20 balls per play for $1. There is baseball, with fast, medium and slow pitch, and softball, with slow or fast pitch. The CCAC will accept individual and team rentals by appointment.
As for the people who use the fields, "a majority of the athletes are from the outside of the Warsaw city limits but most come from within Kosciusko County," he said.
McCleary said one of his goals is to fill the complex with tournaments and games. The facilities are underused, he said.
The men's snowball tournament begins March 22. Kosciusko County Soccer League starts April 19 and softball leagues, including men's and women's city and church leagues, begin in late April. Youth fast-pitch softball league begins May 19.
There will be grand openings with both the start of the KCSL and softball leagues, McCleary said. A small ceremony will be held at each of the events. A few prizes may be given away and there will be concession stand specials.
"This year, we also have a new program," said McCleary, and that's the summer co-ed softball league which will be in June and July.
The Pro-Life Music Festival is planned for June 27-28. The event is a Christian music festival and will co-exist this year with a church all-night softball tournament. Last year, the festival attracted more than 1,000 youths from the region.
The KCSL is starting a new fall soccer league for youth this year, from Sept. 13 through Oct. 18. More information will be provided later.
Support for the CCAC is vast, McCleary said. The not-for-profit organization has received grants from K21 Foundation and Kosciusko County Community Foundation to help upgrade the CCAC's equipment. The state provided the CCAC with $185,000 in Build Indiana Funds in 2002 to pave the parking lot.
"If it wasn't for the support of the community," McCleary said, "the CCAC would not exist."
The CCAC itself was established because of the commitments several businesses made to pay off the construction loan for the sports complex. More than $1 million was raised in gifts and pledges for the facilities.
CCAC does not fall under a government umbrella, he said. It was established as a private, nonprofit organization and receives no public tax dollars. However, the city of Warsaw and the Kosciusko County Convention and Visitors' Bureau does pledge financial support annually.
"The CCAC is continuing to provide programming for the community and providing one of the nicest places to play, especially for our local teams because of local industry (support)," McCleary said.
Because of that support, McCleary said, they now plan to open up the facilities for corporate picnics.
The CCAC is looking for umpires and part-time laborers. To help keep the CCAC maintained at high standards, participants will see a small user fee increase this year, McCleary said. Part of the reason for the increase, he said, is because of an increase in utilities and insurance costs.
The CCAC programming begins in April and lasts until October. McCleary said it's been said the CCAC provides more tourism and programming and brings more out-of-town families to Kosciusko County than any other facility.
In his second year as director, he said, "I have high expectations for the CCAC over the next several years to provide recreational programming for adults, youth and families."
The CCAC is at 3215 Old Road 30W, Warsaw. For more information, call 269-6663, e-mail [email protected] or visit online at www.kconline.com/ccac [[In-content Ad]]
City-County Athletic Complex is celebrating its 10th season this year.
It now serves more than 5,000 local youth and adult athletes; more than 150 out-of-county tournament teams per year; approximately 130 girls, women, men, co-ed and church softball teams; and is home to the Warsaw Tiger soccer teams, Kosciusko County Soccer League, Northern Indiana Soccer League, Hispanic Soccer League, CCAC adult soccer leagues and the Pro-Life Music Festival.
Andy McCleary, CCAC director, said the CCAC was formed because, with the creation of the Central Park district near Center Lake, Warsaw was faced with the dilemma of where to relocate two softball fields and a soccer field that were there. Because of the need to relocate the downtown athletic facilities and a growing need for recreational fields, the CCAC was proposed.
Former mayor Jeff Plank headed up the proposal to build the cooperative facility for the community, McCleary said.
Now the CCAC incorporates 60 acres, including more than 800 parking spaces, four men's softball diamonds, two women's diamonds, two youth diamonds, nine soccer fields, seven batting cages, three concession stands and two shelters.
The soccer fields, McCleary said, will continue to be built up.
"We are proud to provide one of the top soccer fields in our area," he said. There is an ongoing project to light the soccer fields. "Our goal for this year is to light one field for Phase 1 (of the project), the varsity field."
New this year will be the seven-station batting cages. There will be 20 balls per play for $1. There is baseball, with fast, medium and slow pitch, and softball, with slow or fast pitch. The CCAC will accept individual and team rentals by appointment.
As for the people who use the fields, "a majority of the athletes are from the outside of the Warsaw city limits but most come from within Kosciusko County," he said.
McCleary said one of his goals is to fill the complex with tournaments and games. The facilities are underused, he said.
The men's snowball tournament begins March 22. Kosciusko County Soccer League starts April 19 and softball leagues, including men's and women's city and church leagues, begin in late April. Youth fast-pitch softball league begins May 19.
There will be grand openings with both the start of the KCSL and softball leagues, McCleary said. A small ceremony will be held at each of the events. A few prizes may be given away and there will be concession stand specials.
"This year, we also have a new program," said McCleary, and that's the summer co-ed softball league which will be in June and July.
The Pro-Life Music Festival is planned for June 27-28. The event is a Christian music festival and will co-exist this year with a church all-night softball tournament. Last year, the festival attracted more than 1,000 youths from the region.
The KCSL is starting a new fall soccer league for youth this year, from Sept. 13 through Oct. 18. More information will be provided later.
Support for the CCAC is vast, McCleary said. The not-for-profit organization has received grants from K21 Foundation and Kosciusko County Community Foundation to help upgrade the CCAC's equipment. The state provided the CCAC with $185,000 in Build Indiana Funds in 2002 to pave the parking lot.
"If it wasn't for the support of the community," McCleary said, "the CCAC would not exist."
The CCAC itself was established because of the commitments several businesses made to pay off the construction loan for the sports complex. More than $1 million was raised in gifts and pledges for the facilities.
CCAC does not fall under a government umbrella, he said. It was established as a private, nonprofit organization and receives no public tax dollars. However, the city of Warsaw and the Kosciusko County Convention and Visitors' Bureau does pledge financial support annually.
"The CCAC is continuing to provide programming for the community and providing one of the nicest places to play, especially for our local teams because of local industry (support)," McCleary said.
Because of that support, McCleary said, they now plan to open up the facilities for corporate picnics.
The CCAC is looking for umpires and part-time laborers. To help keep the CCAC maintained at high standards, participants will see a small user fee increase this year, McCleary said. Part of the reason for the increase, he said, is because of an increase in utilities and insurance costs.
The CCAC programming begins in April and lasts until October. McCleary said it's been said the CCAC provides more tourism and programming and brings more out-of-town families to Kosciusko County than any other facility.
In his second year as director, he said, "I have high expectations for the CCAC over the next several years to provide recreational programming for adults, youth and families."
The CCAC is at 3215 Old Road 30W, Warsaw. For more information, call 269-6663, e-mail [email protected] or visit online at www.kconline.com/ccac [[In-content Ad]]