Politics & Government
Residents Celebrate Nike Sports Complex Expansion Opening
The park expansion included adding artificial turf and lights for night games.
A light rain couldn't keep the sports fans away as hundreds of people attended the opening ceremony for the Naperville Park District's expanded Nike Sports Complex Saturday morning.
A group of children ran through the red ribbon, signifying the official opening of the park. And, it wouldn't be an event in Naperville if Mayor George Pradel wasn't on hand. Pradel ran through the ribbon along with the children.
“It’s a little bit different than what I normally do,” Pradel said. “We’re supporting a healthy lifestyle in Naperville.”
The 20-acre expansion includes an artificial turf field that can be used for football, soccer, lacrosse and cricket. The field is also equipped with lights, allowing for night time activities. Furthermore, the expansion added tennis, basketball and volleyball courts, a playground, a cricket pitch and a trail to the already existing 25 acres at Nike Sports Complex.
A pavilion was also dedicated during the ceremony to the Book family, who had farmed the land used in the expansion for three generations. Cassandra Book represented her family at the ceremony.
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“Naperville is well known for being a high quality suburb where people want to live,” Book said. “This sports complex is an opportunity for us to provide a high quality of living.”
After the ceremony, those attending got a chance to try out the new areas of Nike Sports Complex. Kids lined up to shoot a goal against players from the Chicago Fire. Other people tried playing on the new basketball courts, shooting at lacrosse goals and throwing a football around the new field.
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Brett Strang, executive director of the Galaxy Soccer Club, said the new complex is impressive. Strang grew up in Naperville and remembered what the complex was like prior to the expansion.
“I’ve been playing up here at baseball and soccer camps since I was four-years-old,” Strang said. “Being around, I’ve seen hundreds of facilities, and this is a top notch facility.”
Traci Wolff also said she was impressed by the new facility. The Naperville resident attended the ceremony because her daughter was performing a routine with the Élan Dance Company.
Wolff said she thinks her children will appreciate the new features at the sports complex.
“This is such an improvement from what it was before,” Wolff said. “I think it’s really awesome.”
