SAN MARCOS (KGTV) — A North County father frustrated by the lack of indoor sports facilities for his kids turned an old landfill into a high-tech recreation complex that now serves hundreds of families every week.
Roo 21 Sports in San Marcos gives kids and teens a place to practice catching, batting and throwing — and the facility's history as a landfill hasn't entirely disappeared. Remnants of that past are still visible at the entrance and along the fencing at the back of the property.
Garett McCormick, the owner of the facility, said he chose the space specifically because there were no obstructions and the ceiling height was open.
"It was unused for quite some time. Many years. And it's really nice to transform something that had such potential into something that benefits all the youth and all the different sports that are around that get to utilize the facility," McCormick said.
Tenant Scott De Jong said the rec center draws players of all skill levels — and some high-profile ones, too.
"We can have somebody that comes in and uses the facility and plays a sport for the first time," De Jong said.
"Being 20-30 feet away from Division One baseball and softball players to the major leaguers that we've hosted inside this place," De Jong said.
De Jong said the complex is drawing families from across the region.
"We're at 750 to 800 families right now in North County, um, so our customers are coming from San Marcos, Encinitas, Carlsbad, Escondido, um, the La Costa area," De Jong said.
San Marcos Deputy Mayor Mike Sannella said the private facility aligns with the city's broader goals.
"While this facility is a private facility, it really blends well with our community goals to provide uh spaces for our residents and our kids to be able to get outdoors uh doing healthy activities it serve as a a great uh complement to what we're already doing here in San Marcos with our public facilities," Sannella said.
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