"Paducah Regional Sportsplex"

Tim Stonecipher & Josh Stewart

The Paducah Regional Sportsplex was founded two years ago to energize the sports scene in Paducah and encourage out-of-town teams to travel to Paducah. The mission of the Sportsplex is to promote the quality of life in Paducah, increase collegiate scholarships for awarded to local students, provide safe and structured environment for student athletes, give sport-specific instruction, and help make Paducah a destination (for travel teams, competitions, and general tourism).

Tim Stonecipher, son of Rotarian Ron Stonecipher and former Junior Rotarian, has worked in sportscamps, coaching school and travel teams, and the sports education field for nearly 20 years.

The Sportsplex offers a multitude of activities and facilities in its 80,000 square foot building. These activities include, but are not limited to, Volleyball Tournaments, Birthday Parties (they host about 10 a week!), Inflatables to keep the little tikes occupied during serious sporting activities, the "Go Performance" Gym, a Summer Sports Day Camp for children, Winston Bennett Basketball Camp, Speed & Agility Training with Randy Wyatt, Soccer Camp (with regional and national champions), Baseball Instruction by professional ballplayer Josh Stewart, Youth Leagues and Tournaments, Martial Arts, Wrestling, Boxing, Yoga, Aerobics, and Basketball with Zach Sims & Winston Bennett. They have a full service Snack-Bar featuring fare from local restaurateur partners and a Game Room & Arcade with Wii, Playstation, Xbox, and Arcade Games.

The Venue is a great regional resource appropriate for group rentals, expos, employee appreciation days, school parties, field trips, and athletic events. Mr. Stonecipher estimates that the Sportsplex has had and will continue to have a significant economic impact through its generation of tourism partnerships. 90,000 people take advantage of the facility annually. For regional competitions, each traveling team represents about 20-25 hotel rooms per night-for an approximate 2,000 hotel rooms in just the past three months!

Mr. Stonecipher and his team have big plans for the future, including an eye toward community oriented projects like their upcoming Great Pumpkin Shootout and Homerun Derby for Charity, MAYBA Tournaments, recognition on the major Sports Networks (like ESPN & ESPNII), and Fall & Winter Leagues for all sports. And, there is still an opportunity to invest in this $5 million (5-10 year window) project.

The Sportsplex is privileged to have a number of esteemed professional athletes on its faculty, including Lone Oak resident and Livingston County native Josh Stewart. Mr. Stewart is a graduate of Livingston High School and was drafted into the Major Leagues by the Chicago Whitesox. He has pitched professionally for the Detroit Tigers and the Florida Marlins. He is now the lead Baseball Instructor at Paducah's Regional Sportsplex.

Mr. Stewart shared stories about his experiences pitching Major League ball and how that experience has influenced his teaching locally. He is proud to have this facility in Paducah, wishing he had had access to a similar resource growing up, and hopes that he can help his students to strengthen their self-esteem, build self-confidence, and enhance their teamwork ability through instruction at the Sportsplex. While his emphasis and expertise is in baseball, he encourages children with professional aspirations to participate in a variety of sports until they are of about high school age and then focus in on a single sport which best suits their talents.